Diary of William M. Smith, February 22, 1863

Diary of William M. Smith, February 22, 1863

The diary entry on February 22, 1863 by Surgeon William M. Smith is a description of his day. Smith and his regiment were in New Bern, North Carolina. Smith starts off by writing that it is Washington’s birthday and that it was a stormy and dark day. At noon there was a one hundred gun salute in honor of the dead. It was raining and the wind was gusting but the salute still occurred and then the cities church bells were rung. In the evening Smith accompanied a civilian, Mrs. Allen, and visited her sick relative. Smith concluded that the relative was very ill with tuberculosis and that there was a small chance of recovery. He then stated that he spent the majority of the day reading.

Smith, William M.

William M. Smith, Swamp Doctor: The Diary of a Union Surgeon in the Vriginia and North Carolina Marshes, ed. Thomas P. Lowry, M.D. (Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2001).

1863-02-22

Rodgers, Keely

Document

New Bern, North Carolina

Diary

Sunday February 22nd.

This evening, called at Mrs. Allen's--took tea and by request of Miss S. Allen, accompanied her to visit a sick relative--Mrs.Mathews--found her friend very ill--there is scarcely a possibility of her recovery; tuberculosis is doing its work. Have employed the day for the most part in visiting & reading Erickson.