it. Yesterday, about noon, it began to rise. It had been raining, and we
thought it natural enough that the waters should increase a little. At
four o'clock it had swelled very considerably, but still kept within its
bed of rock and gravel, and we admired it all the more for the energy
displayed in hurrying along branches, logs, and sometimes whole trees.
At six o'clock we found it was rising at the rate of one foot per hour,
and that the water had now crept to within a few feet of the hospital
tent, in which lay two wounded and a dozen or more of sick. Dr. McMeens
became alarmed and called for help. Thirty or more boys stripped, swam
to the island, and removed the hospital to higher ground--to the highest
ground, in fact, which the island afforded. The boys returned, and we
felt safe. At seven o'clock, however, we found the river still rising
rapidly. It covered nearly the whole island. Logs, brush, green trees,
and all manner of drift went sweeping by at tremendous speed, and the
water rushed over land which had been dry half an hour before, with
apparently as strong a current as that in the channel. We knew then that
the sick and wounded were in danger. How to rescue them was now the
question. A raft was suggested; but a raft could not be controlled in
such a current, and if it went to pieces or was hurried away, the sick
and wounded must drown. Fortunately a better way was suggested; getting
into a wagon, I ordered the driver to go above some distance, so that we
could move with the current, and then ford the stream. After many
difficulties, occasioned mainly by floating logs and driftwood, and
swimming the horses part of the way, we succeeded in getting over. I saw
it was impossible to carry the sick back, and that there was but one way
to render them secure. I had the horses unhitched, and told the driver
to swim them back and bring over two or three more wagons. Two more
finally reached me, and one team, in attempting to cross, was carried
down stream and drowned. I had the three wagons placed on the highest
point I could find, then chained together and staked securely to the
ground. Over the boxes of two of these we rolled the hospital tent, and
on this placed the sick and wounded, just as the water was creeping upon
us. On the third wagon we put the hospital stores. It was now quite
dark. Not more than four feet square of dry land remained of all our
beautiful island; and the river was still rising. We watched the