| The Life of Dr. J.R. Miller |
Chapter 3 |
Page 4 |
“The battle of September 19th was a most important one. Previously to the campaign that so auspiciously opened with this engagement, the Valley of the Shenandoah had indeed been our ‘valley of humiliation.’ There we had suffered defeat after defeat, and the brave men who had fallen on many disastrous battle fields, lay scattered over every portion of the valley. But the 19th was a new day in the history of our military operations in this section. Instead of constant and disastrous defeat, we now entered on a series of as brilliant successes as have marked the history of any army of similar power and strength since the war began. Morning saw the enemy, proud, defiant, and confident, – night found him routed, reduced in numbers by many thousands, flying in disorder, leaving the machinery of war, and the debris of battle scattered all along his path. The victory was complete, overwhelming, and destructive; and the news that went to the world thrilled loyal hearts everywhere with joy. But victory always costs something; always leaves sad wrecks behind; amid the shouts of the victors on the field are heard the groans and wails of the dying; and with the rejoicings at home over the news of victory, there are always mingled the throbs of saddened hearts; for loved ones fall on every field of strife, and every battle sends sadness and desolation to many homes.
“The battle of the 19th was bloody. Hundreds of brave men fell to rise no more, and several thousands were wounded. The sufferings for many days were very great. In addition to our own wounded, there were two thousand of the enemy’s wounded left in our hands. These were collected in distinct hospitals, with their own surgeons and nurses; yet they demanded care at our hands, on the principle – ‘If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink.’ The great number of friends that these rebel wounded have in the city of Winchester and the scarcity of the friends of the Union made it certain that as far as help from citizens was concerned, the rebels would fare much better than our own men, and on this account I directed that the principal efforts of our delegates, at the first, should be on behalf of our own men. However, one delegate was appointed to visit the rebel hospitals daily, to supply them with reading matter, Testaments, papers, etc., and in cases adjudged really needful, to supply also small quantities of hospital stores.
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