Sketches of the War: A Series of Letters to the North Moore Street School of New YorkNott, Charles C.
History
Sketches of the War: A Series of Letters to the North Moore Street School of New York
Nott, Charles C.
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives; United States. Army. Iowa Cavalry Regiment, 5th (1861-1865)
The breastwork that had sheltered the enemy now sheltered us. It was
about six feet high on our side, and the men laid close against it.
Occasionally a hat was pushed up above it, and then a rifle ball would
come whistling over us from the second intrenchment. The batteries
also continued to fire, but the shot passed lower down the hill, and
did little execution. Having no specific duty to discharge, I turned,
as soon as our troops reached the breastworks, and gave my aid to the
wounded.
A singular fact for which I could not account was, that those near
the foot of the hill were struck in the legs; higher up, the shots had
gone through the body, and near the breastworks, through the head.
Indeed, at the top of the hill I noticed no wounded; all who lay upon
the ground there were dead. A little house in the field was used as a
hospital. I tore my handkerchief into strips, and tied them round the
wounds which were bleeding badly, and made the men hold snow upon them.
I then took a poor fellow in my arms to carry to the little house.
"Throw down your gun," I said, "you are too weak to carry it." "No,
no," he replied, "I will hold on to it as long as I am alive." The
house happened to be in the exact line of one of the batteries, and as
we approached it, the shot flew over our path. Fortunately, the house
was below the range, but one came so low as to knock off a shingle
from the enable end. For a few minutes we thought they were firing on
the wounded. We had no red flag to display; but I found a man with a
red handkerchief, and tied it to a stick, and sent him on the roof
with it. Within the house there were but three surgeons at this time.
One of them asked me to take his horse and ride for the instruments,
ambulances, and assistants; for no preparations had been made. It was
then I passed Major Chipman carried by his soldiers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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