Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Using the Wounded as an Excuse |
Dates of Creation |
1895 |
Scope & Content |
A letter written by then Captain James H. Meacham of the 41st Virginia Infantry relates two stories, one Southern and one Northern, that indicate that a wound can offer an excuse to go to the rear. Image one. Captain Meacham tells the reader that a Southern soldier in his company received a wound in his foot and begged to be taken to the rear. On reaching the man, Meacham found it a minor wound and decided the soldier would not be taken to the rear. The soldier continued to cry out loudly as if in great pain. An Irish soldier close by was tired of hearing these cries of pain and told the soldier to stop his blubbering. The Irishman exclaimed - "You're making more noise than that poor fellow lying there with his head shot off." Image two. Captain Meacham tells the reader of an incident told to him by a Federal soldier from Wisconsin. An Irish soldier's courage was failing, and he was looking for an excuse to go to the rear. His opportunity came when his comrade fell with a wound in the foot. Pat, the Irish soldier, picked up his comrade and headed for the rear. Pat ran into Federal pickets placed there to stop stragglers. Pat told the officer in command he was taking his wounded comrade to the rear. The officer informed Pat that what he carried had no head. Pat reacted by exclaiming - "the lying bastard told me it was his foot." |
Year Range from |
1895 |
Creator |
Meacham, James H. |
Year Range to |
1895 |
Subjects |
Artillery (Weaponry) Bastardy Battle Brogue (accent) Captain Civil War Civil war battles Company Comrades Confederate soldiers Confederate veterans Courage Devil Dueling Excuse Federal Foot Grains Ground Guns Head Hickory Incident Limbs Man Member Merchants Missiles (objects) Narrative Opportunity Pain Pickets (Guards) Position (military) Rear (military) Shells (Ammunition) Shot Soldiers Stragglers Surprise Toe Tree Trunk (tree) Trunks Voice Word Wounds |
Search Terms |
41st Virginia Infantry Civil War Cold Harbor Confederacy, the Confederate Army Confederate Veterans Forty-first Virginia Infantry Irishman Mahone's Brigade Meagher's Brigade Petersburg, Virginia Union Army Union Veterans War Between the States War Talks of Confederate Veterans Wisconsin |
People |
Bernard, Geo. S. Bernard, George S. Mahone, William Meacham, James H. Pat, (when referring to an Irishman) |
Event |
Civil War |
Collection |
George S. Bernard Collection |
Imagefile |
023\200975034.JPG |
Number of images |
2 |
Object Name |
Letter |
Object ID |
2009.75.034 |
Extent of Description |
2 pages, size 8" x 12 1/2" |