In the latter part of our journey we had fallen in with a Mrs. Dr.
Blaker, whose destination was the same as our own, and who had come to
minister to a sick or wounded husband. We entered the hospital together,
and were first shown into the Medical Director’s room, where the records
were examined. It took but a few moments for Mrs. Blaker to learn that
her husband was dead and buried. I can hear her wails of distress yet.
We were more fortunate, and were soon ushered into the room occupied by
my father and several other sick officers. The hospital was crowded, and
there was no extra room for us. Another cot was brought in, an army
blanket hung as a screen, and thus we spent our first night in a
southern hospital.
CORONA COLLEGE HOSPITAL
IT stood in the midst of the historic battle-field and surrounding
encampment. Prior to the war, it was known as The Corona Female College.
It was a large, three-story structure of brick, with portico in front
supported by massive pillars, and never was hospital more conveniently
located with reference to battle-field. To me it was the Castle
Beautiful, and even now, as I attempt to write of it, the memories of
that time come thronging and surging through my brain, with such
forceful rapidity, each clamoring for utterance, that I scarce know how
to take up the tangled threads of warp and woof, and weave them into a
smooth and readable story. The building was also known by the names of
General Hospital and Seminary Hospital.
With the happy freedom of childhood I roamed about at my own sweet will,
and I have given the “cup of cold water” to more than one poor sick or
wounded soldier, as he lay on his bed of pain. There was one in
particular, whose room was opposite our own: the door was mostly open,
and he would frequently call to me to come and talk to him or hand him a
drink of water. The first day we were in the building, I made the rounds
of our ward on the second floor, with a lady nurse, Mrs. Penfield. I
afterward called down her wrath upon my head by asking her if she had a
field full of pens. One scene of that day’s visit arises vividly before
me now, and I can draw a pen picture of the white-faced soldier I saw,
propped up in bed with the nurse combing his hair, and bathing his face
and hands.
I became familiar with scenes of sadness and suffering, with the sight
of pale faces, crutches and armless sleeves, and, ever and anon a stiff
form wrapped in a blanket would be carried to the dead house, thence to
a soldier’s grave.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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