Breaking News 1859: From the Field
From Ft. Donelson
"Some with boyish voices were calling 'Mother,' others shrieking as though
in great agony, many groaning and occasionally one was swearing like a
Spanish trooper. Presently along came three Confederate surgeons, who
commenced to examine the wounded, selecting those they thought would live.
These they turned over to the ambulance corps, to be take off as prisoners
of war."
Lt. James O. Churchill, 11th Illinois Infantry, US
"Well Mary, I have several times thought I would give you a brief history of my time at Fort Donelson ... About 11:00 o'clock there came a man running down to us and asked for a Physician to go up to the 14th Misp. Regt. The cries of the wounded at this time was horrible. The roar of the cannon and the noise of the musketry was deafening. ... The Mississippi boys fell fast, but fought like men. I went to work on them, as best I could, and had at length to tear up my havorsack for bandages. I found a fellow with two wounds to his breast and saw he was bleeding from an artery. I carried him down to the hollow to get assistance in dressing his wounds. ... The bridgade surgeon assisted me and ordered me to accompany him to the hospittal. ... I was ordered to service in a hospittal, which was in a vacated Hotel. I went over and went to work, but did not work long untill the Yankeys turned loose at the Hospittals and struck ours with several grape loads and passed two cannon balls through. ... We went to work to raise the flags higher, and I suppose brought them into notice in about an hour and a half. ... Dr. Clopton, myself, and another physician ... worked on untill 8:00 o'clock in the night ... We got our instruments cleaned & sit down to rest at 9 o'clock & I do not think I was ever tireder in my life. ... "
Dr. John Kennerly Farris, Civil War diary entry Feb. 15, 1862
Wounded men were pouring toward us in streams from all directions, some
with a bleeding arm or shoulder, some with a finger gone. Some carried on
stretchers by four of five men. With them were a number of stragglers, who
with pretence of caring for the wounded were getting off the field as fast
as possible.
Sgt. Henry O. Dwight 20th Ohio, US
More accounts coming soon. If you have an eyewitness account you'd like to share, please submit by completing the online form.