Reports of the Committee on the Conduct of the War Part 31

Question. Did you have any conversation with those wounded men in relation to their injuries when they first came to the hospital?

Answer. I did to some extent.

Question. Have any of the wounded from Fort Pillow died in your wards?

Answer. One in ward H.

Question. Are there others who you think will not recover?

Answer. There are two whose recovery I think is doubtful.

_Wounded in wards L, K, and H, United States General Hospital, Mound City, Illinois._--W. P. Walker, sergeant, company D, 13th Tennessee cavalry, received four wounds at Fort Pillow April 12, 1864. One ball pa.s.sed through left arm near middle third, fracturing humerus. Second ball struck right side of neck, 1-1/2 inch below mastoid process, and remaining in. Third ball made flesh wound in right shoulder. Fourth ball struck left eye, supposed by himself to be a glancing shot; eye totally destroyed. Done after the surrender.

Milas M. M. Woodside, a discharged soldier from the 7th Tennessee cavalry, also from the 13th Tennessee cavalry, wounded by two b.a.l.l.s, first (pistol) ball striking just below insertion of deltoid muscle of right arm, and remaining in; second (musket) ball striking centre of right breast over third rib, and pa.s.sing to the right and downward, emerged at inner border of the scapula, about 6 inches from point of entrance. Done after surrender.

Jason London, private, company B, 13th Tennessee cavalry, received a ball, which struck the dorsal side of right hand about the junction of carpal and metacarpal bones of index finger; emerged at carpal bone of thumb; then struck thigh in front, about 6 inches above knee-joint; pa.s.sing over the bone, emerged on inner side. After being wounded, he was knocked down by one of the fiends with a musket. Done after the surrender.

David H. Taylor, private, company E, 13th Tennessee cavalry, received five wounds. First (musket) ball pa.s.sed in under the angle of right jaw, fracturing the symphysis, where it emerged. Second ball struck front of right shoulder-joint; emerged immediately behind caracoid process. Third ball entered 3 inches below, and a little to the right of entiform cartilage; pa.s.sing downward, is lost. Fourth ball in left knee, fracturing inner condyle of femur, and pa.s.sed into popliteal s.p.a.ce.

Fifth ball, upper part of middle third thigh; lost. Done after the surrender.

David W. Harrison, private, company D, 13th Tennessee cavalry, received three wounds. First (musket) ball pa.s.sed from behind head of humerus, left side; emerged between clavicle and axilla, producing compound comminuted fracture of head and upper end of shaft of bone. Second ball struck left side 2-1/2 inches above ilium; ball not found. Third ball entered at upper edge of scapula behind, pa.s.sing under the bone, is lost. Wounds received after surrender.

James Calvin Goeforth, private, company E, 13th Tennessee cavalry, received wound. Ball pa.s.sed from right to left across the back, entering at upper part of scapula; emerged at a point a little below and at the opposite side, (flesh wound.) Done after the surrender.

William A. d.i.c.key, company B, 13th Tennessee cavalry, wounded after the surrender. Ball entered abdomen 4 inches to the right of umbilicus; ball lost.

Thomas J. Cartwright, company A, 13th Tennessee cavalry, received wound in left shoulder, striking pectoral muscle near axilla, fracturing clavicle; was extracted near the vertebral column at upper and outer border of scapula. Done before the surrender.

William L. McMichael, private, company C, 13th Tennessee cavalry, received five wounds. First ball glanced along the upper portion of right parietal bone, making wound (flesh) 2-1/2 inches long. Second ball glanced ulnar side of left forearm at wrist joint. Third ball struck left side of abdomen on a line from anterior superior process of ilium to symphysis pubis; ball not found. Fourth ball struck near the insertion of tensu of right side; pa.s.sed downwards 4 inches; was extracted. Wounds received after the surrender of the fort.

Isaac J. Leadbetter, private, company E, 13th Tennessee cavalry, received wound in left side. Musket ball struck over eighth rib and plunged downward; is lost. Done after surrender.

James Walls, private, company E, 13th Tennessee cavalry, was wounded by musket ball striking over origin of gluteus minemus of left side, and pa.s.sed upwards and across, emerging 11 inches from point of entrance almost over the last rib of right side, and about 2-1/2 inches from vertebral column. Done after the surrender.

In charge of WILLIAM N. McCOY, _Acting a.s.sistant Surgeon, United States Army_.

Dr. A. H. Kellogg, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. What is your rank and position in the service?

Answer. I am an acting a.s.sistant surgeon, in charge of wards E and F, Mound City general hospital.

Question. Were you present yesterday when the testimony of the wounded men in your wards was taken?

Answer. I have but one under my charge who was wounded at Fort Pillow. I heard his testimony.

Question. Had you previously had any conversation with him in relation to the circ.u.mstances attending his being wounded?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Did his statements to us yesterday correspond with the statements he made to you?

Answer. Yes, sir; except he gave a few more details yesterday as to what was said to him. He told me that he was wounded after he had surrendered.

Question. Have you prepared a statement of his case?

Answer. Yes, sir; here it is.

Woodford Cooksey, private, company A, 13th regiment Tennessee cavalry, gunshot wound, with comminuted fracture of middle third of left femur, received at Fort Pillow, April 12, 1864, _after surrender_.

A. H. KELLOGG, M. D., _Acting a.s.sistant Surgeon, U. S. A._

Doctor Charles H. Vail, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. What is your rank and position in the service?

Answer. Acting a.s.sistant surgeon in charge of wards A, B, C, and D, Mound City general hospital. The adjutant of the 13th Tennessee cavalry is in ward B.

Question. Have you prepared a statement of his case?

Answer. Yes, sir; and also of Captain Porter, who is in the same ward, and who was too weak to be examined this morning.

First Lieutenant Mack J. Seaming, adjutant 13th Tennessee cavalry, gunshot wound of right side, received at Fort Pillow, April 12, 1864.

Ball entered right side below inferior angle of scapula, between sixth and seventh rib, ranged downward and was lost in muscles near hip.

Wounded after he had surrendered; shot by a man standing thirty feet above him on the bank. Present condition of patient good, with fair prospect of recovery.

Captain John H. Potter, company B, 13th Tennessee cavalry, wounded at Fort Pillow, April 12, 1864. Ball fractured skull, carrying away a portion of left parietal and frontal bones, leaving brain exposed for a distance of an inch and a half; was wounded early in the fight by a sharpshooter before the surrender. Present condition almost hopeless, has remained insensible ever since he was wounded.

CHARLES H. VAIL, M. D., _Acting a.s.sistant Surgeon, U. S. A., in charge of officers' ward_.

Doctor J. A. C. McCoy, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch: