August 12.—We arrived at Cherokee Springs, near Ringgold, Ga., this evening. We are both much fatigued and out of sorts. We are here among strangers and feel very lonely. I can not help looking back with regret on the days we spent at the Newsom Hospital. It seems to me that there was not a person in it, from the lowest to the highest, but greeted us with a smile of pleasure, and they were ready at any moment to do us a favor.
Well, when I went back to Kingston from Chattanooga, I found that Dr. A. had quarreled with Mrs. W.; so I felt I was justified in the step I had taken, as any one who could quarrel with good, patient Mrs. W. would quarrel with any one.
We regretted leaving Dr. H., as a brother could not have been kinder than he has been, and every one of his nurses were as kind as himself. On the cars coming here we met Dr. Quintard, Dr. P. Thornton, and General Hindman; the latter was on his way to rejoin the Tennessee army. He has not been with it in some time, having been in Mississippi, attending the trial of one of our generals. He saw some of the men of his old command at the different stations which we passed, who seemed much pleased at seeing him. He commented a good deal on the state of the country; I could not but think it a pity that a man who could arrange every thing so nicely, should not be at the head of affairs; but then our people are so blind!
He told me he was proud to say he was of Scotch descent; his forefathers had fought at the battle of Culloden, with the ill-fated Prince Charlie, and had been exiled to this country. His name is Thomas Culloden.
Dr. Quintard adverted to our having an order of sisterhood in the church; this he seems to have very much at heart. We had our sun-bonnets with us, and he wished to know if they were our uniform; we have never worn any, as we can not afford any clothes but what we may chance to have. We have always made a rule of wearing the simplest kind of dress, as we think any other kind sadly out of place in a hospital; calico or homespun is the only dress fit to wear, but to get the former is a rare treat.
We got out at Ringgold; Dr. Gamble, the post surgeon, and Dr. Gore, were at the depot to receive us; Dr. Q., being an old acquaintance of Dr. G., he introduced us.
Dr. Gore took us to the Bragg Hospital, of which he is surgeon, and introduced us to two very nice ladies—the matrons, Mrs. Byrom and Miss Burford—who received us very kindly.
We left there in a wagon, in company with Colonel Gaither, from Kentucky, a cousin of Dr. Bemiss, the surgeon of the hospital in which we now are.
From what little we have seen of Dr. Bemiss we think we will like him; we have a room in a house set apart for the officers; our stay here is temporary, as there is a house now being erected for our accommodation. Dr. B. told us we could either have our meals brought to our room or eat at the officers’ table.
A very polite young man came and asked us what we would have for supper, just as they do in hotels. I am afraid I have given him offense, as I could not keep from laughing at such a question, and told him I did not know there was any choice in a hospital. He said he meant whether we would have tea or coffee, as supper was over, and it would have to be prepared; he brought us some tea, without milk, very good bread and butter, and eggs, the latter boiled as hard as a stone.
