The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-05-08
by the late VIM. A. Nicholson)

|
Macbeth Light Artillery. company
composed of men from Union. Lau.
rens and Spartanburg, under the com
mand of Capt. Robert Boyce.
The company was first ordered to
Lightwood-knot Springs, a few miles
from Columbia. From there thev
were sent to Charleston and took up
camp at the race course, after having
| spent some time on the Half Moon
Battery, near to where the cotton
mill now stands. 1t was while on
duty at the race course that I re-
| celved an injury that untitled me for
active service during the rest of the
war. | was detailed to look after the
| horses belonging to the battery, be-
| ing fond of riding and fearless
| horseman. | mounted spirited ami
NAL to take him to water with only
a rope halter to guide him. Near by
was field of luxuriant grass, which
was separated from our camp by
fence of moderate height. My steed,
preferrlng grass to water, made a
dash for it and went over the fence.
Being without saddle or bride had
10 means of steadying myself, and
on his alighting on the other side O..
the fence sustained an injury from
which | was sent to the hospital,
where | was treated for some time,
and then discharged from active field
duty. Later on in the struggle | was
assigned to duty as clerk for Surgeon
| Horlbeck in the college hospital in
Columbia When the Second North
Carolina Hospital was organized by
Surgeon A. w. Thomson in the Col
lege Chapel, he made application for
my detail as his clerk. He was then
the ranking surgeon of the post, if
not of the Confederacy. He had seen
much active field service and was in
charge of the Winder Hospital at
Richmond, Va, when ordered by the
Surgeon General to organize the Sec
ond North Carolina Hospital L.
this connection l cannot refrain from
adding my tribute to the memory of
] one of the most loyal and devoted
sons the Confederacy ever claimed
To those not familiar with his tenn
permanent, he might have been re-
garded as harsh and unreasonable;
nothing could be further from a cor
rect estimate of the man. more
tender-hearted, liberal, devoted sur
geon to the sick and destitute could
not be found.
The writer knows from his per-
sonal knowledge many, many occa-
sions when he took of his private
means to get delicacies for the sick
or aid some poor soldier in reaching
his home. But of all men he was
the most uncompromisin@ foe to Off
Ger or private whom he suspected of
feigning sickness; then it was his
indignation knew no bounds.
To those of a less hopeful dispo-
sition it was evident that the days
of the Confederacy were drawing to
close.
1t was only when Shernan's army
was in the vicinity of Columbia he
fully realized how near the end was.
Hospital Flag Disregarded.
Orders were given to hoist a yellow
flag on the College Chapel that the
enemy might know what the building
was used for. The sick and woundec
from the other hospitals in the city
were being sent away to different
points. Those unable to take such a
journey were concentrated in College
Hospitals Nos. / and 2 in the South
this was being done | received list
from Chief Surgeon Thomson of the
names of doctors then on duty in
Columbia that were ordered to report
for duty at points beyond the city.
| While engaged in writing out those
orders number of Confederate cal
varymen congregated in the middle
OF the street close to the College
Chapel. Their presence was discov-
cred by the Federal forces then on
the opposite side of the Congaree,
who soon brought their artillery to
play, Notwithstanding the hospital
flag was still floating from the chapel
building. The music from the shot
and shell was getting most uncom-
Portable, and | quietly reminded him
of the situation; but, as if it we1e
an every day occurrence with him.
ne urged me to go on and get through
with my writing.
| On the night of the 10Th February
our troops were on the march the
whole night, retreating before Sher-
mans army. On the morning of the
| 18th DR.. Thomson went to Janney's
Hotel = headquarters for Surgeon
Otto, chief of General Beauregard's
medical staff-to get orders, telling
me before starting to have an ambu-
lance in readiness with some provis-
ions in case he should receive orders
to follow our army. On reaching the
hotel he found the officers gone and
that he must decide for himself the
course he should pursue.
His duty, he realized, was plainly
marked out, and that was to remain
with the 180 or 100 sick and dying
then in hospital. When he told me