Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, March 23, 1864
Letter from Asst. Surgeon C.M. Baker, 47th NY Volunteers
Headquarters 47th Rev. N.Y.S. Vols. Entrenchments at Jacksonville, Fla. March 4th, 1864
Mr. Editor: Your kind notice of my appointment as Asst. Surgeon to this regiment, induces me to believe that a few lines detailing my first experience in a professional capacity on the battlefield may not be uninteresting to our friends at home.
Everyone is by this time cognizant of the fact that our forces met the enemy and suffered a defeat, by being vastly overpowered in numbers, at or near the town of "Olustee," some fifty miles from here, on the 20th ult. With the details of the fight, I have nothing to do. Our brigade consisted of three New York regiments (47trh, 48th, and 115th) under command of Col. Barton. Immediately on our arrival at Jacksonville, Dr. Wm. A. Smith, our talented Surgeon, was detached to organize and put in an efficient state the post hospitals; and as our other Assistant Surgeon, Dr. Wm. S. Young, was absent North on furlough, I was left alone to accompany the regiment. On the 19th, leave was granted to the Hospital Steward to return to Jacksonville on business, so that when the forward movement took place at daylight on the 20th I was entirely alone; with a few hospital attendants and stretcher bearers unused to the peculiar duties required of them. As soon as the brigade formed line of battle, I selected a retired spot on the edge of a thin pine forest, sufficiently beyond the line of fire, as I thought, and proceeded to make preparations for the care of the wounded. At this time the artillery on both sides was thundering heavily, and soon the steady crack of the rifles assured me that our New York lads were hotly engaged. In a few moments the wounded began to crowd on me. Some came creeping on all fours, others limping along with unsteady gait; some on stretchers, and some in the arms of their comrades. They were shot in every imaginable place, but the great majority had received wounds below their waist belts. This more than anything else, served to convince us that we were engaging veteran troops of the enemy, as it is the hardest work to learn soldiers the art of firing low. For a time, I was in perfect misery. I wanted to attend on all; and yet here I was, alone, surrounded by crowds of suffering men, in a place where Eriaraeus himself would have found work enough for every one of his hands. The instances of individual heroism would fill a volume. "Here, Doctore," says one with a couple of fingers smashed and torn by a bullet, "Hurry and tie this up, will you? I want to get back to the Company, quick!" "Can't I go back, if you bind this up?" says another, showing a leg from which a portion of the flesh had been torn by a piece of shell. "Don't mind me, Doctor; help that fellow from the 48th over there!" answers a third, with a rifle bullet lodged in his thigh. Suddenly the enemy appeared to open with guns of a longer range; for the shells began to fly over and about us, and finally came bursting and crashing in among the poor helpless fellows scattered on the ground around me. Warning those who were able to help themselves to fall back immediately and crowding as many as possible into the ambulances and few wagons that could be made available, I changed my ground, but was soon notified that I must keep on rearward, as our troops were falling back and slowly contesting the ground, in order ot save as many of the wounded as possible from falling into the hands of the rebels. And thus, through that long and dreary night, dressing wounds by the wayside, and helping along the faint and weary, we retraced our steps towards Jacksonville. How many gave out on the road, and thus were taken prisoners, I know not, but the number must have been considerable.
My first experience has thus been a sad and trying one, but I was considerably aided by the stern will and indomitable resolution of the men themselves. bravo boys all of them, they fitly represent the Empire State of the union. You may imagine how bitterly they fought, when I state that the three regiments have lost about eight hundred men! Our own regiment foots up a total of seven officers and three hundred and ten men! Even now the men are anxious to again engage the enemy, and desire only a chance to "get square," as they say. Should any further movements take place here, I will keep your readers posted, and meantime remain.
Yours, truly, C.M. Baker, Ass't Surg. 47th N.Y. Vols.
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