Little Pills, an Army Story: Being Some Experiences of a United States Army Medical Officer on the Frontier Nearly a Half Century AgoMcKay, R. H. (Robert Henderson)
History
Little Pills, an Army Story: Being Some Experiences of a United States Army Medical Officer on the Frontier Nearly a Half Century Ago
McKay, R. H. (Robert Henderson)
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); United States. Army -- Military life
again and this time did not take the lariat rope down, but merely
stepped up by the horse's head, stooped down and pressed my hand in the
sand as before, and the bird did not hesitate, but came at once, and
stood on my hand and drank the water, and when its thirst was fully
satisfied it hopped away, and I got on my horse and went on to the
post. When I returned that evening I found our little child no better
and she died that night.
A messenger was sent to the post and the ambulance came the following
day with a little coffin made at the quartermaster's and the trip back
to the post was to us indeed the "Journey of Death." Our home was so
desolate that I became more morbid than ever, and was soon taken down
with typhoid dysentery, and Dr. Boughter came from the Fort Craig to
wait on me. My recovery was very slow and I was indifferent to anything
that might happen. My wife at last became discouraged and she and
Captain Kauffman talked the situation over, and after consulting Dr.
Boughter concluded to have me taken to Fort Craig for treatment. I was
not informed of their conclusion, and when they told me the ambulance
was at the door, and a bed in it and that I was going to Fort Craig, it
did not even interest me. If they had told me I was going to the
cemetery I would have been just as well satisfied with the arrangement,
although they thought I would be interested because of having been post
surgeon there some years before. After I was at Fort Craig a few days, I
began to take some interest in life and thought I would like to see what
changes had been made, and the more I thought about it, the more
interest I took until I finally wanted to see for myself. With this
awakening I began to have some appetite for food, and I soon began to
gain strength and as I improved I wanted to cross the river and see my
old hunting grounds. All these things undoubtedly contributed to my
recovery for I soon made rapid progress toward good health again. The
doctor had given us his quarters to occupy while there and they were
handsomely furnished and we were made most comfortable. It was then the
latter part of September and the nights were cool and the days pleasant.
We took our meals at the officers' mess and had good things to eat, and
I shall always remember how delicious the pigeon squabs were to me.
Before returning to Fort McRae the doctor and I planned to hunt across
the river. One of the officers had a gun he would loan us, and the
doctor said the blacksmith had one, and he had no doubt he would loan
it. I preferred going for it myself, as I wanted to see the shop and
house close to the bluff where the blacksmith lived. The blacksmith was
very well pleased to loan his gun, but said one barrel was loaded, and
he shot it off and handed the gun to me, saying, "Now it is all right."
It was a muzzle-loader and after wiping it out carefully at the doctor's
quarters I found one of the tubes were stopped up. I put a cap on the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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