Saved by a Bird by Annie Wittenmyer
In a Nashville hospital, a young soldier seems to be starving despite recovering from fever. Annie Wittenmyer tempts him with the promise of broiled birds, buys them, and has Aunt Debby prepare two birds for him. The soldier eagerly eats one and hides the other beneath his pillow for later. Called away to Chattanooga, Wittenmyer is delayed when General Hood breaks communication lines. On returning to Nashville, she meets the former patient, now healthy and ready to rejoin his regiment; he credits the birds with restoring his appetite and saving him.
By Annie Wittenmyer · First published 1895 · Genre: Civil War memoir, Historical nonfiction, War literature · 917 words
First lines
The surgeon in one of the Nashville hospitals said, pointing to one of his patients, "There is a young man slowly starving to death. His fever is broken, and he might get well, but we cannot get him to eat anything. If you can tempt him to eat he may recover."
I went over and stood beside his cot. "I am glad to see you looking so much better," I said enthusiastically. He shook his head. "Oh, yes you are; and now what can I bring you to eat? I'll bring you something real nice; what shall it be?"
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Genres
- Civil War memoir — The narrative recounts Annie Wittenmyer's firsthand wartime relief work in Nashville and Chattanooga, including references to Union hospitals, General Hood, and soldiers returning to their regiments.
- Historical nonfiction — It presents a purported real incident from the American Civil War, grounded in identifiable historical locations, institutions, and military events.
- War literature — The plot centers on the physical consequences of war: a debilitated soldier, military hospitals, disrupted communications, and a soldier's recovery before rejoining his regiment.
- Humanitarian narrative — Its central action is an act of practical compassion: obtaining and preparing food to save a starving patient's life.
Tags
American Civil War · Civil War hospitals · Nashville, Tennessee · Chattanooga, Tennessee · 1860s America · Union soldiers · military nursing · hospital relief work · Christian Commission · war memoir · anecdotal nonfiction · first-person narrative
What this Textopian page supports
Saved by a Bird is listed on Textopian as a historical account by Annie Wittenmyer, dated 1895 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Historical account
- Author: Annie Wittenmyer
- Date: 1895 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Civil War memoir, Historical nonfiction, War literature, Humanitarian narrative, Medical narrative
- Length: 917 words
- Structure: 1 section, 23 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Saved by a Bird by Annie Wittenmyer
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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