. Battles and sketches of the Army of Tennessee . ospital, containing 350 beds and was under my careas the surgeon in charge. The Federal wounded were placed on thethird and fourth floors of the main building which could be onlyreached by two stairways, one at either end of the building. In orderto prevent the escape of any of the Federal prisoners guards wereplaced at the foot of each of the stairways. On a cold and bleak Saturday in November, 1864, Champ Fer-guson with twelve or fifteen of his men fuietly rod eup to the hospi-tal, dismounted, hitched their horses and entered the hospital alm
. Battles and sketches of the Army of Tennessee . ospital, containing 350 beds and was under my careas the surgeon in charge. The Federal wounded were placed on thethird and fourth floors of the main building which could be onlyreached by two stairways, one at either end of the building. In orderto prevent the escape of any of the Federal prisoners guards wereplaced at the foot of each of the stairways. On a cold and bleak Saturday in November, 1864, Champ Fer-guson with twelve or fifteen of his men fuietly rod eup to the hospi-tal, dismounted, hitched their horses and entered the hospital almostunnoticed. They attempted to ascend one of the stairways to the ward 528 BATTLES AND SKETCHES ARxMY OF TENNESSEE. on the third floor where Lientenant Smith, a wounded* Federal pris-oner, was confined. The guard halted them and told them that thev could not go upthose steps (this guard was an Irishman and as brave as JuliusCaesar). Champ Ferguson followed by his men advanced on theguard swearing that they would go up the steps in spite of DR. J. W. MURFREE. But the guard undaunted- by their threats, raised his gun and level-ing it at Champ Ferguson coolly yet firmly told him that he wouldshoot him if he came any farther. I nable to scare this guard they left him and went to the otherstairway where they overpowered the guard stationed there and as-cended the stairs to the ward where Smith was in bed sufferingwith a severe wound. Champ Ferguson went directly to Smith,sat down on his bed, and* patting his gun with his hand said, Smith,do you see this? Well, Im going to kill you and without anotherword placed the gun at Smiths head, fired, sending a minnie ballthrough Smiths head instantly killing him. I was busily engaged in the office of the hospital when a nursecame rushing in saying a lot of soldiers had killed a man in thehospital. I immediately went to the hospital followed by MajorStringfield of the Army of Virginia (who was visiting in that neigh-borhood). On reachi
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectuniteds, bookyear1906
