A journal of hospital life in the Confederate army of Tennessee : from the battle of Shiloh to the end of the war : with sketches of life and character, and brief notices of current events during that period / by Kate Cumming.

  • Kate Cumming
Date:
[1866]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A journal of hospital life in the Confederate army of Tennessee : from the battle of Shiloh to the end of the war : with sketches of life and character, and brief notices of current events during that period / by Kate Cumming. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    try with him, and had died ia the service. I Lieuteaant R. could give me little or no !5atisfaction on the subject, but referred me to Mr. Tuustall, in Jackson Fort, Arkansas. He spoke very highly of Mr. B., and said he had been a good and brave soldier. The latter left over one hundred dollars, which he gave to Mr. Andrews, his nurse, who had been very kind to him. I have taken part of it, and had a nice head-board put to his grave, the best I could get in this place. On it was inscribed: To the memory of James Barstow, Seventh Ar- kansas Regiment. Bom in Yorkshire, England; died in Chattanooga, Tennessee, May 19, 18G3, of typhoid fever, _ aged twenty-two years. He sacrificed his life for his adopted country, and fell a martyr for liberty. 'Here leave the sleeper with his God to rest.' May 28.—Yicksburg has not yet fallen, but all think it is a matter of time, and it would not surprise us to hear of its cap- ture at any moment, as the enemy have surrounded it with an overwhelming force; but our troops are holding it manfully. Every attack on it is repulsed with great loss to the enemy. It is said that lately the enemy attacked it with bravery and determination; advancing right on our breastworks, and were mowed down by thousands. The people in the place are sulFering terribly. I went with a party to visit a very large cave, called Nick-o'-Jack; it is some sixty miles from here, on the Nashville road, and about half a mile from the railroad. It was well worth going to see. The en- trance has a magnificent arch. There is a lake running through it, which reminded me of a picture I had seen of the valley of the shadow of death. We went a grent distance through it, and crept through many a small crevice, and came out with a few shades of the Ethiopian on us. Hav- ing no soap with which to remove it, we made use of clay, which we found a very good substitute. The party was a very pleasant one. We had a nice collation set on some boards for tables, and more good things than I thought were in the Confed- eracy. We have received two boxes from ]Mo- bile, one filled with medicines from the military aid society; the other with cans of oysters bought with money given by Mr. Sibley. I have just paid a visit to the Foard Hospital. It is the receiving one, and is now in a nice new building. On going in I was stopped by a guard, and had to wait till Dr. Thornton came to my rescue. The latter kindly gave me a pass to go and come whenever I please. We have many strange things to do in these war times. May 31.—There is a great deal of ex- citement in town in regard to the death of Dr. Thornton. He was killed last night by two Irishmen from our hospital. One was a man who took charge of the dining- room; the other, one of our best nurses. I It seems they were both intoxicated, and went to Dr. T.'s house, near the hospital, and insisted on him giving them whisky. He ordered them off. On their going out the gate, he followed them, when one 1 stabbed him with a knife, and he died half an hour afterward. The men have been arrested. If they had not been under the influence of liquor I am certain they would not have com- mitted the deed. June 1.—Have been to Dr. Thornton's funeral. He was buried from the Presby- terian Church. A large concourse was in attendance. There has been a desperate battle at Port Hudson. It is said that our forces were attacked by negro troops, and the slaughter of the latter was terrible. I have a young cousin, Edwin Lessel, there in our army, who I am anxious to hear from. He is a native of Nova Scotia, ' and when the war broke out, as he had only been a short time in this country, I told him he had better go home, as he could not have the same feeling toward the ene- my as the southerners. He answered me, that was all a mistake; that from the time he was a little boy his highest ambition was to have a shot at theui; and now the chance had come, he had no idea of throw- ing it away. He enlisted as a private in the Scotch Guards, which is now iu the Second Alabama Regiment. June 6.—All kinds of rumors are com- ing in daily from the army, A battle is expected momentarily. We have had a great deal of rain lately, which makes it sickly and otherwise dis- agreeable. Vallandigham passed through here a few days ago. He had little or no notice I taken of him, as he is not a southerner;
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