Franklin County: Lauramann Howe Russell to Ellen
Howe, October 19, 1862
Summary:
In this letter to his daughter Ellen, Lauramann Howe Russell lists his patients
and their wounds. He also describes the kind ladies, paved streets, brick
sidewalks, and hospital building of Chambersburg.
October 19th1862
Three o'clock A.M.
Chambersburg Franklin County
My Dear Daughter Ellen
In your mother's letter of the 9th
instant she tells me that you are sick. she did not
tell me how long you had been so. but among other things said that you were
comfortable and furthermore that the worst of it was over. I was sorry to hear
that my Ellen was sick but it was a great comfort to be told in the same letter
that you were getting along well. I am sitting up with the wounded men of my
ward. and will write a few lines to interest you while you are laying in bed or
setting up in a chair as the case may be, but I hope you may be about the room
and still better if possible. My health is very good with the exception of a
headache that I had yesterday and the day before but it is now nearly over---My
patients are doing very well, there is nineteen of them, three [deleted: of
them] very badly wounded, [unclear: ] one was shot in the shoulder and
the ball is somewhere in him now his arm is infected
the whole length and it has been lanced above the
elbow for the second time it discharges very freely and is very painful. the man's brother was
here from [unclear: Ind'] the other day to see him and stayed about a week Number two is
shot in the leg near the body, the wound is not very painful but he has a
difficulty on his lungs which I think he will hardly survive.--Number three is wounded in the leg just above the knee,
the bone was fractured, it is very
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painful and I should not be surprised if in a week
or two his leg was amputated. All of the rest are quite comfortable and are able
the most of them to get about the room, and some of them
get out of doors, but of the nineteen in my ward seventeen are shot in the legs. I had twenty-two three went away the other day they were
also shot in the legs. I have two men to help me do the work, and I am what they
call in Hospitals Ward Master.
A young man in another part of the house had his leg cut off yesterday I saw the operation it was the third case of the kind that I have seen since the great battle of Wednesday September 17th which I shall remember as long as I live.-- The people of Chambersburg are very kind to our wounded Soldiers they bring in a great many nice things such as grapes which grow in abundance and are very sweet. Jellies of various kinds chicken broth, milk toast, dry toast and many other things which it is unnecessary to mention. The names of some of the ladies that are so kind to our soldiers are Mrs McCellan, Nixon, Brown, Wright, Armstrong, McDowell, Wollace, Burnett & Reed. Chambersburg is a very pretty town of about four thousand inhabitant the streets are paved and the sidewalks brick
The building that I am in was built for a College and used as such until about the time that I came here I think they will use it all winter for this purpose, and I think that I shall stay here as long as they will let me if it is the remainder of my time with Government.-- I hope this letter will Find you running about the yard. I have thought of you many times since knowing that you were sick I trust you are better by this time. write when you get well enough but not too soon. I shall enclose a ten cent piece for you to get something with love to all.--
From your Father
Lauramann
Number two in my ward that I speak of in this letter died Sunday about Four o'clock
