RECOLLECTIONS

OF AN

ARMY NURSE.&

MRS. M. M. C. RICHARDS.

mush poultice bags into which the patient should be slipped and tied up.

The first volunteer hospital was opened to the sick men of the 19th Ind. Regt. in the unfinished wing of the United States patent office, by the action of Caleb Smith, Secretary of the Interior. This was in its beginning a rude affair, and when we entered with Mrs. Almira Fales into the rough, comfortless wards we were dismayed. But her cheerful order, "Go to work, girls, wash their faces, comb their hair, do what you can,”—and her salutation to the men, "Now, boys, I guess you'll get well; I've brought some young ladies to see you,"-lent an atmosphere of cheer to the scene, for the moment at least. The sick boys were lying on rough boards, or on tiles placed against the walls, with or without mattresses

as it happened. Surgeons and hospital stewards and women worked in a confused way without order or direction. But from disorder and discomfort gradually came a well ordered hospital, which was opened to patients from all regiments, but still called the Indiana hospital.

But that was in the summer of '61, and we could smile at the wants of wounded men then. Later on came pathetic scenes at which we did not smile-one when Tyler, of Michigan, was brought in, accidentally shot through both knees while gathering wood for a camp-fire. The surgeon trying to save both limbs waited too long, and one sorrowful day the nurse found the usually cheerful fellow crying like a child at the decision of the surgeon just made known to him. "My leg has got to be amputated to-morrow; I wish it could be done to-day if it has got to come off"-and then the thought of going home crippled, it was almost better not to go at all. "But you'll stay by me, won't you?" On the promise given in response to this he relied. The next day, stretched upon the rude amputating table, he looked about for the nurse, and taking her hand said, "Now let me go to sleep," and so seemed content till the blessed chloroform deadened all thought or care. Though the operation was successful, and all the first conditions good, a secondary hemorrhage occurred after the first dressing, and we could only sit by the poor fellow as his life ebbed away. In the winter, small-pox appeared and many of the boys were sent to Kalorama, to the government pest-house. The first case I remember to have been a red-headed man who begged to have his hair brushed to ease the pain in his head. He presently remarked that he guessed that "brush would take the hide off.' The surgeon passing by stopped to examine the pustules that appeared, and hastily advised no more brushing. The man was at once removed to an outer hall, and the ambulance carried him away.

The summer of '62 found better hospital accommodations for the army, and the Indiana hospital was closed. Now came a chance to go "to the front." All the world was crying "On to Richmond," and on to Richmond we essayed to go. Mrs. Almira Fales had already made an expedition to the army at Savage Station, and there distributed to the soldiers. bountiful supplies furnished generously from the North. She had returned to Washington to replenish her stores, and

now proposed a second journey. She remarked that "those boys had been fed on lint and bandages long enough; I'm going to take them some goodies." The writer was, to her great delight, allowed to accompany Mrs. Fales as her assistant, and, armed with passes from the Secretary of War, we went to Fortress Monroe, only to learn that no farther could we go at present. We were ordered to proceed to the James river, casting anchor about dark alongside the gun-boat Port Royal. A little boat's crew came to visit us and the crowd on deck are electrified by the news we hear from them. 'McClellan cut to pieces, the left wing twenty-three miles back, and the whole army on the skedaddle." The captain of the Port Royal gives the parting advice to Captain Woods of the Daniel Webster to "hurry up in the morning, keep all the ladies below, and don't be surprised to see a shot across your bows any time."

July 1, I wake early to find ourselves steaming rapidly up the James river. Reach Harrison's Landing at seven o'clock. Find crowds of sick, wounded, and worn-out men engaged in the recent battles. It is not long before Mrs. Fales and I are among them. None of these were very seriously wounded, but all were seriously hungry and demolished the rations with the skill of veterans. Mrs. Fales's supplies furnish all the provisions we have for the sick, and she deals them out lavishly all day long, forgetting even to eat any dinner herself. For my own part I am busy helping here and there. Some wounds I wash and bandage. One shattered finger I wash and leave covered till a surgeon comes. He takes out his knife and before I know it the finger is left there for me to pick up and throw away! One man was struggling in vain to dress a wound on his shoulder. Offering to help him I found him so in need of cleaning up generally that I proposed that he should wash his face first. "Wash my face," said he, as if the idea were new, "why I haven't washed my face since the 24th of June!" "Well," said I; "would you like to try it for a change?" 'I guess so,” he answered; he answered; "you see we hadn't any water to spare for our faces down on the Chickahominy; we drank water that we wouldn't give to a dog at home." I brought him a basin of water, soap, towel, and a clean shirt and left him to these luxuries. You should have heard him laugh when I came again to find him. "Don't know me now, I'm so clean,

do you?" This story is good to tell to those who are fond of quoting that other story of the young lady who went one morning into a city hospital and proposed to bathe the head of a sick soldier. The soldier declined her offer with thanks, but she insisted, saying, "Let me bathe your head, I want so much to be useful." "Well," he sighed, "you can if you want to so bad, but you are the fourteenth one as has done it this morning.'

COMPLETELY UNNERVED.

HE following comes from a
Grand Army man in Maine :-

"It was at the battle of Gettysburg, when the bullets were falling like hail, and the shells were shrieking and bursting over our heads in a way to make the bravest heart tremble, that a private dropped out of the ranks and skulked back toward the rear. He was well under way, when, unfortunately for him, he was met by General Slocum coming to the front.

"What are you doing here? Get back to your post!' the General

shouted.

"The poor fellow stopped still and trembled like a leaf, but made no reply.

"Get back to your post, you miserable coward! Aren't you ashamed of yourself to be skulking back here when you should be in front with your brave comrades?'

"Still the man made no reply, but commenced to cry like a year-old infant.

“You infamous, sneaking coward!' shouted the infuriated General, 'get back to your post! back to your post! I'll ride you down like a dog. Why, you are nothing but a baby.'

"I-I-I'll t-t-tell you what, General,' said the blubbering fellow, 'I'd g-g-give anything just now if I was a b-b-baby; and i-i-if I had my choice I'd rather be a female b-b-baby.'"

SHERIDAN'S OPINION OF GRANT.

SAW General Grant for the first time on the battle field at Shiloh. General McPherson, whose picture hangs there, was with him at the time. Although we had belonged to the same regiment we had never met before. After the Mississippi campaign I met General Grant a second time, and afterward I was thrown with him more or less. When he became lieutenant general, he placed me in charge of the

cavalry service of the Army of the Potomac. I accompanied him to Florida and to Mexico, and our acquaintance was not only intimate, but almost lovable. He was a far greater man than people thought him. He was always able, no matter how situated, to do more than was expected of him. That has always been my opinion of General Grant. I have the greatest admiration for him, both as a man and as a commander.

A Confederate who talked Love to the Wrong Person and was Punished. CORPORAL TUCKER, OF MO.

At Gettysburg.-The list of casualties among general and field officers at Gettysburg exceeded that of any other contest in which the Army of the Potomac ever participated.