Boys of Wartime: Will at the Battle of Gettysburg by Laurie Calkhoven

Author:Laurie Calkhoven
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.
Published: 2010-12-03T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Dr. Edmonds

Itried to ignore the pops and whistles of sharpshooter bullets as I pushed aside the loose board in our fence and led the colonel into the alley and toward Washington Street.

“What’s my name?” the colonel whispered.

“Doctor Joseph Edmonds,” I whispered back.

I took a deep breath and tried to steady my quaking knees. Washington Street was full of Rebel soldiers. Some were sleeping with their rifles in their hands, some were singing, others were just staring into the night. A few glanced at the colonel’s medical kit, visible in the glow of their campfires, and looked away. Perhaps this would be easier than I thought.

When we reached South Street, I deemed it best that we head back to Baltimore. It was a more direct route to the cemetery. I tripped over someone and started to apologize, then realized, by the stillness of him, that he was dead. I shivered, despite the heat.

A Rebel guard stopped us on the corner of Baltimore Street. He raised his pistol and pointed it at the colonel.

“I’m Dr. Edmonds,” the colonel said.

It was the first time I heard his full voice. We had been whispering up until that time. It was a strong, confident baritone.

Even so, the Reb eyed him suspiciously. “There are plenty of hospitals that way,” he said, pointing toward the Courthouse.

The colonel was as cool as a steel knife. “We were ordered to attend a wounded officer up the street a ways.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “This is my son. He’s going to assist me.”

“Where?” the Reb asked.

The colonel hesitated. Of course he didn’t know. He didn’t know the town. I had to speak up.

“At the Rupp house,” I said, nodding in that direction. “Just past the tannery.” My voice quivered a bit, but not too badly.

“A Confederate officer,” the colonel added. “Very seriously wounded. He can’t be moved.”

I waited for the Reb to pull the trigger. My legs stiffened as if all on their own they had decided to run. I gritted my teeth and dug my heels into the ground so I could stand still.

The Reb let us pass.

“What’s past the Rupp house?” the colonel whispered.

“Snider’s Wagon Hotel,” I whispered back.

We were stopped by several guards, but the colonel gave the same story each time. The Rebs appeared to be in pretty high spirits. They had won the day and were unconcerned about the possibility of a spy in their midst.

One asked us to stop and tend his fellow soldier.

The colonel knelt and looked at the gash in the man’s leg. I held my breath and got ready to run. Did he know about doctoring, or would he give us away?

“There’s a very badly wounded officer up ahead,” he said gently. “This’ll wait until I can get back to you.” He patted the soldier on the arm. “You’ll be fine, son.”

“Much obliged, Doc,” the Rebel said.

My breath came out in one big rush. I never would have guessed the colonel was lying.

Finally, we reached the Rebel pickets—the soldiers closest to the Union lines.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.