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A ROM ANTIC REMINISCENCE OF THE CIVIL WAR.(Contributed.)On the first day of July, about o o'clock p. in., 1863, there was found on the battle field of Gettysburg a soldier paralyzed by the passing of a minnie ball through his body and 1 lodging on his spine. Robert Augustus Smith, company G, eighth Louisiana regiment of infantry, was carried to the improvised field hospital about sun down and the ball removed from his body. On the third day of July he was removed to an old barn near \ Emmitsburg, Md., where a temporary hospital was erected for the Louisiana wounded soldiers. On the morning of the fourth of July the Confederate army retreated across the Potomac into Virginia, leaving the W’ounded soldiers as well provided for as could be under the circumstances.General Harry T. Hayes, commander of the first Louisiana (Tiger) brigade, passed through the old barn and bid every wounded soldier of his command goodby. Coming to Smith he was shocked to find that he had been neglected and his wound not dressed. The general reprimanded the surgeon in charge and ordered him to attend to Smith at once, which he did, very much to Smith’s relief and comfort.About 8 o’clock on the morning of the retreat the cavalry had a skirmish around the barn and the building was pretty well riddled by the balls but no injury done to the inmates.Pretty soon after the passing of the cavalry many straggling Yank-passed through the bain, guying and cheering as soldiers do. Mr. Sokolo-ski, the old German who owned the barn, came in and read to the soldiers the fall of Vicksburg that day; exulting in the failure of the rebels, as1 allied them.On the morning of the fifth of July Miss Annie McBride visited the hospital with Dr. Strickland, who was left with the wounded, to ascertain the needs of the wounded prisoners. When they came to Smith, lying on a bed of straw paralyzed, Dr. Strickland expressed his surprise at the tenacity w ith which Smith clung to life. Miss McBride, stooping down and passing her fingers through the bushy locks of the wounded man, remarked. “1 will bring you a little Louisiana friend to nurse you tomorrow/1The next day she brought an angel of mercy, Miss Nannie H. Riggs, saying, 44Here is your Louisiana friend. She is the daughter of Dr. Jas. R.
Newspaper Details
Bryan Daily Eagle
Bryan, Texas, US
Fri, Sep 06, 1918
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Joe O.
USA 02 Mar 2018
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