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HIED, • I) WAR STORYCol. J. H. Hood’s Experience at the WildernessVERY PECULIAR COINCIDENCEThe Trenches and Che Hospitals-**Some Incidents in a Soldier's Life—They Divided His Raiment—Thinking He Would Die.Col. John H. Hood, for many years president of the Western Maryland Railroad Company, was wounded in the arm very seriously in. one of the battles of the Wilderness in 1864.The bone above the. elbow was so badly shattered, that the surgeons into whose hands he fell, decided Uat amputation was necessary, and'as there was little Lime for consultation, and no hesitancy about an operation, they prepared iheir patient at once for the ordeal. Just at. this moment there was an opportune arrival upon the scene of an older surgeon, an intimate friend of the wounded tnan. He examined the injured limb while the patient was awaiting the knife under the influence: of chloroform..This physician, who died the other day in Baltimore, decided that it was worrh while to try to save tfte arm of his friend. He asked permission to take charge of the case and under his skillful work and unceasing attention the wound healed and the arm was saved. Ii was a great service, and at the same time an act of sincere friendship that Gen. Hood never forgot.A similar incident occurred to CapL T. F. MeCardelk of this city. Jvne 18, 1S64, he was on duty in the trenches before Petersburg. The weather was intensely hot and a little after the noon hour he experienced a ‘touch of sun, and dropped in the ditch. Now, the position that his brigade occupied at the time was in an advanced work that was held to protect the men engaged in completing the main fortification a few hundred yards in the rear. To pass over the intervening space ia daylight was exceedingly hazardous. In fact it was swept by such a continuous fire that no one ever took the risk of crossing. except under the cover of darkness, when the fire always slack-' enetl.It was therefore late at night when the sick man was carried into- the hospital in Petersburg. The ward surgeon came, made a perfunctory examination, gave some orders to a nurse and went, his way. It was only a soldier. and ibey were dying every minute on the battle line. The patient was stripped, and his clothing divided among the nurses. He was not expected to live until morning, and would have no farther use for clothing. But in his case also there was an opportune arrival. The surgeon in charge-of the establishment, by Jie merest accident happened to pass as the rmrses were bestowing the attention that culminated in a division n-' the sick man's wardrobe. The :;V read- rhe name that had been placed on lUc hoard at the head lt;u rh-: rot. Something Mke consternating ensued at t ’o- unusual announceroer-t (hat . kw would take charge of the case. instantly there was something doing. Nurses moved lively: remedies were brought and applied, and a little after daylight consciousness returned, the' dead was recalled to life* and by ooo» the danger line wu r*»croa*ed.Then the good doctor explained. He happened to be passing through the ward, and In some way was prompted to read the name of the new’ly arrived patients. It was familiar. It was that of a friend and school mate.1 Could.it be possible that the sdn of his old college chilm vras dying there before Mm for want of proper attention? In this belief he took charge of the case, and remained with the patient until morning. By so doing he offended the physician in charge of the ward, but he Saved the life, of■the son'of his boyhood friend. * The physician was Dr. John Hi 'Pottenger, a man eminent in his profession, and i.who died some years, ago in St. Louis. The soldier was the sonof Richard P. McCardell. of Salisbury, Washington county. Md.. who resides in this city.. Capt. McCardeil recovered tlie clothing that had been divided.
Newspaper Details
Evening Times
Cumberland, Maryland, US
Sat, Apr 01, 1905
Page 10
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 12 Feb 2024
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