Fourth Grade
Worksheets
Moving the Wounded
After any Civil War battle, the battlefield was littered with wounded men. Getting these men help was a huge job. If an injured man couldn't walk, he would often wait hours for someone to help him. Many men died waiting for help that did not come.
Hurt men were carried away on hand-litters. These looked like today's stretchers but were very heavy. Some weighed twenty-four pounds. They also had legs. The hand-litters could also be used as cots.
If there weren't any hand-litters around, the men used what they could find. Sticks could be put through the sleeves of coats. The coats would then be buttoned. The edges of blankets could also be rolled around the sticks. The shutters from windows, gates from fences, or ladders could be used. If there was hay, it would be laid on the shutter, gate, or ladder to make it more comfortable.
