1862 Civil War Letter - 23rd Penn - Malvern Hill Content, Hospital Amputations

Description

This is a portion of a letter written by an unidentified member of the 23rd Pennsylvania “Birney’s Zouaves” following the Battle of Malvern Hill. It appears to be the third and fourth pages of a 4-page letter, with the first two pages lost to history. It jumps right into the action, with the author writing that the “business was to
carry
, by stretchers borne by the larger drummer boys & the landsmen, the wounded boys from the battlefield to the hospital, a full mile & a quarter.” When all the regiment’s wounded were brought to the field hospital, he:
assisted the Dr. in attending the wounded. Sickening was the sight. The large yard shaded by the trees was filled, men wounded in all ways. In the house they were amputating & operating. Groans & cries were heard with moans.
Later he notices “a movement to the rear” that “had been going on for some time,” as the Army of the Potomac made its withdrawal to Harrison’s Landing on the James River. The author writes “we started off all our wounded men who could walk & urged them to hasten away toward this landing.” He then mentions “Lieut. Pemberton of our regiment with ankle severely bruised with a shot & Lieut. Dawson of 61st (formerly of 23d) were put upon stretchers & given in care of the band.” Pemberton is Second Lieutenant Andrew J. Pemberton of Company F, who was also brother of Confederate General John C. Pemberton. The author then writes that “the Doctor & myself in company with other surgeons started. We made our way through masses of moving regiments, artillery, wagons, & stragglers as best we could.”
They found safety at Harrison’s Landing, “the place where [Benjamin] Harrison was born,” and were hopeful that “
New
troops, some say 20, or 30, or 40 thousand, are coming up.” Of the whole operation he writes:
The immediate cause of our retiring after Tuesday’s battle was this—only a half days hard bread remained on hand & no more could be brought up from the river. We fell back to the river, therefore, to get needed subsistence. We
whipped
the enemy
severely
on Tuesday, with
comparatively
little loss
to
ourselves. Our regiment lost 2 killed with shells & 23 wounded. 2 or 3 mortally.
Some
2 or 3 were wounded by grape shot from our own cannon.
The letter fragment was written on both sides of an 8” x 9 3/4” unruled sheet of paper. Light foxing and toning. Creased at the original folds. The full transcript follows:
…in this business was to
carry
, by stretchers borne by the larger drummer boys & the landsmen, the wounded boys from the battlefield to the hospital, a full mile & a quarter. Two, (in the absence of needed stretchers) I proceeded to mount my horse & ride. After this was done & all the wounded of our regiment brought in, I assisted the Dr. in attending the wounded. Sickening was the sight. The large yard shaded by the trees was filled, men wounded in all ways. In the house they were amputating & operating. Groans & cries were heard with moans. About 11 o’clock we began to observe a movement to the rear. It had been going on for some time. About 12 o’clock we started off all our wounded men who could walk & urged them to hasten away towards this landing. Three, 20 officers, Lieut. Pemberton of our regiment with ankle severely bruised with a shot & Lieut. Dawson of 61st (formerly of 23d) were put upon stretchers & given in care of the band. About 2 or later, the Doctor & myself in company with other surgeons started. We made our way through masses of moving regiments, artillery, wagons, & stragglers as best we could. About 8 o’clock yesterday (Wednesday) morning, we reached this place. This vast movement was made with all celerity, but with great order. It has been quite successful, though not so successful as that on Saturday, Sunday, & Monday. We are now encamped very closely together in a large wheat field, the old Berkeley Estate, the place where Harrison was born, hence called Harrison’s landing. So many tramping now, the torrents of rain have made it one
vast
mud puddle.
New
troops, some say 20, or 30, or 40 thousand, are coming up. The immediate cause of our retiring after Tuesday’s battle was this—only a half days hard bread remained on hand & no more could be brought up from the river. We fell back to the river, therefore, to get needed subsistence. We
whipped
the enemy
severely
on Tuesday, with
comparatively
little loss
to
ourselves. Our regiment lost 2 killed with shells & 23 wounded. 2 or 3 mortally.
Some
2 or 3 were wounded by grape shot from our own cannon.
Dearest, give my love to all. Please thank the Ladies Aid Society for their box. It came in the very time it was most needed. The bandages & lint did good service.
Do
not
make this letter public.
Your loving Husband
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