Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas-day, December 25.—We have had quite a pleasant one. Miss W. and myself were up hours before daylight making eggnog. We wished to give some to all in the hospital, but could not procure eggs enough; so we gave it to the wounded who are convalescent, the cooks, and the nurses.

Just at peep of dawn the little gallery in front of our house was crowded with the wounded. The scene was worthy of a picture; many of them without a leg or an arm, and they were as cheerful and contented as if no harm had ever happened them. I constantly hear the unmarried ones wondering if the girls will marry them now. Dr. Hughes did his best to have a nice dinner for the convalescents and nurses. Turkeys, chickens, vegetables, and pies. I only wish the men in the army could have fared as well.

In the afternoon we had a call from all of our surgeons, and from one or two from the other hospitals. I had hard work to get Mrs. W. to spare a few hours from working for “her dear boys,” and have a kind of holiday for once, as nearly all of our wounded are doing well. Mr. Deal is still suffering very much, but his surgeon, Dr. Wellford, thinks he will save his leg.

We have only lost one or two from gangrene. I am confident that nothing but the care and watchfulness bestowed on them by the surgeons has been the means of saving the lives of many. Their recovery has taken me by surprise, as I could not see how it was possible for such bad wounds to heal.

Many of the wounded are still in tents, with chimneys which smoke badly, and the whole tent has rather an uncomfortable appearance; still I like tents for wounded, as they seem to improve much more rapidly in them than in rooms.

The nurses, on windy nights, are compelled to sit up and hold on to the tent-poles, to prevent their being blown down.

Drs. Devine, Resse, Wellford, and Burks are our assistant surgeons. Dr. D. is one of the best of his profession; he is from Mississippi. Dr. R. is an odd kind of a man; seems to be an excellent doctor, but I think is rather rough with the wounded, though he is very kind and attentive. He is from Alabama. Dr. W. is a perfect Virginia gentleman. He is one of the gentlest and most attentive surgeons that I have ever met. I think we owe the recovery of many of the wounded mainly to his great care. I have known him many a time work from daylight till dark attending to the wounds. Dr. B. of Kentucky has been here but a short time; so I can say little about him. The men all like him very much, and they are generally good judges. He has taken Dr. Glenn’s place, the latter having been transferred to some other post.

Dr. W. has a nurse from Arkansas. He came here with the wounded after the battle of Chickamauga. We called him “rough diamond,” as he is so rough-looking, and seems to have such a kind heart. He thinks nothing a trouble which he has to do for the wounded.

Another is Mr. Harper. The wounded men have told me that it annoyed them to see him work as much as he does.

We are using a great deal of charcoal on the wounds, and the nurses have it to pulverize, which gives them constant work, besides the dirt which it causes in the wards.

I see by Mobile papers that Captain Hazzard, of the Twenty-fourth Alabama Regiment, was captured at Missionary Ridge. Mr. C. Larbuzan is badly wounded, and also a prisoner. Mobile has suffered not a little in this respect.

General Bragg has resigned. For his own sake and ours, I am heartily glad.