Kate Cumming: A Journal of Hospital Life in the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

June 10.— Lewis’s Kentucky brigade has been lately in an engagement, and has lost heavily. Many of the men are killed and captured. In it were three brothers, named Laws, from Louisville, Kentucky; one of them, Frank, I knew well. He was an excellent young man. He and one of his brothers left here not very long ago to rejoin the army. We have been told that all three are prisoners. Frank was mortally wounded, and is supposed dead. The youngest is wounded, but not so badly. O, my heart aches when I see the very flower of our land snatched away as they are. A friend, in contemplating a battlefield, writes that his heart is almost broken; and it is not much wonder.

There is not a day passes but we hear of the death of some of the men we have had here as nurses or patients. I bid good-by to many a man, and the next thing we hear he is dead and gone.

A week or two ago I received from Dr. Quintard a package of books, “Balm for the Weary and Wounded.” It is a work prepared by himself for the soldiers. The little fellow of the Twenty-ninth Alabama has got one, which he seems to prize like gold.

June 7.—Our brave army is still struggling to maintain her ground, against great odds. We have had some fearful battles. One was fought at New Hope Church, where the gallant Cleiburne and Stewart drove the enemy back with great loss to them. I have been told by men who were there that the dead of the enemy lay in heaps.

I have just received a letter from one of my old patients, a chaplain, dated June 1, from Southside, Virginia. He is in a Tennessee regiment, in Longstreet’s corps. He has been in all the late battles, and he says they were appalling. The Tennesseans lost heavily. General Johnston’s brigade lost three lieutenant-colonels, and many other officers and men. General Beauregard was in command. We drove the enemy back from every point. Will they ever see that we are in earnest, and let us alone?

My friend says his father is a prisoner in Tennessee.

May 30.—We have had a great deal of excitement lately. Word was brought in by some one that five thousand Federal cavalry were twelve miles distant. We were ordered to pack, and the men were all sent to the woods. After preparing for the reception of the enemy we were told that it was some of our own cavalry who had been the cause of all this excitement.

There are many tales related of the Georgia militia. It seems that there was but one man in the whole place who could be prevailed on to go out as a scout. But the poor militia are constantly having some tales told on them. I think the governor is to blame for the contempt in which the Georgia militia are held. He holds to the doctrine of state rights with a greater tenacity than is at all needed at present. According to his views, Georgia had not only a right to secede in the beginning, but she can secede from the Confederacy any time she pleases. Many of the Georgians fairly worship both him and Stephens. I think that both have done our cause a vast deal of harm, at home and abroad. They have denounced the administration time and again, because it has not done exactly as they thought right. Whatever may be their views on that subject, I think they had better, for the present, keep them to themselves, as they will be productive of nothing but harm. If the present administration can not guide our affairs, why no one else can, and it is the duty of every man to give it his hearty support. “My country right, my country wrong, but still my country.” I think one of the most dignified and manly papers which President Davis has issued, is one in answer to Stephens, who had asked him to propose for peace after every victory. Davis says that no southerner with true pride, could wish to do more in that respect than he has already done.

May 24.—We have good news from the Trans-Mississippi Department. General Taylor has gained a victory over General Banks in Louisiana.

We have had more fighting in Virginia. General Longstreet is wounded. The enemy under Grant is trying to get Richmond by Petersburg. They are certainly very determined. If we hold Richmond against such odds as they bring against it, I think it will be a wonder. I see by the Mobile papers that a relief corps is coming from there, but it will be useless to come while our army is on the move.

We have a number of the sick and wounded from the Twenty-ninth Alabama Regiment. One lad, in his sixteenth year, is very ill; he requested me to write to his father, and let him know where he is. I said why not write to your mother. After hesitating awhile, tears filled his eyes, and with a quivering lip he told me she was deranged on account of her sons all leaving her for the army; he had run away two years ago. Dr. Hughes intends sending him home as soon as he is able to travel.

We get quantities of vegetables now. We have two nice gardens. Milk is still scarce.

Mrs. Brooks has taken charge of one of our large rooms. She sees that the worst cases in it are cared for, and provides them with milk and any other delicacies which they may require. This is of great assistance to me and great benefit to the patient.

We are kept very busy. Miss W. takes charge of all the groceries, as I call them— whisky, butter, etc.—and keeps a daily account of every thing that is received and issued, which is measured or weighed. The liquor of all kinds is given out on an order from the druggist, for each ward separately. I make a daily report to the steward of every article used in our kitchen, besides keeping a weekly and monthly account, not only of the articles consumed, but of all the cooking utensils, dishes, etc., which are used in the kitchen. In the care of the dishes I have the assistance of Mr. Bohannon, a nice young man, who is disabled by a wound.

I would not mind if we had more to do than we have; but I have found out that there is sly pilfering going on in the hospital. I have told Dr. Hughes, and he is trying to put a stop to the robbery. I do hope he will succeed in his efforts.

He turned off one man for dishonesty, but I believe he went to another hospital. To me all of this is a great grievance. I do not begin to get enough to feed the patients; it is with the strictest economy we can give them what we do; and here are men right before us, robbing them of what are bare necessities.

We daily see soldiers who have come from the front, ragged, barefooted, and half-starved, while right along side of them men dressed in the best the land can afford, and eating the best of fare. To get all of this they are defrauding soldiers of the comforts provided for them by the government.

I have been told of one man who a year ago was not worth a cent; he was made commissary of a hospital post, and is now worth thousands.

We are badly off for dishes, spoons, and knives and forks; of the last we are much in need. The men have to eat with their fingers. A hospital is all very well when we can get what we want, but to live as we do—with just half enough of food and furniture—it is a very trying place.

A young man died to-day, by the name of Charles Rogers, a member of the Eleventh Alabama Regiment. He was sick a long time. His mother lives in Wilcox County, Alabama.

May 20.—I went up to Atlanta again, but as the army is still retreating I came right back. While there, I met Doctor and Mrs. Hopping, just from Kingston. They came away in a great hurry, leaving a large portion of the hospital stores behind. They did not receive orders to move until our army had entered Kingston. The enemy was expected in by Rome, so Johnston has had to fall back.

Mrs. H. represented the scene among the inhabitants at Kingston as harrowing, at the prospect of having the enemy come among them, as they carry ruin and desolation in their path.

While in search of Mrs. H. I went into the Trout House, in the hall of which I saw a young man lying wounded. I learned he was from Mobile. His name is Leslie, and he is a member of the Seventeenth Alabama Regiment . His wound was not a bad one. He told me that his colonel was in the hotel severely wounded. I paid the latter a visit to see if I could be of any service to him, but found him doing much better than I had expected; his wife was with him.

The Seventeenth Regiment was in Mobile when I was there last; since then it has suffered very much.

I again visited the Gate City Hospital. There were not quite as many wounded as when I was last there. While standing on the gallery I heard a young man just come from a hospital in Cassville, grumbling very much at some doctor who had made him leave there in such a hurry that he had not time to get his clothes. He was giving it to officers in general, and spoke as if he was fighting to please them.

I listened awhile, and then asked him what he was fighting for. He replied, for his country. I then told him how he had been talking. He said he knew that it was wrong, but really the men had a great deal to endure from their officers.

I have heard many complaints of this kind; I think that often the men are to blame; they treat their officers with too much contempt.

Our officers should be the best of our men, and their rank respected if they are not.

Let the privates do their part, and if they have got petty officers over them who abuse the “little brief authority” with which they are clothed, take no notice of it, remembering that there are crosses which must be borne for the good of the cause, and that to “bear is to conquer.”

I know that our men have a good deal to contend with in that respect, as our officers are elected as our civilians are, and whoever is the best electioneerer gets the office, and often not from any personal merit. I am fearful that this same evil will be the means of doing much harm to our cause, if one half of the tales are true which we are constantly listening to, of the drunkenness and evil of all kinds of which these petty officers are guilty. I know of one instance, the truth of which I can vouch for.

The captain of a battery at one time was inebriated while the company was being drilled. He imagined that one of the men had treated him with contempt; so ordered him to be tied to one of the gun-carriages, and dragged behind for twenty miles. This was done by the order of a man who, I am told, was never sober enough at the time of any of the battles to lead his men.

The man who had been thus badly treated was so indignant at the insult, that he immediately applied for an exchange into a company of sharp-shooters—many thought for the purpose of shooting the captain.

I asked a gentleman who had been telling me about some of these misdemeanors, why the culprits were not brought to justice, as drunkenness was a thing which our commanding generals seem very strict about. He answered, that there was a compact between the petty officers to defend each other at all hazards, so it was impossible for a private to have justice.

But we must expect the evil as well as the good. On the other hand, I know of officers so much beloved that their men would lay down their lives in their defense. And the terrible slaughter of our officers shows that there is no lack of bravery mining them. It is said that in every battle we lose many more of them, in proportion, than we do privates.

I have seen enough of our men to know that they will do much better by good treatment than bad.

On the cars, coming back, I met Captain O’Rearin of the Twenty-ninth Alabama Regiment; he was wounded slightly. He told me that he did not believe Captain Haily was killed.

May 17.—There has been fighting near Dalton for some days. Our army has left that place, and is moving down, drawing the enemy with it. We are told that the enemy are suffering severe losses. I went to Atlanta on the 15th instant, in company with some ladies and gentlemen of this place. We intended going to the scene of conflict, but, as the army is on the move, had to come back. We reached Atlanta on the morning of the 15th, about daylight. Mrs. Harris and myself went to the Gate City Hospital. It is the distributing one. There I met an old friend in Mr. Tucker, the head nurse. The hospital was filled with wounded, who had come in that morning from the front. Mr. T. told me that he had dressed the wounds of four hundred men since 4 o’clock the previous day. He had been up all that night at his work.

Mrs. H. was told that her son was wounded, and that he had been sent to Newnan.

That morning was one of the gloomiest I ever passed. It was damp and cheerless; and, look which way I would, the prospect was dreary. Hundreds of wounded men, dirty, bloody, and weary, were all around us. And when I thought of the many more which were expected, I was filled with despair, and felt like humbling myself in the dust, and praying more earnestly than ever before, that God would send us peace:

“Hath Liberty required

Such human hecatombs?

Is there no path to freedom,

But through this moral gloom?

Or must it still go onward,

This carnage, blood, and fire,

Until each flowery hill-top

Becomes a mount Moriah?

Forbid it, God Almighty!

Thy voice, once heard again,

Rolls back the tide of battle,

And stops the bloody reign.”

We remained nearly all day in an old car, expecting to get on to the front. There was a relief committee, from Lagrange, in the same car with us. I observed that several such committees were in Atlanta, from every part of Georgia. The good people of Newnan had supplied us with quantities of every thing. In the afternoon, Mrs. Harris, Mrs. Barnes, Mrs. Auld and myself went to the cars, on their arrival from the front; and O, what a sight we there beheld! No less than three long trains filled, outside and in, with wounded. Nearly all seemed to be wounded in the head, face, and hands. I asked some one near me why this was. They replied, because our men had fought behind breastworks.

There were ladies at the depot with baskets filled with edibles of all kinds, and buckets of milk, coffee, and lemonade; and I noticed many had wines. I observed a number of old gentlemen assisting— the only manner in which they could serve their country. I noticed one in particular, an aristocratic-looking gentleman, who wore a white linen apron.

The ladies in Atlanta have been doing this work ever since the commencement of the war. They have had tables set at the depot for the benefit of the soldiers. Our party went to the distributing hospital; there we found plenty of work. A number of the Atlanta ladies were there before us, dressing wounds. I commenced to dress one man’s hand, which was badly wounded. (Strange as it may seem, this was the first wound I had ever dressed. I had always had plenty of other work to do.) Just as I had got through, Dr. Jackson, who had gone with us from Newnan, requested me to come and assist him. We were in an immense hall, crowded with wounded; some walking about, others sitting on the floor—all waiting to have their wounds dressed.

As soon as that was done, they were sent off to make room for others. Surgeons, ladies, and nurses were scattered all about, so intently employed that they did not seem to notice each other. I brought the patients to Dr. J. and unbound the stiff bandages from their wounds, making them ready for him to dress. These men were called by the surgeons slightly wounded. One poor fellow from Alabama had both hands disabled. From one he had lost all his fingers excepting the fourth and thumb; and on the other he was shot through the wrist . This man was perfectly helpless. There were many just such slight wounds. One or two had lost an eye. Dr. Wellford was near where we were, as busy as he could possibly be, one of the ladies assisting him as I was Dr. J. After getting nearly through, I went into the rooms which were filled with badly wounded men in bed. I noticed many ladies bathing the men’s faces and attending to their wants in other ways.

While in one of the rooms, a young man called me by name, and told me he had seen my brother the night before, and that he was well. This young man was named Laramar, from Mobile, a member of the Fortieth Alabama Regiment. There was another with him; his name, I think, was Reesse, a member of the same regiment. There was also a Mr. Cox of Mobile, whom I knew, waiting on them. He is in the ordnance department in Atlanta.

Mr. L. informed me that the Seventeenth and Twenty-ninth Alabama regiments had suffered severely, and that Captain Haily of the Twenty-ninth was killed, and many of the others in that regiment.

It was a bright, moonlight night, and there were some folks who came into the hospital with provisions for the men. Dr. Wellford and a number of us took them and went all over, to see if we could find any in want, but nearly all had been supplied.

The men were lying all over the platform of the depot, preferring to remain there, so as to be ready for the train which would take them to other places.

I was informed that there were about seven or eight hundred wounded who had come in that evening.

Dr. Pursley is surgeon of the receiving hospital, and seemed to be doing all in his power for the sufferers. Every one in it looked wearied and worn out with the constant work which they had to do. The matron was very ill.

Dr. Bemiss, who is assistant medical director, was at the hospital, and going around in his usual kind manner, seeing that the men were attended to. About 10 o’clock he took Mrs. Harris and myself to Mrs. Lowenthall’s, where he boarded, who received us very kindly.

There was a young man visiting her, who was dressed in the extreme of fashion, with the addition of a few diamonds. I could not help contrasting him with the men I had just seen, who had been fighting for every thing truly noble—wounded, covered with dust, and many of them in rags.

Foppish dress is bad taste in a man at any time; but if there is one time more than another when it is out of place, it is the present. And I can not see why men think of such things just now, as no woman whose opinion is of any value has respect for those who do.

I have heard soldiers (I mean the fighting kind) say, that nothing disheartens them so much as to see men so overdressed.

I had promised Dr. B. that I would remain to breakfast the next morning, forgetting I had promised Mr. Tucker to be at the hospital by daylight, as he expected hundreds of wounded.

I kept my first promise, and as Mrs. H. did not feel very well, I went to the hospital by myself. While crossing the depot I met my friend, Mr. Gribble, and he accompanied me to it. On arriving there I found that no more wounded had come, but there were many there already, for whom I made toddies.

The scene which presented itself to me in the large room where we had been the night before was sickening.

There was pile after pile of rags, just as they had been taken from the wounds, covered with blood and the water used in bathing them. All of the attendants were too much exhausted to clean up.

These are things to which we have to shut our eyes, if we wish to do any good, as they can not be avoided.

I met Dr. Calvart of the Thirty-eighth Alabama Regiment, who requested me to get some rags for him, which I did, and assisted him as much as I could. He had some badly wounded men from his regiment.

Dr. C. told mo be had not eaten any thing for some time. I gave him some coffee, bread, and meat; and when I recollect now the place in which he ate it, I think we can get used to any thing. It was in the room or hall which I have just described.

We had concluded to return to Newnan, and as the cars did not start till 9 A. M., I visited one of the other hospitals, Dr. C. going with me; I think the name of it was the Medical College. The building is a very handsome one, and had just been fitted up. Every thing about it was in perfect order. It is one of the nicest hospitals in which I have ever been. It was filled with badly wounded men, as I am told is the case with every hospital in Atlanta. I found men there from every state in the Confederacy.

We left Atlanta on the passenger-car, and when half-way down had to get out, as the freight train that had left some hours before had met with an accident, and blocked up the road.

We got into a freight-car in front; in it there was a very large man, who had been in the car on which the accident happened; he had got mashed between two beams; his collar-bone was broken and his chest very much bruised, so that it was with difficulty he could breathe. His face was so much bruised that his eyes were almost closed. There were a number of surgeons on the cars, who were very kind to him. He is in our hospital, under Dr. Wellford’s care.

Major Davis of the Twentieth Alabama Regiment is at the Buckner Hospital, wounded in the head. On hearing he was from Mobile, I went to see him. He gave me a great deal of encouragement regarding this retreat of the army. Many can not understand why it is. He spoke very highly of General Johnston as a commander, and said he believed that in all his retreating he had not left as much as an old wheel for the enemy, and he never fought them unless he was certain of a victory. He also said that the men were better fed and better clad than they had ever been.

There is much talk at present about one of our cavalry officers, who is said to have killed six prisoners that he expected would be recaptured. It is reported that many of the men of the army have petitioned Gen. J. to send this officer to the enemy, and let them do what they please with him.

Major D. approved of what the men had done, and regretted that their petition had not been granted, as no punishment could be too severe for any man guilty of such barbarity. He also told me the enemy had shot six of our innocent men in retaliation.

When will men cease to do what is unjustifiable in the eyes of both God and man?

Major D. spoke highly of Ben Lane Poesy; says he is one of the bravest men we have, although a little eccentric.

May 4.—Yesterday we had quite a grand wedding in the place. Dr. Devine led to the altar Dr. Calhoun’s eldest daughter. Dr. Quintard came from Atlanta to perform the ceremony, which took place in the Presbyterian Church, at 11 o’clock, A. M. The church was darkened, and lighted with lamps and candles, which did not burn very brightly. I thought the sunlight would have been in much better taste. There were nine bridesmaids, and the same number of groomsmen. Many of the latter came from the army for the occasion, as that number of young men, I do not expect, could be raised in the whole county. And, indeed, they were not all young men; I noticed one or two of our married surgeons among them. On looking at the ladies dresses, which were made of new Swiss muslin, I could not keep from wondering how much it had cost, and where such a quantity had come from. The article is very scarce at present; the last I heard of cost fifty dollars per yard. The whole scene at the wedding was quite pretty and impressive. I believe that this is the first time that an Episcopal clergyman in full canonicals has officiated in this place. I have been told that nearly all of the mules and carriage horses at the wedding were taken by an impressing officer. He kindly permitted the owners to ride home before taking them from them. It is said that he had heard of the affair, and laid in wait so the people could not hide them.

Dr. Quintard and Mrs. Harrison spent the previous evening with us. He has built a new church in Atlanta. Mrs. H. asked him how he procured the materials for it. He said that he paid a visit to a nail factory near it, preached once or twice, and baptized some children. He was then presented with as many nails as he needed. I believe he procured the lumber in the same manner. He told us that there had been a great religious revival throughout the whole army, many being converted and joining the church. Nearly all of our leading generals have joined. Bishop Lay, from Arkansas, is with the army, and is doing much good in winning souls to Christ.

Last evening Dr. Q. preached to a large audience in the Methodist Church, from the text, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” The sermon was very impressive. At its close Rev. Mr. Smith offered up an appropriate prayer.

Dr. Gamble has left this post. He has been appointed chief surgeon of General Anderson’s division. The general is now in Florida. We all regret Dr. Gamble’s leaving. Dr. Wible of Kentucky is his successor, and is very highly spoken of.

We have another hospital added to this post—the Gamble, so called in honor of Dr. G. It is our old ward, the Springs. Dr. Devine is surgeon; Mrs. Dr. Wildman and a Miss Rigby are the matrons—both excellent ladies.

May 1.—I never saw a greater profusion of flowers than there is here, nor more beautiful ones. My kind friend, Mr. Dougherty, has given me full possession of his garden; so the soldiers get plenty, and they are very fond of them. We put them all over the wards.

April 25.—I have received a letter, of the 20th inst., from my brother. He says the enemy are reported in heavy force at Ringgold, and our army is anticipating an attack. He also says he has just got through washing his clothes, and is ready for them.