The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-11-15
HIS HOSPITAL VISIT
The Stranger Who Inspected the
Federal Quarters.
HE cHEERED A FEW PATIENTS
But the Secret of tho Unknown Doc
tors influences Did Not Become Ap-
parent Until tho Next Day and After
He Had Taken His Departure. .

tors fnnuence Diu MOI 6ocoWs up
parent Until tho Next Day and After
He Had Taken His Departure. .
1t was in the spring OF 1862, wien
Stonewall jackson, marching down the
Shenandoah valley. had won bril-
liant victory over. General Banks,
whom he drove north until the friend
ly Potomac interposed it's screen and
lie found safety and care for his sick
and wounded in the hospitals of Fred
erick
A new nurse had been assigned to
one Of the hospitals the day before the
battle-a Massachusetts woman named
Charlotte Mckay. widowed and made
childless within Il single year. The
patients she had under her care were
mostly Federals OF course. but there
was a good sprinkllng Of wounded
Confederates who were prisoners OF
war.
One day, just after dinner time, the
chief surgeon entered Mrs. McKay's
ward, accompanied by a stranger. The
man had the appearance OF a student.
His head was bent and his brows were
drawn together with two deep lines
between them, ny IL he had spent long,
thoughtful hours ut his desk, and his
eyes, the color OF blue steel, swept the
ward with keen glance that seemed
to take In everything. His grizzled
beard showed that he w8s no longer
young, but his step and bearing were
elastic and vigorous.
''Dr. Janeway il from Louisiana" ex-
planned the chief as he introduced the
stranger HE had to abandon large
sugar plantation there when the war
broke out because OF his loyalty. He
was surgeon in the Crimean war and
so is interested IN seeing how We no
things here"
The stranger chatted gehially With
the nurses and the surgeon. discussed
their operating facilities, compared
them with those of the Crimea ques.
toned them about the rations OF the
prisoners and accepted steaming cup
of hot soup from the nurse.
The prisoners Were watching and rs
tening to all that passed. in strong con
trast to the sullen indifference they
had shown before One young Virgin,
ian, tall and muscular, looked as IL he
were about to spring from his cot.
THAT boy looks like he came from
near my place, observed the southern
Unionist May speak TO him." y
YES doctor; you may talk TO any Of
them"
With curlously quick and noiseless
step the visitor reached the bed and
conversed for a moment in tones thar
were inaudibie to all but the young SOL
der. He returned in moment.
II was mistaken. A chance resem-
blance deceived me. The man says he
is 'hankering for drink nurse. |
told him would ask you for It."
The wounded man drank the water
stretched out on his side and appeared
to sleep. while the two surgeons went
on to another ward and presently left
the building. Mounting his horse, DR.
Janeway babe cordial soodby to the
chief. bowed with deep respect to the
two women and rode slowly out of the
hospital grounds.
The prisoners were In, better spirits
che NEXT morning. A laugh passed
from time to time. 1t was almost as II
some excellent joke unknown to their
attendants had raised their courage.
did you know the gentleman yho
was here yesterday" ME-. Mckay
asked the boy soldier. The lad grinned
up ut her and replied: ,N
"Yes, ma'am."
You did? Who was he?"
at was Stonewall Jackson, ma'am."
The nurse stared, then she said:
You're making fun OF: rue, Pryor.
General Jackson here in the midst OF
our armies!'
ut wouldn't be the first time" re-
torted the boy, nettled by her unbelief.
more than once, when he hadn't just
the scout be wanted at hand, he has
gone on his own errands."
But what II he should be recog-
nizedw
who's to recognize him? None of
your folks. for those who would know
him are fighting, not nursing the sick.
And none of ours, for they wouldn't
tell IL they saw him. Reason he spoke
to me yesterday WAS cause was
showing too much interest. I'm one OF
his foot cavalry ma'am. he wanted
to know just how we was bein' treat
ed, and so he came to see."
1--WE try 70 do the hest wa can for
you. Pryor"
Yes. ma'am. told him SO. We've
been treated a heap better than we ex-
pected to be. But it's tough TO be a
prisoner, you know. And that was
Stonewall Jacks0n."-Youth's Conpan-
ion. u
Nothing Gratis.
I "Yoa can't get something for nothing