The Origin of the Red Cross: "Un souvenir de Solferino" — John Shaqi
The Origin of the Red Cross: "Un souvenir de Solferino"Dunant, Henry
History
The Origin of the Red Cross: "Un souvenir de Solferino"
Dunant, Henry
Red Cross and Red Crescent; Solferino, Battle of, Solferino, Italy, 1859
The Hospital of Castiglione, the monastery, the Barracks of San Luigi,
the Church of the Capucines, the stations of the police, the churches
of Maggiore, San Giuseppe, Santa Rosalie, are filled with the wounded
lying crowded on the straw.
Straw is also arranged for them in the courts and in the public parks.
Plank roofs are quickly put up and linen is stretched to protect them
from the hot sun.
The private dwellings are soon converted into hospitals. Officers and
soldiers are there received by the inhabitants.
Some of these last run through the streets anxiously searching for a
physician for their guests. Later, others, in consternation, go and
come through the city, insistently begging that someone take away from
their houses the corpses with which they do not know what to do.
A number of French surgeons, having remained in Castiglione, aided by
young Italian physicians and by hospital orderlies, dress and bandage
the wounds.
But all this is very insufficient.
The number of convoys of wounded becomes so great during Saturday
that the administration, the citizens and the few soldiers left in
Castiglione are incapable of caring for so much misery.
Then, melancholy scenes occur. There is water; there is food; and
nevertheless the wounded are dying of hunger and thirst. There is much
lint, but not enough hands to put it on the wounds! The greater number
of the army of physicians must go to Cavriana; the hospital orderlies
make mistakes, and hands are lacking at this critical moment.
A voluntary service, good or bad, must be organized. But this is
difficult in the midst of such disorder, to which is added a panic of
the Castiglionians, which results in aggravating the misery of the
wounded. This panic is caused by a very insignificant circumstance.
As each corps of the French army had recovered itself, after taking up
its position, on the day after the battle, convoys of prisoners were
formed who were sent to Brescia, through Castiglione and Montechiaro.
The inhabitants took one band of captives coming from Cavriana escorted
by hussars, for the Austrian army returning in force. Alarm was given
by the frightened peasants, by the assistant conductors of the baggage,
by itinerant merchants who follow the troops in a campaign.
Immediately all the houses are closed, the inhabitants barricading
themselves in their homes, burning the tri-color flags which had
adorned their windows, hiding themselves in the cellars or the attics.
Some run into the fields with their wives and children carrying with
them their most valuable possessions. Others, less frightened and more
sagacious, remain at home, but take in the first Austrian wounded upon
whom they lay their hands and overwhelm them with kindness and care.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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