Was hauled from off
the battle-ground in an ambulance wagon at half past two in the morning. for
fear of the enemy opening fire on our hospital or old house in which we remained
all night from the day of the fight; having our batteries planted close by, if
another engagement would ensue, they would draw the enemy's fire on our
building. So we, four in number, were hauled five miles this morning to Antioch
church, Boyle county, and thrown out in a pile like wood, for they had been
removing wounded off the battle-ground all night until the church was perfectly
filled, and under every shade tree nigh at hand. I rolled over and over, as I
was so disabled that I could not walk, until I got to a fence, and with loss of
blood and pain and fatigue, became sleepy in a short time after being left in
this condition, I went to sleep and slept until after the sun was up, and on
awaking I found myself completely tight against the above mentioned fence, on
account of another wounded soldier dying while I was asleep, with his feet
tight down the hill against me and his head up the hill, the ground being
somewhat rolling, I called to a citizen close by, that had come to see the
wounded soldiers, to come to me and remove the dead man, that I might help
myself up by the fence. He removed the person, and throwed a blanket over the
body to protect it until better attended to. I lay for six days out under a
white oak tree, with my wound dressed once. Making a march of 5 miles.
SOURCE: Adam S.
Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, pp. 23-4
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