ort
cattle, and dreadfully filthy). Here they were placed upon straw
mattresses, or plain straw, as it happened. No provisions were to be
had except sides of rusty bacon and cold corn-bread. These were
shovelled into carts and transferred to the floor of the cars in the
same manner. There was no time to cook anything, and the chances were
whether we would get off at all or not. Procuring a large caldron, I
dumped into it remnants of the day's dinner,--a little soup, a few
vegetables, and some mule meat. The stoves had all been taken down,
but there was a little cold cornmeal coffee, some tea, and a small
quantity of milk. This I put into buckets; then, importuning the
surgeon in charge until he was glad to get rid of me by assigning me a
cart, I mounted into it with my provisions and jolted off to the cars,
where hundreds of tortured, groaning men wore lying. There I met Dr.
Gore (for both hospitals were to be moved on the same train), who
helped me to hide my treasures and to administer some weak milk punch
to the sufferers. Meanwhile, the pine-wood fires kindled in the
streets all around the hospitals made the town look as though it was
on fire, and threw its weird light upon masses of soldiery,--cavalry,
infantry, artillery,--moving in endless numbers through the town,
shaking the very earth with the tramp of men and horses and the heavy
rumble of wheels. The men were silent, and looked jaded and ghastly in
the lurid light. Some had bloody rags tied about head and hands, their
breasts were bare, the panting breath could be heard plainly, their
eyes shone fiercely through the grime of powder and smoke. They had
been fighting, and were now retreating; still they marched in solid
column, nor broke ranks, nor lost step. The faces of the officers were
grave and troubled; none seemed to observe our frantic haste, but all
to look forward with unseeing eyes. I did so long to have them rest
and refresh themselves. During the whole of that eventful night my
cheeks were wet, my heart aching sadly. Before daylight we were off.
Railroads at that time were very defective and very rough. Ah, how
terrible was the suffering of those wounded men as they were jolted
and shaken from side to side! for haste was necessary to escape the
enemy. About noon the train came to a full stop, nor moved again for
many, many hours,--hours fraught with intense suffering to the sick
and wounded, as well as to all who shared the hardships of that
journ