Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 02.djvu/92

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Southern Historical Society Papers.

people. The noted Miss Belle Boyd lives here. Miss Mary A—— and Miss D——n came to the ambulance and bade me good-bye, just as we were sent to the cars, bound for Baltimore. The driver was surly, and unwilling to stop when they requested it.

October 16th (Sunday)—Rode all night on the floor in a rough box car, crowded with twenty-five wounded Confederates. Water was loudly called for, but none was furnished. Reached the Monumental City at 2 o'clock P. M. A crowd of people were at the depot, but the guard kept them at a distance from us. I fancied I could see some sympathetic faces as I was borne on a litter to an ambulance, and driven to West's Buildings Hospital. Was hoisted on a dumb-waiter to the third or fourth story, and assigned to Officers' Ward "B." The Patapsco river runs by the hospital, and Knabe's piano manufactory is just across the street.

October 17th—A large, gray-headed, stern-looking old doctor, called a "contract surgeon," as he is not commissioned, is in charge of the officers' ward. He is, I find, very unpopular with the wounded officers. His name is Knowles. In making his usual round, Dr. Knowles came to my bed, inquired carelessly about my wound, and requested me to remove the bandage, that he might see it. I did so, telling him at the same time of my recent severe hemorrhage, but that I thought the bone was knitting together. Without uttering a word in reply, he took hold of my leg, and began to roughly press the flesh surrounding the wound. I told him he was hurting me very much, but he continued to press the wounded leg until it began to bleed, and jets of arterial blood flowed from it, just as it had done before I left Winchester. I saw he had unnecessarily and designedly produced hemorrhage, and, for the first time in my life, I cursed. I denounced him as an inhuman wretch, as he stood smiling grimly and sardonically over me, and ordered him to leave my presence. The malignant old renegade did not offer to check the rapid flow of blood, but walked unconcernedly away, and out of the ward. The nurse of the ward, a young Southerner, came to my rescue, and wrapped strips of cloth very tightly around my wound, the blood saturating them through several thicknesses, but finally arresting the hemorrhage. The pain, caused by his rough treatment, tearing loose the bones and flesh which had begun to knit together, was intense, and kept me suffering all day and through a sleepless night. I am sorry that I lost my temper, and indulged in profanity, but the cruel provocation makes it look somewhat justifiable, and I trust the