Lew Powell's Frostbitten Feet

[Natty]

(08-24-2012 02:03 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Good question, Gene! I really don't know, but this kid was seemingly one sick puppy. He was in the hospital a lot unless he was "playing Old Soldier." And with those teeth, I doubt it!

I assume that the Confederate higher ups had some sickly folk as well - look at Alexander Stephens -- he was about as sick as they come and he was the Vice President -- so apparently health didn't matter a bit -- not when your government is going down the tube at as fast a rate as the Confederacy was. Their ranks in late 1864-1865 were getting down to old men and little boys (and I mean 14-16 year olds!) so.....who knows!

I just read a book about sexually transmitted diseases during the Civil War - if these statistics told me anything, it was that "sick bay" was a common place for many Union and Confederate soldiers.
Lewis probably functioned very highly in between flare ups (of sinusitis, not the above!) and was considered quite healthy. He might have suffered a particularly bad bout during his initial period with the Rangers, due to the added stress and more difficult living circumstances, leading others to believe he was a bit sickly. He did, however, make sure that this impression was thoroughly destroyed during the raids that came thereafter, probably wanting impress everyone and prove them wrong.