edHelper.com
The Civil War
(1861-1865)

Moving the Wounded

Moving the Wounded
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   high interest, readability grades 4 to 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   4.99

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    medical, wounded, shutter, unit, material, general, supplies, receive, army, battle, working, emergency, pounds, often, treatment, train
     content words:    Civil War, Jonathan Letterman, Ambulance Corps Act

Print Moving the Wounded
edHelper.com subscriber options:
     Print Moving the Wounded  (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)
     Quickly print reading comprehension
     Print a proofreading activity

Feedback on Moving the Wounded
     Leave your feedback on Moving the Wounded  (use this link if you found an error in the story)

Moving the Wounded
By Cathy Pearl 		  
1     After most battles in the Civil War, the battlefield would be 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.
 
2     Many of the hurt men were carried away on hand-litters. These looked like stretchers but were made much simpler than they are today. The hand-litters were very heavy. Some weighed twenty-four pounds. They also had legs. The hand-litters could then be used as cots.
 
3     If the hand-litters weren't around, the men used what they could find. Sticks would be put through the sleeves of coats. The coats would then be buttoned. The edges of blankets could also be rolled around the sticks.
 
4     Soldiers would be creative, too. The shutters from windows, gates from fences, or ladders could be used. If there was hay, this would be laid on the shutter or ladder to make it more comfortable.

Paragraphs 5 to 14:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable
Copyright © 2008 edHelper