GDG- A. P. Hill & VD

[CWMHTours at aol.com]

In response to Nancy's question I can't answer it but only add  another 
question?
 
Is there good evidence about the stories- there are many- of  A. P. Hill 
having syphilis?
 
How much info is there on that topic?  Is it  true?
 
If he was laid up during the battle from the symptoms what  would the 
symptoms be?
 
Did he acquire it later in life or was it communicated to him  by his 
mother?
 
A BACKGROUND STORY:  In the 1950s and 60s my grandparents  lived in the 
lovely charming wholesome town of Concord NH.  All very proper  and New 
Englandish.
 
Next to my grandparents was a lovely white huge New Eng house  all 
beautiful.  There was a nice family of elderly sisters and a  brother.  Three of 
them were crippled.  One of the old ladies was not  disabled.  I would always 
visit and they would give me homemade  donuts.  My  grandmother made them.  
Mrs Mudget on the other  side would make homemade donuts.  Everybody made 
killer homemade  donuts.  So I'd go over in the summers and say hi and eat 
donuts.   Occasionally they would give me a little $ to run to the store for 
them.   They were named Caravelles.  It was a New England version of  Mayberry. 
 (Actually Aunt Bee and my grandmother knew each other growing up  in 
Manchester)
 
Once I got old enough my parents explained that they all had  either 
syphilis  or gonorea and that they acquired it from their  mother.  This was 
before the days of penicillin.
 
I submit this in that growing up with the disabling effects of  their VD 
crippled them and gave them constant pain or discomfort.  I never  knew the 
specifics.
 
In light of the stories of A. P. Hill I remember from boyhood  the 
devastating effects of VD so I wonder if he was sometimes crippled by the  symptoms. 
 I don't know what the symptoms would be but I guess there were  good days 
and bad days.
 
Having witnessed VD as a kid I can see A. P. Hill being pretty  sick and 
out of commission during Gtysbg.
 
P. S.  My mouth frequently waters at the memory of those  homemade donuts.  
Never had anything like them  since.   
 
A  Loyal Neo-Anti Unionist,
Peter