
In this vivid memoir, a seasoned army surgeon recounts his early days on the post‑civil‑war frontier, recalling the moment he answered the call to serve and the long train journey that brought him to the bustling hub of Fort Leavenworth. His observations capture the stark contrast between the disciplined life of soldiers and the rugged, unsettled lands that stretched beyond the camps, offering listeners a window into a world where medicine, duty, and the raw edge of the American West intersected.
Through candid anecdotes, he paints portraits of charismatic officers, the camaraderie among enlisted men, and the surprising absence of politics in a life devoted to service. As he reflects on the sweeping changes that have transformed the once‑wild frontier into settled territory, the narrative invites listeners to imagine a bygone era where each medical decision could mean the difference between life and death amidst an ever‑expanding nation.
Full title
Little Pills, an Army Story Being Some Experiences of a United States Army Medical Officer on the Frontier Nearly a Half Century Ago
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (254K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2011-04-26
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1842–1926
A former Acting Assistant Surgeon in the U.S. Army, he turned his memories of frontier service into a lively firsthand account of military life in the American West. His best-known book, Little Pills, an Army Story, was published in 1918 after he originally wrote it for his children.
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