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are still an officer in the Army of Tennessee, and as such under General Bragg's and not General Smith's command; you will therefore remain on duty where you are now, and furnish General Smith with a copy of this communication."

This corrected the misapprehension of General Smith and myself as to my official relationship; and I again settled down to the performance of my duties as surgeon-in-charge of the hospitals in Chattanooga, not dreaming of what the next day brought forth, viz.: a special order from the headquarters of the Army of Tennossee, placing me in charge of all the hospitals of the Army and Department of Tennessee as superintendent thereof, and directing me to report to and through Surgeon A. J. Foard, Medical Director on the staff of General Bragg. Had a flash of lightning stricken me I could not have been more astounded. When I reflected about the heavy burden of responsibility then thrust upon me unsought, I was appalled, and at first thought to beg leave to decline the position. But when I thought of the bounden duty of every soldier and officer to obey orders, I could not reconcile it with my sense of honor to shirk any duty officially required of me. I did not regard the order as a promotion. I most desired to serve at the “bunk-side" of the sick and wounded. I never desired to be on the staff of any general, but as the position of superintendent of the hospitals afforded me many opportunities of comforting the sick and wounded and weary soldiers, I determined to avail myself of the powers entrusted to me to that end, believing the finger of the Divinity had had pointed me out for that work to General Bragg and his Medical Director.

GUN-SHOT WOUND OF LEG-EXTENSIVE SLOUGHING OF TISSUES.*

BY NORBURNE P. REEVES, M.D., OF LONGSTREET, Ga.
Senior Surgeon 2nd Alabama Brigade, C.S.A.

Mr. President and Comrades:

I had been requested, through your Secretary, to write something that might be of interest to our Association, to be read on

Reported at the Dallas Meeting.

this occasion. I thought I would do so, but circumstances prevented, and while sitting here ruminating, I thought possibly that some little reminiscence might be of interest to the Association. Therefore I rise to state an incident that occurred during the siege of Vicksburg. I was at that time Chief Surgeon of the Second Alabama Brigade, Volunteer Infantry. During the battle of Chickasas Bluff, December 28, '63, the colonel-name not recalled-of the 41st and 42nd Georgia Regiments, received a wound in a charge in front of his regiment, ball entering the knee joint just at the junction of the capsular ligament and patella, rupturing the septum of tibia and fibula, resting at lower third of the leg. I would suppose that the colonel was leaning forward on his horse with his feet inclined backward, giving the ball the direction it took. The colonel did not realize the extent of his injury until weakened so from loss of blood that he had to be taken from his horse, and the ball, a minie, extracted and leg bandaged, when he was ordered to the rear; but he mounted his horse and went on through the fight. He did not wish to go to the field hospital, and I succeeded in securing a private residence some four miles from the city, where he could have comfortable quarters and the attention of his regimental surgeon. I saw him no more for about three weeks, when Captain Lester, of his regiment, who lost an arm at Perryville, Ky., but did not quit the service for it, a brother-in-law to the colonel, and once a candidate for Governor of Georgia, came down to my quarters, requesting that I should go and see the colonel, as he was crazy for a furlough to go home where he could have the sympathetic offices of his "dear" wife to attend him, stating at the same time that he-Captain Lester-was satisfied that the colonel could not survive over twenty-four hours, yet it would quiet his mind and possibly satisfy him. I rode out to see him at once, and I found him truly an object of deepest commiseration, a living skeleton. The wound had sloughed the entire frontal surface, from the knee the entire length of the leg to the instep of the foot, leaving only a very narrow strip of skin down the back of the calf, discharging, I would suppose, at least a gallon of pus in the twenty-four hours, for it dripped continuously like a leaking bucket.

I immediately set about cleaning and dressing the leg with

best appliances that we could improvise, which were very meager, as our supplies, both of medicines and rations, were almost wholly cut off. But with the best materials at my command, I cleansed the wound and dressed with pulverized charcoal aud spirits of turpentine, a dry dressing. I then prepared an alterative tonic of iron, iod., pot. and sulph. quinine in liquid form, and ordered dessert spoonful four times a day; wound to be dressed twice a day. I rode over to Vicksburg myself and procured one bottle brandy, also onc bottle of wine, and instructed his regimental surgeon to procure best diet possible, such as eggs, meats, etc., and "stuff" him with all that he could get down him. I wrote out his furlough, and in reply to his anxious inquiry, "when can I go home," I told him to write his wife that she could come on then to accompany him home in three weeks.

On the twenty-second day from that day I had the proud satisfaction of accompanying him, with his sweet, little wifewho, by the way, implanted a kiss on each of my cheeks-to the depot to take the train for Georgia. He was gone forty-five days and reported back for duty.

An episode interesting to me especially, connected with the above, occurred between his regimental surgeon and myself, whom I had never met before. Captain Lester and the attending surgeon noted and scrutinized critically all of my replies to the anxious colonel's inquiries in regard to his recovery and going home, etc. As we walked out to our horses the surgeon remarked, "I have heard so much of you that I was overly anxious to meet you, yet a little 'skeered.' But I did not expect to find you a d-d liar or fool." I asked him what he meant he was a red-headed doctor. "Why," said he, "you told the colonel that he would get well and could go home in three weeks, while you knew that you was telling him a lie all the while, and I will bet you one hundred dollars that he will die before this time to-morrow." I said to him, "I never bet, but I see you have a nice bearskin on your saddle, say to me that if he gets well you will make me a present of it." He says, "I will." I then told him that I would visit him every day and dress the wound myself until convalescence was assured, and I wished him to meet me there each time

promptly. He did so, and on my last visit to the colonel, as we went to our horses to leave, I quietly walked up and removed his bearskin! He remarked, "That's d-d cool." I replied, "it may be for you to-night, but not so cool for me."

Obituary.

R. S. WALLIS, M.D.

From the Registration Blank filed at the Dallas meeting of the Association of the Medical Officers of the Army and Navy of the Confederacy, we quote the following brief data:

"Entered the Confederate service as surgeon, assigned to duty with the 4th Missouri Cavalay (Greene' Regiment) May 1861, at Mountain Home, Mo. Rank at the close of the war Surgeon. Have not yet surrendered. P. O. Rockdale, Texas." A letter from his son, Dr. R. W. Wallis, gives the sad intelligence of his death, which occurred on the night of January 6th, 1903. From his Great Commander he has received the order to "Strike the tent," and has crossed over the river to rest under the shade of the trees."

The following editorial appeared in his home paper, The Rockdale Record, after his interment :

"Old Dr. Wallis is dead." This was the startling intelligence that we were met with Wednesday morning. Everyone was shocked. He was affectionately called old Dr. Wallis, not on account of his age, but to distinguish him from the others.

The particulars of his death are as follows: He left Rockdale the night aftor Christmas to visit his old home in Arkadel. phia, Ark., and was returning home Tuesday, and on the way back met with old friends with whom he conversed pleasantly until the train reached Palestine, where his friends got off to take supper and invited the doctor to join them. This invitation he refused, saying that he did not care for supper, but that he would get off and take a little fresh air. After walking around awhile he was heard to remark that he had plenty of

fresh air and got back on the train and resumed his seat. When next be was noticed he was found dead. His son, Dr. R. W. Wallis, was telegraphed and left immediately to meet the train bringing his dead father.

The funeral services were conducted at his residence here by Rev. W. A. Hamlett, after which the Masonic Lodge of this place took charge of the body and followed by a large procession of his friends, the remains were conducted to the Odd Fellows' cemetery, where they were laid to rest with the honors of this noble order.

Dr. Wallis was one of nature's noblemen, a gentleman of the old school, kind and courteous to all, and beloved and esteemed by every citizen of Rockdale. During the many years we have known him we never saw him angry or ever heard him speak ill of anyone. He occupied a place in Rockdale that will never be filled, and with old and young he was a favorite. He met every one with a smile or a word of encouragement. While we drop

a tear over his bier and extend condolence to his bereaved famly and relatives, we know that he has gone to his permanent home where he will shine in glory, one of heaven's rarest jewels, and stands waiting for loved ones to welcome them to that land prepared for the faithful.

Deceased was born and raised in Columbia, Tenn., but when a young man he went to Jackson, Miss., where he was employed as clerk in a mercantile establishment. At the time of his death he was 67 years of age.

He

At the beginning of the war he enlisted as an army surgeon, in Marmaduke's brigade, from Marshfield, Missouri, and served all through that bloody war. He was present as a surgeon at the famous duel between Gens. Walker and Marmaduke, in which Walker was killed by his antagonist, and remained with Walker until he died, and was commissioned by the dying man to deliver to his wife his watch and other personal effects. was with General Price in his raid through Missouri. After the war he settled in Arkadelphia, Ark., and practiced his profession. He was the first railroad surgeon ever appointed on the Iron Mountain Railroad. On account of his health he finally left Arkadelphia, and moved to San Antonio, Texas, in 1892, where he remained until 1894, when he moved to Rockdale, where he has been engaged in the practice of his profession.

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