ngularly at variance
with his fresh countenance, as ruddy as that of youth. He looked like a
preacher, though he would swear like a pirate. Indeed, it would almost
congeal the blood in one's veins to hear the oaths that came hissing
from between the set teeth of that pious looking old gentleman, from
whom you would look for an exhortation rather than such expletives as he
dealt in. But it was only on suitable provocation that he gave vent to
these outbursts, as he was kind of heart, a good friend, and a capable
physician and surgeon. The assistant was David C. Spaulding who remained
with us but a short time when he was made surgeon of the Tenth Michigan
cavalry--that is to say, in 1863. Weare staid till the war closed and
settled in Fairport, New York, where he died.

Spaulding was surgeon in charge of the regimental hospital in Grand
Rapids, and on one occasion came to my aid with some very scientific
practice. It happened in this way: It came to my knowledge that a man
who had enlisted with one of the lieutenants and mustered in with the
troop, was not in the service for the first time; that he had enlisted
twice before and then succeeded in getting discharged for disability.
The informant intimated that the fellow had no intention of doing duty,
would shirk and sham illness and probably get into the hospital, where
the chances were he would succeed in imposing on the surgeons and in
getting discharged again; that it was pay he was after which he did not
propose to earn; least of all would he expose his precious life, if by
any possibility he could avoid it.

A close watch was put upon the man, and sure enough, just before the
regiment was to leave the state, he demurred to doing duty, pleading
illness as an excuse. I sent him to the hospital but gave Dr. Spaulding
a hint as to the probable nature of the man's illness, and he promised
to give his best endeavors to the case. About a week, thereafter, the
man came back, and whatever might have been his real condition when he
went away, he was unmistakably ill. His pale face and weak voice were
symptoms that could not be gainsaid.

"Well," said I, "have you recovered and are you ready for duty?"

"No, I am worse than ever."

"Why do you leave the hospital, then?"

"My God, captain," whined the man, "they will kill me, if I stay there."

"But if you are sick you need treatment."

"I cannot enter that place again."

"You prefer to perform your duties as a good so