Lew Powell's Frostbitten Feet

[Natty]

Just a reminder....the Confederate army was low on food, so the soldiers were not always at their physical best due to malnutrition and hunger

Lewis told Dr. Gillette this the night before he died. I was always curious about it and wondered perhaps if the kick in the face had made him epileptic; perhaps mildly so....I don't know. Dr. Houmes thinks he may have had at one time rheumatic fever (I had this as a seven year old child - as did one of Lewis' relatives)....

The marches were from Virginia to Pennsylvania and back (approximately over 300-500 miles both ways or so on foot!) Quite a distance....

What was the average distance covered in a day? I can imagine that 20 miles or so on restricted rations might pose a trial for most healthy people, but why would Lewis mention it if it didn't stand out in his mind, particularly in comparison to other soldiers?
Rheumatic fever can cause damage to the heart valves, but I'm assuming the consequences of that go beyond mere fainting and falling down. I did check up on it and found the following symptoms:

Shortness of breath or difficulty catching your breath, especially after you have been active or when you lie down flat in bed.
Often feeling dizzy or too weak to perform your normal activities.
Pressure or weight in your chest, especially when you are active or when you go out into cold air.
Heart palpitations or a feeling that your heart is beating irregularly, skipping beats, or flip-flopping in your chest.
Swelling in your ankles, feet, or belly. Sudden weight gain with possibly as much as 2 to 3 pounds in 1 day.

Are there any other lasting effects from rheumatic fever that could explain these fainting spell episodes?

If his brain was traumatized by the blow, then yes, it is possible that he developed epilepsy, even from the slightest form of damage. If he suffered a concussion from the mule accident, he might have developed such a condition. But I suppose Dr. Houmes would know more about that.