"You mean the twenty-first?" he asked.
"I am in my twenty-second," I said.
"The twenty-second what?" said he.
"Year," said I, greatly astonished.
He smiled, then suddenly became serious, and went away.
After a while he came back. "Do you know what I asked you?" he inquired.
"No," said I.
"Then why did you say twenty-one and twenty-second?"
"That is my age," said I.
"Oh!" said he; "but I did not ask your age. You did not hear?"
"No," said I.
"What is your reg-i-ment?" he asked very distinctly.
Now it was clear enough that all this thing was a dream. For a man in
real life to ask such a question, it was impossible. I felt relieved of
many fears.
"What are you smiling at?" he asked.
"I've been dreaming," I said.
"And your dream was pleasant?"
"No," said I.
"You smile then at unpleasant things?"
"No," said I.
"I don't understand you," said he.
"Neither do I," said I.
"What is your regiment?" he asked.
"Why do you ask such a question?"
"It is my duty. I have to make a report of your case. Give me an
answer," said he.
"I have no regiment," I said.
"Try to remember. Do you know that you have been unconscious?"
"Yes."
"Well, you are better now; and you will soon be well, and I shall have
to send you back to your regiment."
"What do you mean by a regiment?" I asked.
At this he looked serious, and went away, but soon returned and gave me
a bitter draught.
I went into a doze. My mind wandered over many trifles. I was neither
asleep nor awake. My nose and face itched. But the pain in my head was
less violent.
After a while I was fully awake. The pain had returned. The doctor was
standing by me.
"Where do you live when you are at home?" he asked.
The question came with something like a shock. I did not know how to
reply. And it seemed no less strange to know that thus far I had not
thought of home, than to find that I did not know a home,
"Where is your home?" he repeated.
"I do not remember," I said.
"Where were you yesterday?"
"I was at the hotel on the hill," I said.
He laughed in a peculiar way. Then he said, "You think you are in South
Carolina?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Are you not one of Gregg's men?"
"No," said I.
"You don't belong to Gregg's regiment?"
"No," said I.
"Nor to Gregg's brigade?"
"Soldiers, you mean?"
"Yes," he replied.
"Are there soldiers camped here?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied.
"I am not one of them," I said.
"Try to remember," he said, and went away.
The more I tried to remember, the more confused I was, and the more did
I suffer pain. I could see now that what I had taken for a wagoners'
camp was a soldiers' camp. But why there should be soldiers here was too
hard for me. This doctor with gilt stripes must be a surgeon.
The doctor came again.
"How are you now, Jones?" he asked.
"Better, I trust," said I.
"You will be fit for duty in less than a week," he said.
"Fit for duty?"
"Yes."
"What duty?"
"Do you mean to insist that you are not a soldier?"
"I am not a soldier," I said.
"Then why do you wear a uniform?"
"I have never been a soldier; I have never worn uniform; you are taking
me for another man."
"You have on the uniform now," said he.
He brought a coat and showed me the brass buttons on it.
"Your buttons are like mine--palmetto buttons."
"Palmetto buttons?" I repeated, wondering.
"Yes; you say you are in South Carolina?"
"Yes," I assented. "Is that my coat?"
"Yes. What district?"
"I don't know--yes, Barnwell."
"Who is your captain?"
"I have never had a captain." Then, by a great effort, I said, "I don't
understand at all this talk about soldiers and captains. Do you belong
to the Citadel battalion?"
"No," he said; "you mean the Charleston Citadel?
"Yes."
"Did you go to the Citadel?"
"No; I think not," said I.
"Why do you refer to the Citadel battalion?"
"They are soldiers," I replied.
"Did you ever hear of President Davis--Jeff Davis?"
"No," said I.
"You know something of Charleston?"
"I've been there, I think."
"When?"
"Well; not very long ago."
"How long? Try to think."
"I am greatly confused," I said. "I don't know whether I am awake or
dreaming."
"Ask me questions," said the doctor.
"Where am I?"
"In the field hospital."
"What am I here for? What is the field hospital? I did not know there
was a hospital here."
"Where do you think you are?"
"In Aiken," I said.
"Do you live in Aiken?"
"I don't know, Doctor. I suppose you are a doctor?"
"Yes, when I'm at home; here I am a surgeon. Ask me more questions."
"Give me some water," said I.
He brought the water, and I drank.
"Am I not in Aiken?"
"You are not now in Aiken," said the doctor. "Try to remember whether
your home is in Aiken."
"No, I am staying here for a time," said I.
"Where is your home?"
"I do not know anything," said I, gloomily.
"Ask me more questions," said the doctor; "we must try to get you out of
this."
"Out of this what?"
"This condition. You have been hurt, and you cannot put things together
yet. It will come right after a little, if you don't get irritable."
"I hope so," said I.
"Ask more questions," said he.
"How did I get here?"
"You were brought here unconscious, or almost so, by my infirmary men."
"What men?"
"Infirmary men."
"What are they?"
"Well," said he, "they are my helpers."
"I knew something strange had happened. How did I get hurt?"
"Do you know how long you were in Aiken?"
"I came here yesterday, and expected to stay two or three days; but from
what you tell me I suppose I am not here now."
"Where were you before you went to Aiken?"
"I don't know."
"Were you not in Charleston?"
"I was in Charleston, but it might have been after I was in Aiken."
His look became very serious at this--in truth, what I had said was
puzzling to myself.
"I think you belong to Gregg's brigade, very likely to Gregg's regiment.
I shall be obliged to leave you now, but you need something first."
He gave me another bitter draught of I know not what, and went out of
the tent.
To say what I thought would be impossible. I thought everything and
nothing.
Again that thunder.
The best I had in this bewilderment was trust in the doctor. I believed
he would clear up this fog in my brain; for that my brain was confused I
could no longer doubt. The doctor was hopeful--that was my comfort. He
had given me medicine every time I felt worse; he was certainly a good
doctor. I felt soothed: perhaps the medicine was helping me.
When I awoke, the sun was low. The doctor was by me.
"You have been talking in your sleep," he said.
"What did I say?" My brain now seemed a little clearer.
"Nothing of consequence. You mentioned the names of several persons--you
said something about Butler, and something also about Brooks
and Sumner."
"Was Brooks from Aiken?"
"What Brooks?"
"I don't remember," I said.
"I was sure that you belong to a South Carolina regiment," he said.
"No, Doctor; I don't belong to any regiment, and I don't understand your
talk about regiments. Why should there be regiments?"
"Do you see these men?" asked the doctor, pointing to the pallets; "they
have been wounded in battle."
I looked at him closely. He seemed sober and sane, although his words
were wild.
"We are at war," he continued. "Tell me," he added suddenly, "tell me
what day of the month this is."
"The nineteenth," said I.
"How do you know?"
"Because I read yesterday the Augusta _Constitutionalist_ of the
eighteenth," said I.
"Now that's the kind of answer I like," said he; "your head is getting
well. Eighteenth of what?"
"October; I think this is very warm weather for October," said I.
"It is indeed," said he.
"I suppose there was a storm somewhere," said I; "I heard thunder."
"I did not hear any thunder," said he.
"Then maybe it was part of my dream," I said.
"What else did you dream?"
"I dreamed that I saw a dead man carried out of the tent."
"Can you trust me?" asked the doctor.
"Yes."
"How old did you say you are?"
"Twenty-one."
"Do you know in what year you were born?"
"Yes; to be sure--thirty-eight."
"Thirty-eight and twenty-one make how much?"
"Fifty-nine," said I.
"I think I'd better give you some medicine," said he.
I took the draught. In a very short time I began to feel strangely
calm--in fact, almost stupid. The doctor sat by my side.
"You can trust me?"
"Yes."
"You belong to a South Carolina regiment," he said.