University of Virginia Library

LETTER III.

Dear Mother,—I hoped to have continued my
journal this week, but it has not been possible. Early
in the week I had a new patient,—a young man who
had reamputation of the arm performed on Sunday.
He was brought into my ward as it was more comfortable
than the one he was in; he was so ill that there was
little chance of his life; you may imagine the charge
he was to me: all the day I kept in the ward either
directly nursing him or keeping my eye on him while,
about my work; in the evening sat by his side till relieved
by the watcher who took charge of him during
the night; so all my writing time was taken.

I am the only nurse in the ward, so that when the
surgeon was not in, the case fell on me. I allowed no
one else to touch his bed or his food; the surgeon
sometimes pours out his porter, but it is handed me to
give. He is doing well now, though great care is necessary;
I am writing near his bed. They will not let
me work day and night both, so at ten I am ordered
off to bed. I have been fighting the weather lately.
The snow came in at the open slats on the roof, and we
were nearly frozen, and wet into the bargain. I grew
desperate, and when the ward-master came in, insisted
upon something being done. I got possession of a ladder,
one of my men mounted up, tied slats together, and

wound up by nailing one of my sheets, torn in strips,
over crevices that could be stopped in no other way;
we finally got ahead of the deluge, and I commenced
drying bed clothes by instalments round the stoves;
by half-past-nine, evening, they were mostly dry, and
the floor of the ward drying also. I went about all day
in my water-proof cloak, hood over my head; I wear
my india-rubber shoes all the time to help keep my
poor feet warm. We are not warm, for there are so
many cracks in these unfinished buildings that a regiment
of stoves could hardly make them really warm.
I only wish the contractor had been here the other day;
I would have put him under the biggest hole. My
health is good, so 1 conclude this primitive way of life
suits me; at any rate, I shall stay by my sick men
while I can. If it is right for me to be here I shall
have strength given me. My little spirit-lamp is a
great comfort to me; when I boil my milk over it,
it warms me a good deal: I also heat up tepid bowls
of government soup. If you have another box to
come to me, please send me some more alcohol, and,
also, may I have your white aprons, unless you would
prefer making me some,—I have not enough to keep
clean. The box arrived to-day; I wanted to embrace
it. I fell into a rapture over the bandages,—they
are beauties. Somebody sent me some Scripture cards
and pictures; the men were very much pleased with
them; I shall give them the books to-morrow. My
candlesticks are loves, I have one on the table now.
We want bandages more than anything except old
linen and cotton,—we cannot have too much of that;
squares of linen or old damask, hemmed for pocket-handkerchiefs,
are very acceptable; the soldiers are very glad
of a clean handkerchief at hand. I hoped to have
written to-morrow, but I am to have three operation
cases to attend to. The poor fellows dread it; I have
been trying to give them comfort; two are rather bad
cases. To-morrow is inspection day also, as my surgeon
reminded me to-night; he says he is coming at
eight o'clock.

I am within two yards of a stove and am cold; one
of the surgeons agreed with me to-day that we would
never, never go to the North Pole. I did so enjoy
your letter to-night; if you knew the pleasure it gave
you would write often and tell me what you are going to
do, so that then I may imagine you. I was assisting
the surgeon when your letter came; I was so glad when
I was able to sit down and read it. Sarah came to
see me this week and brought me some flannel shirts
for my men. I was very thankful for them; I went
round that cold stormy day putting them on my men:
I have to help the poor lame fellows to dress.

I hope these buildings will be finished up soon. I
have sent all my men to bed and am waiting the visit
of the surgeon, and then to bed, I hope.

Tuesday. I am now trying to finish my letter. We
did not have operations on Sunday on account of the
chilly rain, some of which penetrated through; thanks
to my energetic efforts on Saturday, not much. Today
is lovely—quite mild, and the patients able to go

out in the sunshine and smoke their darling, horrid
pipes.

This morning we were ordered to prepare for an
inspection by the surgeon general of the State. After
being made nearly frantic by the efforts to be in
wonderful order he never came! My very sick patient
is a little better, I have just been washing his face and
one poor hand. I asked him when I had done, if he
felt any better, "Oh yes," he replied, with such a grateful
look. I take the whole care of him, except dressing
the wound; I wait upon the surgeon, and assist,
if necessary. I sit by him all the evening; he was very
restless last evening; I stroked his hand and his hair,
and quieted him at intervals, but he did not get much
quieter till the Doctor came and gave him morphine.
He is obliged to take morphine every night.

I love my ward better and better; and if some
things are rough and trying, why that is a reason for
staying and trying to make them better, not for running
away. It would be poor soldiering to run when
the enemy appeared.

I lose several of my patients this week; three go
back to the regiments; six others go home, too much
disabled to fight any more. I hope my ward will not
be filled up till all the carpenter-work is done, the
noise is so trying to patients. The most useful width for
bandages is one and three-fourths inches, two and a half
inches, three inches,—the two and a half most used;
we do not use thread lint, but a good deal of that
scraped with a knife; squares of old linen for handkerchiefs

are useful. The slippers you sent are very
useful; they are on the feet of two wearers who admire
them very much.

Evening.—I have had such a piece of work this
evening! my three ward stoves taken down and two
much better ones put up in their place; consequently,
a new arrangement of beds, which I could not put off
till morning; it is all right now, and the Doctor has
just been in and expressed his admiration. I am
finishing my letter, and then must go to bed, as my
night-watch has orders to call me at quarter before six;
when I come home, I am going to sleep for a week
steady; I have perhaps enough sleep now, but I am
obliged to improve my time to get it. The bugle has
just sounded, and I am going the round of my beds.
Good night, dear mother.