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.

  • Cumming, Kate, 1835-1909.
Date:
[1866], [©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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    86 CHAPTEB III. MOBILE. June 18, 1862.—I arrived in Mobile this morning, about 9 A. M., accompanied by Mr. John Fowler and his brother. Yv'^e had a hard time getting down, as the train was very much crowded. Indeed, I scarcely know how I managed to get on it, as the guard tried to prevent us; my friends. Dr. H. and Captain C, tlirew me on, minus half of my baggage. I stood on the steps of the car for a little while, when one of the soldiers inside, with true southern gallantry, insisted on my taking his seat. As the car was filled with sick and wounded men, I was unwilling to do so; but from his importunity I was com- pelled to accept. The intention was a good one, and I received it in the spirit with which it was given, but I did not relish the change. The car was so close and crowded that I could scarcely breathe. I was seated with some very nice men from Missouri, but they certainly had not made use of a certain aqueous fluid that morning in making their toilets. As that liquid is scarce in Mississippi, I excuse them. One seemed anxious that I should have a lock of his /laiV, as he combed and scattered it around me. Another one bought some plums, and put them in a very greasy hat, some of which he very kindly offered me, and for politeness' sake I took them. I had to hold my head out of the window to get fresh air. To add to all, we had no water. General B. was on the train. He and his staff had the ladies' car and the bag- gage-car next, which was the cause of our being so crowded. I could not help wondering what had become of our boasted southern diivalrjj. It does not do to grum- ble, as these are war times, and the order of things seems to be reversed; but I could scarcely keep from it, as the car I was in was next to the baggage-car, where I had the fdlcity of seeing General B. and his staff come, every now and then, and ar- range their toilets. The sight of them ought to have consoled me; but alas! for poor, weak humanity, I could not help envying them their comfortable seats. I did not mind so much for myself, as men now-a-days seem to think that we women have no right to leave our homes, and that the railroads and rail-cars are for their exclusive benefit. I could not but feel for the sick and wounded men who were so crowded, and many of them lying on the floor. If General B. was sick, he should have had a nice seat, Jj but not a whole car; and why should his staff, more than other well soldiers, have so much room? I heard many remarks about it, but said nothing, as I think it wrong to encourage grumbling at this time. We must expect little annoyances, and, as we are all strug- gling in one common cause, must not mind them. My Missouri friends were very kind and attentive, and it gave me great pleasure to listen to them talk over their campaigns. The country through which we passed was one immense field of com. We came nearly two hundred and fifty miles, and I scarcely saw an acre of cotton. On my arrival at home I learned that Mobile had lost fearfully by the late bat- tles near Richmond. Among the wounded and slain are friends whom I have known a lifetime. I called on one lady, who had just received a letter from her son, then in the Virginia army, telling her that his father had been mortally wounded, and is now a prisoner, and his uncle in the same position. The battle of Seven Pines, near the Chickahominy River, was fought on the 31st of May. On the morning of the 1st of June, a part of our army was drawn into an ambuscade and had to retire, thereby leaving our wounded in the hands of the enemy. In the first day's battle General J. E. Johnston, who was in com- mand, was severely wounded. We were victorious, and had it not been for one of our general's failing to come up at the right time, we would have captured the whole Federal army, which was under the command of General Keys.