The boys in white : $b The experience of a hospital agent in and around WashingtonWheelock, Julia S. (Julia Susan)
History
The boys in white : $b The experience of a hospital agent in and around Washington
Wheelock, Julia S. (Julia Susan)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Hospitals
The 18th inst., Dr. Cleveland, of the Second Michigan, came in from
the front with two hundred sick, one of whom died on the way. Large
accessions were also made to our hospitals from the surrounding camps,
especially the old Convalescent; and new arrivals always implied
increased labor. Of the sick thus brought in, death kindly relieved
many of their sufferings; yet I remember but two from Michigan who
died that month. These were Henry T. Gilmore of the Eighth, and Daniel
Morrell of the Fifth Volunteers. The last named I saw many times. Poor
boy! he lingered days after it became apparent that he must die. It was
my privilege frequently to administer to his wants, though I met with
some opposition from the surgeon-in-charge. He told me his patients
were sometimes injured by persons coming in and distributing food
indiscriminately to them; and what he would be glad for one patient to
have, would be injurious to another. But I still insisted upon taking
nourishment to Daniel, as he couldn’t relish anything cooked in the
hospital. I finally obtained the doctor’s consent, provided I would
bring only such and such articles. Having previously learned from
the nurses what he was allowed to eat, I complied with the surgeon’s
wishes. I always made it a rule to do so, believing that their judgment
was superior to mine, or at least ought to be, though I sometimes saw
those whom I thought knew less.
Toward evening of the 10th, after visiting hospitals all day, I
called at the Lyceum Hall, where I found Sergeant Colburn, a noble
Massachusetts soldier, dying. He had suffered long months from the
effects of three fearful wounds, yet he had always appeared hopeful;
but those ghastly wounds had made too great a drain upon his system.
Nature yielded to the stern mandate of the “king of terrors.” I sat by
his bedside some two hours bathing his parched lips and heated brow,
and watching the flickering taper of life, slowly yet surely burning
out; but as there was a prospect of his lingering some hours longer,
and having other duties to attend to, I rose to go, promising to call
again in the morning. He extended his cold, bony hand, and bade me
“good-by,” while he gave me a look that said, “You will not see me in
the morning.” And sure enough, the next morning all that remained of
Sergeant Colburn was the clay tenement robed in white. The brother whom
he had so anxiously hoped to see ere his departure arrived soon after
his death, and returned with the remains of this once noble form to the
stricken band at home. And thus one after another sealed his devotion
to his country with his life-blood, “all warm from his heart.”
Never more the roar of battle
E’er shall break our soldier’s sleep--
Safe the rest they won, and o’er it
Angel sentries guardiance keep.
_November 27th._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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