As I had, while at school in New York, frequented the hospitals, and also attended two courses of medical lectures, I had gained a little knowledge of wounds and their treatment.  This fact, and a special fondness if not aptitude for that study, decided my future course.

My first care was for the members of the company I had commanded during the long retreat from Nashville; hence I went out to seek them.  Meeting them a short distance from Corinth, I had them taken to a hospital established in an unfinished brick church in the north end of the town, and here I remained, giving them all possible care and attention.

Next morning, Dr. J.C.  Nott, Surgeon-general of the Western division of the Confederate service, appointed me as assistant-surgeon on his staff.  The scarcity of surgeons to meet the immense demand, and, perhaps, a little skill shown in dressing wounds, secured me this appointment.  On the following Saturday, April 12, 1862, I obtained an honorable discharge from the army, on account of my wounds, but retained my position of assistant-surgeon, as a civilian appointment.

During the ten days I remained at Corinth the town was a perfect aceldama, though all was done that could be to save life and alleviate suffering.  Many of the best surgeons in the South arrived in time to render valuable assistance to the army surgeons in their laborious duties.  Among these may be named Surrell of Virginia, Hargis and Baldwin of Mississippi, Richardson of New Orleans, La Fressne of Alabama, with many others of high reputation.  During the week following the battle the wounded were brought in by hundreds, and the surgeons were overtasked.  Above 5000 wounded men, demanding instant and constant attendance, made a call too great to be met successfully.  A much larger proportion of amputations was performed than would have been necessary if the wounds could have received earlier attention.  On account of exposures, many wounds were gangrenous when the patients reached the hospital.  In these cases delay was fatal, and an operation almost equally so, as tetanus often followed speedily.  Where amputation was performed, eight out of ten died.  The deaths in Corinth averaged fifty per day for a week after the battle.  While the surgeons, as a body, did their duty nobly, there were some young men, apparently just out of college, who performed difficult operations with the assurance and assumed skill of practiced surgeons, and with little regard for human life or limb.  In a few days erysipelas broke out, and numbers died of it.  Pneumonia, typhoid fever, and measles followed, and Corinth was one entire hospital.  As soon as possible, the wounded who could be moved were sent off to Columbus, Okalona, Lauderdale Springs, and elsewhere, and some relief was thus obtained.  We were also comforted by the arrival of a corps of nurses.  Their presence acted like a charm.  Order emerged from chaos, and in a few hours all looked