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Post by joewiggs on Apr 23, 2010 12:19:35 GMT -5
It is utterly amazing that the lack of medical treatment by competent doctors was so prevalent in the calvary but, amazingly, it was horrible.
In addition, medical techniques and knowledge and not yet been developed that could have saved lives. friends and officers of the wounded waited with them while they awaited death.
An 8th Calvary blacksmith named Collins was fatally shot in a fight with the Apaches. As soon as he could Lt. Fountain went to Collins and, "I had my little prayer book with me and i read to him the prayers for the dying. he realized his condition, was calm and followed the prayers with appreciation. he died soon after."
While the intentions of the good Lt. were admirable I would have preferred a doctor or,at the least, a veterinarian.
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Post by Cutter on Apr 23, 2010 13:00:19 GMT -5
They were a tough bunch. I think of Sgt. Michael Madden at the Reno fight. I'd need more then whiskey before having my leg amputated. In a life or death situation however, if that's all there was, one would have no choice. Why he didn't get a MOH doesn't make much sence to me.
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Post by joewiggs on Apr 23, 2010 14:18:38 GMT -5
Cutter, you are so right. Not until you posted the above did I realize that he did not receive the MOH for his effort! I too just don't understand it. Hell, he should have gotten one for having the courage to joke about his amputation. Most of us would have been bubbling like a small urchin under the same circumstances.  |
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Post by melani on May 25, 2010 2:23:36 GMT -5
I actually read one account by one of the troopers present that said Madden never made any such joke, but in fact was very quiet and not looking too good. My guess is that the story is apocryphal, but it's such a good one, and so in character with what we are told of Madden, that it would be a shame to let it die. Everyone loves a brave wise guy.
Not all the water carriers got the MOH--I've never known why.
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Post by Cutter on May 25, 2010 8:31:57 GMT -5
Yeah, "Private Daniel Newell said that the description of Madden's spunky retort was just a tale, but Newell confirmed that Madden did lose a limb for his trouble."
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Post by joewiggs on May 25, 2010 17:25:26 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]I'll be! I've been believing that story for lo, these many years!  [/glow] |
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Post by Cutter on May 25, 2010 19:05:34 GMT -5
Yeah, well, I'll go with Madden being a brave wise guy.  |
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Post by joewiggs on May 29, 2010 10:08:13 GMT -5
It makes you wonder, don't it? How stories like this get started.
How about this. Two guys are sitting in a bar several months after the war when one says to the other, "did you hear the one about the guy with Custer who had his leg cut off in the field with not nary an ounce of anesthesia?" His partner responds with a know it all quip, "Hell, he was probably Irish and dem mugs always keep a shot of booze abouts."
In summation, a racist remark about a historical event is made historical due to the erroneous belief that all Irishman are sots.
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Post by joewiggs on Nov 11, 2012 20:11:14 GMT -5
When I read the below I was astounded: "Alcoholism is the most certain consequence of continued drinking. many a frontier regular fell victim to liquor addiction. The alcoholic officer or soldier unable to control his intake of liquor was a serious morale and discipline problem. During the decade of the 1880"s , a ratio of almost forty-one for every thousand men were hospitalized as alcoholics. In an era were only the most severe cases were treated, for manifestations such as delirium tremens, this average of one out of twenty-five is evidence of an extremely serious situation." Huh, that's putting it mildly!  |
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