Charleston Daily Courier

December 5, 1864

Page 1

Exemptions

“Carondolet” of the Richmond “Enquirer” says: “Place all ministers of the gospel and doctors of medicine in the army.” Does he for an instant consider how essential they are to the soldiers’ families? Does he, quietly ensconced in his cushioned chair, by his comfortable fireside, ever give one thought to the troubles of a soldier or the wants of his family? He says truly, that in a small village there are seven or eight Doctors; but do they practice? In a village of my knowledge, there are ten Doctors, and there are but two practitioners, and they practice over an area of twenty or thirty miles. The others are in hospitals or Confederate service.

We have given up our husbands, brothers, fathers and sons, and now they would “rob” us of our Doctors; that I would consider a piece of flagrant injustice. How do you suppose the men are to fight knowing that their families at home are suffering for medical attendance? Or if they have a Doctor he will be subject to all the ills that flesh is heir to, as he would not be exempt by the laws of Congress.

It will do for “Carondolet,” or any other person who knows none of the wants of the poorer classes of the soldiers’ families, to say put all men in the army; but for one that knows them, and knows the hardships attendant to country practice, he would say, for mercy sake leave a Doctor, and an able one, to attend to the families of our soldiers; for many beside my humble self know that it requires an able-bodied man for the practice of medicine in the country. A great many physicians have volunteered, and all the younger ones have been taken by the Acts of Congress, and there are only a few of the middle class left to attend the sufferings of the people, and they are needed, for many, (especially in the lower part of South Carolina) suffer for the want of medical attendance even now, and if they were to take these and leave only old men, (the non-combatants) the villages and cities would be taken care of, but the surrounding countries would suffer, for those that require nursing themselves, could not get up and ride five or ten miles at night to see a soldier’s wife.

A SOLDIER’S WIFE

[Transcribed by Sharon Strout]