JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
The shattered Sherrick property, house, outbuildings and barn were filled with wounded by the time Alexander Gardner arrived three days post battle.
Intent is only to give a September, 1862 eye witness view of post battle Antietam, Maryland. Overwhelmed, understaffed Army medical staff did their best against the bloodiest day in the ACW. Help was slow arriving and too late for more men than we can know who died in appalling conditions. Clara was making her frustrated there with her first wagon loaded with compassion. I'm still looking for accounts by the doctors there- if ever Medals of Honor were deserved for stepping up in crisis, we've missed quite a few. They were at Antietam.
This Pennsylvania delegation's account is worth reading, honest. It's what we did to each other. Sorry it's so long- truncated versions seem dismissive.
Remember descriptions of death's noxious smell at Gettysburg? Writer arriving on the battlefield smelled it before seeing the carnage. They'd come through Hagerstown first, visiting those hospitals. It didn't prepare them for Antietam.
" Brick house hospital ", Sherricks?
And Dunker Church-
It's a very long, nearly full page article, all tough reading. Found more on the straw hut hospital at Smith's barn in yet another- will post tomorrow.
IMO it's too easy discussing ' Gettysburg ', ' Fredericksburg ', ' Cold Mountain ' and Antietam without remembering what war was. Each of these wounded soldiers would have scrambled emergency codes in any trauma center and ER in the United States in 2019. They died or lived at Antietam packed and piled wherever space could be found or created.
Lest we forget.
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