Civil War Washington

CASE 31.—Private J. C. Haggerty, Co. I, 124th New York, aged 21 years, was wounded at Chancellorsville, May 3, 1863. Surgeon J. S. Jamison, 86th New York, noted a "shot wound of the right thigh." The patient passed from a Third Corps hospital to Fairfax Seminary, and thence to Satterlee Hospital, when Acting Assistant Surgeon I. Roberts reported the case as interesting, inasmuch as the ball struck a silver coin in the right pocket of the man's trousers and was thus deflected from the track of the femoral vessels; but passed through the soft parts, driving fragments of the pocket-book into the tissues, and escaping at the gluteal fold. The wound progressed favorably for a time, but, about July 20th, deep abscesses formed, and there was some sloughing at the aperture of entrance and exit. The abscesses were incised, and several fragments of the pocket-book came away with the pus. There was so much constitutional irritation that quinia and stimulants were freely exhibited. The wound healed about the middle of December, and the man was transferred to the Veteran Reserves. He was quite lame, and the right foot was much everted. He was discharged October 7, 1864, and pensioned. Examiner J. Nichols, of Washington, certified: "Ball entered anterior aspect of upper third of right thigh, passing directly through, and inflicting a frightful flesh-wound. Bone uninjured; cicatrix very deep and adherent to all the soft parts below, nearly to the bone, rendering free motion of the limb impossible, and, if much used, very painful." Examiner J. Gordon, of Newburgh, New York, reported, February 28, 1876: * * "There remains a large umbilicated cavity, with adhesions of skin, fascia, and muscles. He suffers more particularly from distress in the leg, extending in part to the foot, accompanied, before atmospheric changes, with shooting, darting pains, * * so severe at times as to unfit him for manual labor." This pensioner was paid June 4, 1876.