The Atlantic Monthly

have been declined on various pre- ferson Medical College in Philadelphia. texts by every medical journal to which My second course should have been in I have offered them. There was, per- the following year, but the outbreak of haps, some reason in this, because many the Rebellion so crippled my father's of the medical facts which they record means that I was forced to abandon are not altogether new, and because the my intention. The demand for army psychical deductions to which they have surgeons at this time became very led me are not in themselves of medi- great; and although not a graduate, I cal interest. I ought to add, that a found no difficulty in getting the place of good deal of what is here related is not Assistant-Surgeon to the Tenth Indiana of any scientific value whatsoever ; but Volunteers. In the subsequent Westas one or two people on whose judg- ern campaigns this organization suffered ment I rely have advised me to print so severely, that, before the term of its my narrative with all the personal de service was over, it was merged in the tails, rather than in the dry shape in Twenty-First Indiana Volunteers ; and which, as a psychological statement, I I, as an extra surgeon, ranked by the shall publish it elsewhere, I have yield- medical officers of the latter regiment, ed to their views. I suspect, however, was transferred to the Fifteenth Indithat the very character of my record ana Cavalry. Like many physicians, I will

, in the eyes of some of my readers, had contracted a strong taste for army tend to lessen the value of the meta- life, and, disliking cavalry service, sought physical discoveries which it sets forth. and obtained the position of First-Lieu

tenant in the Seventy-Ninth Indiana I am the son of a physician, still in Volunteers,

Volunteers, - an infantry regiment of large practice, in the village of Abing- excellent character. ton, Scofield County, Indiana. Expect

On the day after I assumed coming to act as his future partner, I stud mand of my company, which had no ied medicine in his office, and in 1859 captain, we were sent to garrison a part

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by TICKNOR AND FIELDS, in the Clerk's Office

of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts VOL. XVIII. NO. 105.

of a line of block - houses stretching ask at a log-cabin for directions. The along the Cumberland River below house contained a dried-up old woman, Nashville, then occupied by a portion and four white-headed, half-naked chilof the command of General Rosecrans. dren. The woman was either stone

The life we led while on this duty deaf, or pretended to be so; but at al was tedious, and at the same time dan- events she gave me no satisfaction, and gerous in the extreme.

Food was I remounted and rode away. On comscarce and bad, the water horrible, and ing to the end of a lane, into which : we had no cavalry to forage for us. If, had turned to seek the cabin, I found as infantry, we attempted to levy sup- to my surprise that the bars had beer plies upon the scattered farms around put up during my brief parley. They us, the population seemed suddenly to were too high to leap, and I therefore double, and in the shape of guerillas dismounted to pull them down. As , “potted” us industriously from behind touched the top rail, I heard a rifle, ani distant trees, rocks, or hasty earthworks. at the same instant felt a blow on bot! Under these various and unpleasant in- arms, which fell helpless. I staggerea fluences, combined with a fair infusion to my horse and tried to mount; but, a, of malaria, our men rapidly lost health I could use neither arm, the effort wa; and spirits. Unfortunately, no proper vain, and I therefore stood still, await medical supplies had been forwarded ing my fate. I am only conscious tha; with our small force (two companies), I saw about me several Graybacks, for and, as the fall advanced, the want of I must have fallen fainting almost in quinine and stimulants became a seri- mediately. ous annoyance. Moreover, our rations When I awoke, I was lying in the were running low; we had been three cabin near by, upon a pile of rubbisl. weeks without a new supply; and our Ten or twelve guerillas were gathered commanding officer, Major Terrill, be- about the fire, apparently drawing lots gan to be uneasy as to the safety of his for my watch, boots, hat, etc. I nor men. About this time it was supposed made an effort to find out how far I that a train with rations would be due was hurt. I discovered that I could from the post twenty miles to the north use the left forearm and hand pretty of us; yet it was quite possible that it well, and with this hand I felt the would bring us food, but no medicines, right limb all over until I touched the which were what we most needed. The wound. The ball had passed from left command was too small to detach any to right through the left biceps, and dipart of it, and the Major therefore re- rectly through the right arm just below solved to send an officer alone to the the shoulder, emerging behind. The post above us, where the rest of the right hand and forearm were cold and Seventy-Ninth lay, and whence they perfectly insensible. I pinched them could easily forward quinine and stim- as well as I could, to test the amount ulants by the train, if it had not left, of sensation remaining ; but the hand or, if it had, by a small cavalry escort. might as well have been that of a dead

It so happened, to my cost, as it I began to understand that the turned out, that I was the only officer nerves had been wounded, and that the fit to make the journey, and I was ac- part was utterly powerless. By this cordingly ordered to proceed to Block time my friends had pretty well divided House No. 3, and make the required the spoils, and, rising together, went arrangements. I started alone just af- out. The old woman then came to me ter dusk the next night, and during the and said, “ Reckon you'd best git up. darkness succeeded in getting within Theyuns is agoin' to take you away." three miles of my destination. At this To this I only answered, “Water, wa time I found that I had lost my way, ter." I had a grim sense of amusement and, although aware of the danger of on finding that the old woman was no my act, was forced to turn aside and deaf, for she went out, and presently came back with a gourdful, which you die in your sins : you will go where I eagerly drank. An hour later the only pain can be felt. For all eternity, Graybacks returned, and, finding that I all of you will be as that hand, — knowwas too weak to walk, carried me out, ing pain only." and laid me on the bottom of a com- I suppose I was very weak, but somemon cart, with which they set off on a how I felt a sudden and chilling horror trot. The jolting was horrible, but with- of possible universal pain, and suddenly in an hour I began to have in my dead fainted. When I awoke, the hand was right hand a strange burning, which worse, if that could be. It was red, was rather a relief to me. It increased shining, aching, burning, and, as it as the sun rose and the day grew warm, seemed to me, perpetually rasped with until I felt as if the hand was caught hot files. When the doctor came, I and pinched in a red-hot vice. „Then begged for morphia. He said gravely : in my agony I begged my guard for “We have none. You know you don't water to wet it with, but for some rea- allow it to pass the lines.” son they desired silence, and at every I turned to the wall, and wetted the noise threatened me with a revolver. hand again, my sole relief. In about At length the pain became absolutely an hour, Dr. Wilson came back with unendurable, and I grew what it is the two aids, and explained to me that fashion to call demoralized. I screamed, the bone was so broken as to make it cried, and yelled in my torture, until, as hopeless to save it, and that, besides, I suppose, my captors became alarmed, amputation offered some chance of arand, stopping, gave me a handkerchief, resting the pain. I had thought of this - my own, I fancy, - and a canteen of before, but the anguish I felt - I canwater, with which I wetted the hand, to not say endured – was so awful, that I my unspeakable relief.

man.

made no more of losing the limb than It is unnecessary to detail the events of parting with a tooth on account of by which, finally, I found myself in one toothache. Accordingly, brief preparaof the Rebel hospitals near Atlanta. tions were made, which I watched with Here, for the first time, my wounds a sort of eagerness such as must forwere properly cleansed and dressed ever be inexplicable to any one who has by a Dr. Oliver Wilson, who treated not passed six weeks of torture like me throughout with great kindness. I that which I had suffered. told him I had been a doctor ; which, I had but one pang before the operaperhaps, may have been in part the tion. As I arranged myself on the left cause of the unusual tenderness with side, so as to make it convenient for which I was managed. The left arm the operator to use the knife, I asked: was now quite easy; although, as will “Who is to give me the ether?” be seen, it never entirely healed. The “We have none,” said the person quesright arm was worse than ever, — the tioned. I set my teeth, and said no bumerus broken, the nerves wounded, more. and the hand only alive to pain. I use I need not describe the operation. this phrase because it is connected in the pain felt was severe; but it was my mind with a visit from a local visitor, insignificant as compared to that of any - I am not sure he was a preacher, — other minute of the past six weeks. who used to go daily through the wards, The limb was removed very near to the and talk to us, or write our letters. One shoulder-joint. As the second incision morning he stopped at my bed, when was made, I felt a strange lightning of this little talk occurred.

pain play through the limb, defining ** How are you, Lieutenant?” every minutest fibril of nerve. This

“O," said I, “as usual. All right, but was followed by instant, unspeakable this hand, which is dead except to pain." relief, and before the flaps were brought

** Ah," said he, “such and thus will together I was sound asleep. I have the wicked be, – such will you be if only a recollection that I said, pointing

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The Atlantic Monthly, Volym 18