By the time this reaches you you will have received my cable about Phil.
I will repeat what I said just in case it may not have arrived safely. I
sent it this noon. “Phil slight shrapnel wound right shoulder. To be
brought here. Don’t worry. Will cable often.” The news came in the mail
that came in this morning. The two inclosed notes were in the bunch of
letters that I received. I read the Chaplain’s first and afterwards
found the one from the Colonel. I shall write to thank both these people
who were so kind as to write me. I have been able to get a little more
information about Phil from Major C. of the Cleveland Unit. Last evening
Major C. telephoned me but I was undressed and could not go to the
telephone. Miss Taylor took the message and said that Major C. just
wanted to know if I knew where my brother was. She has told him that I
did not know exactly, but that he was at some Field dressing station
with a B. E. F. unit. That was all. This morning, wondering why Major
C. was asking about Phil, I called him up and had just the same
conversation with the Major. He said he had himself just come down from
the front and that there were a number of Americans up there and wasn’t
it pleasant for me to have my brother over here? I still wondered why
this conversation, until the mail came. Then I called up Major C. again
and asked him if he knew that Phil was wounded, and he said Yes; he had
seen him but had not wanted to tell me until I had been notified some
other way. He said that Phil had been stationed not very far from where
he was, and when he heard that he was hurt, he had gone over to see him.
This was the morning after the accident. He said he saw Phil soon after
the operation. I said operation? and he said, “Yes, the usual operation
removing the shrapnel pieces and opening up for drainage.” He said Phil
had been in a good deal of pain at the time but was sitting up in bed.
He could not write himself as it was his right shoulder. He said, “I
talked over with him about where he wanted to go and he said he wanted
to be brought to No. 12 General.” I broke in, “Will they allow that
since this is not an officers’ hospital?” He said, “Oh yes, if that is
what the officer wants. They have the opportunity to choose where they
want to be sent, and Phil had chosen here.” “Of course,” Major C. said,
“this may not be final that he is to come to you, but I personally saw
all the authorities I could and I think he will be brought to you very
soon.” Then he went on to say, “You may take it from me you need not
worry about your brother’s condition, for it is not a serious wound. It
probably will take a long time to heal as it is a deep muscle wound, but
there is no occasion for anxiety.” I thanked him profusely for his
kindness and hung up.
Then I went to Col. Fife, who was terribly nice and said he would make
inquiries at once about having Phil brought here. He told me afterwards
that he communicated with the D. D. M. S. (Deputy Divisional Medical
Supervisor), who is responsible for all the hospitals in this area, and
now all I can do is to wait. It must be that the boy will be brought
down on the next convoy. He was hurt the 4th and this is the 8th, so I
may expect him any time. But of course he has to be sent on a regular
ambulance train. Col. Fife and I talked the matter over and I told him I
knew Phil would rather be put in one of our hospital tents and be taken
care of here among his friends than be sent to any fancy officers’
hospital. Major Murphy left this morning with our second Surgical team
to go to the front, as luck would have it, but Major Clopton will give
him every possible care when the boy gets here. There is much interest
and solicitude here in the camp about Phil, for his is the first real
casualty that has happened to a relative or friend of any of us. When
Phil gets here, if he does not feel too badly, he will be just spoiled
to death. Major Clopton says that there are excellent doctors up at the
3d Canadian C. C. S. where he was taken. And Dr. Schwab spoke up and
said that they have a good neurologist there too, and it’s sure to be a
good hospital if there’s a good neurologist there. The other men laughed
and said, “That is why this is such a good hospital, isn’t it?” (Dr.
Schwab is our neurologist and is a splendid one too.)
I have just been notified that a convoy is to be prepared for at 1 A.M.
and I shall be on hand to meet it on the chance that Phil may come in
it. I shall leave this letter open until after the convoy is in.
I cabled because I was so afraid the English authorities might send a
message to you, and any way I was sure you had rather know the exact
facts always just as soon as possible. I shall be so relieved when the
boy gets here and I can look after him. For when he is once here, he
will get as good care as he could get in any place in the world. I’m so
glad I’m a nurse and am here. Isn’t it wonderful for me to be here?
P.S. Phil did not come on the convoy last night. I saw Major C., who
said that Phil was to receive every care, because he had spoken to the
officers in charge of him and had identified him and told them who he
was.
Sept. 10, 1917.
Monday.