The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-04-26
VETERAN TELLS OF
CIVIL WAR DAYS

(The following is series of sketches
written by Thomas Goss, member of
Candy Post, G. A. R.)
April 9, 1862. No. 4.
We began to wonder how long we
had to live and die in Dixie without
tents. The second night after the bat
tie slept OH brush heap to keep out
of the water. The third night / got
two rails, laid one end on a log, the
other on the ground, just far enough
apart so would not fall through be-
tween them, folded and laid my wool
blanket on them and with knapsack
for pillow and covered up with my
rubber and slept quite comfortably.
About the 11th we got tents called
wedge tents - rightly named. Just
room for four men to wedge into
tent. We then got a new camp ground
nearer the landing.
The 14th Wisconsin had been detailed
to guard Gen. Grants base of supplies
while he operated against Corinth. So
our work was to unload supplies from
boats, store and care for them at the
landing and help load teams as they
were sent for. And that was no small
job when we came to feed Grants
army.
We had not been there long when we
began to feel the etfectssof climate and
water Many of the soldiers soon con-
tracted chronic diarrhoea, which sent
many of them to their graves. | re-
member we'll the last day did duty at
Pittsburg landing. | was on guard on
one of the boats at the landing. | had
suffered with chronic diarrhoea until |
was reduced to skeleton and barely
able to stand. went to camp for din
ner and on my way back to my post
my legs gave out and refused to carry
me any farther. lay on the ground.
Soon Col. Ward passed near where |
lay. | called to him and asked him if
he would not send word to Capt. Mans
field to detail another man to take my
place on guard, which he did; also sent
another man to help me to camp. l
lay in my tent for three days, not able
to eat or help myself. when Capt.
Mansfield detailed two men, William
Gibson and Albert Cleveland, to carry
me to the hospital on stretcher.
These two men both died the same day
and were buried in one grave before
] got out of the hospital. have rea-
son to believe they handled me as care
fully as they could, but every move
they made wracked my body all over
and went into a spasm. My hands
clinched so tight the nurses could not
open them. My jaws set like vice.
The doctor tried to pry them open but
could not, so two of the nurses took
hold of my lips, raised them up and
made funnel of them while the doc
tor poured brandy down me. | can re-
member now just how | felt as | swal-
lowed it. My nerves began to relax
and | began to cry. Soon after |
swooned away and became unconscious
and remained that way for ten days.
After | came to myself again the day
nurse, as he came into the tent in the
morning and saw me rational said to
me, Tommy, | expected to see you
dead every morning for the last ten
days when | came into the hospital"
From that time | began to mend
slowly. For two weeks or more was
not able to raise myself off the cot.
The first time | tried to walk the tent
pole was at the foot of my cot.
worked myself down to the foot of the
cot. got my feet on the ground, got
hold of the tent pole and raised myself
up. My head began to swim, yet l
thought was able 10 walk. | let go
the tent pole and started, but could
not lift foot and | went down full
length on the ground in the alley. The
nurse came. picked me up and laid me
on the cot and advised me not to try
that again until got little stronger,
which needed.
| had a severe pain in my head all
the time and the band used to practice
short distance from the hospital and
every time the bass drum was struck
it went through my head and nearly
sent me wild. If | could have gotten
at that bass drum with a sharp knife
| would have spoiled it at once.
Capt. Mansfield used to come to the
hospital just at sunrise every morning.
/ looked for him as regular as the sun
rose. He always brought bottle Of