^0 v-^ •„ 1 ^ \S*^ •^ J9- "^ ° " ° - *o AT 0^ r;<» -> ^*5 -'■ »°"*. -J .-^^ .n^ ^- , - » . s \ ' EEPOKT OP LEWIS 11. STEINER, M. D, Inspector 0f tk Sanxtarn ^ommbsian, CONTAINING A DIARY DURING THE REBEL OCCUPATION OF FREDERICK, MD. AN ACCOUNT OF THE OPERATIONS THE U. S. SANITARY COMMISSION THE CAMPAIGN IN MARYLAND, .>^^ SEPTEMBER, 18S2. ^• Assistants. l^Mr. Edwin K. Cornwall, ) fE. A. Crane, M. D., San. Inspector. Mr. Clampitt, ) Mr. Watson, >■ Assistants. Mr. Parsons, j Sharpsburg, Large supplies have been issued from the Frederick depot to the Llospitals in Frederick and its neighborhood. The requisitions on which these were issued have been tabulated with the following results. (See Tables M, N, O, P.) [These details are omitted as too bulky.] -If ■«■ * -X- * * The late battles have shown how important it is that a certain amount of transportation should be under the exclu- 38 THE SANITARY COMMISSION". sive control of the Medical Department. Immediately after an engagement, there has always been a difficulty in getting medical and hospital supplies to the places where they are most needed. Subsistence for the well soldiers, and ord- nance, generally monopolize all the transportation in posses- sion of the Quartermaster. The Medical Department is for- gotten and practically thrust aside. A deficiency of regular militarj^ surgical assistance after a great battle is inevitable. The Commission seeks to supply the want by details made from the private practitioners of our large cities. Heretofore demands for aid of this hind have been responded to by a rush of professional volunteers, some good and reliable, some inexperienced and unreliable. Hence there have been instances of treatment tVir from creditable to surgi- cal science or advantageous to the patient. This might be obviated by tlie selection of a certain number of experienced surgeons, who would be willing to respond to such calls, and in whom the utmost reliance might be placed by the medical officers, wliose aids they would be for the time being. Our soldiers are willing to brave death on the battle-field ; let them not be obliged to brave inexperienced and ignorant surgery beside. Too many practitioners, styling themselves " active rtie.n^'' hasten to the field, not with the view of assisting in what- ever may require aid, but for the purpose of " operating^^ — of fleshing unsoiled blades. With such men conservative surgery is an unmeaning word. The reserve corps of volunteer sur- geons might be formed under the auspices of the Medical Bureau, or of the Sanitary Commission. The necessity of such an organization is urgent, as a statement made me by a med- ical officer engaged at the Confederate hospital near Sharps- burg will clearl}'- show. He states that when a number of the volunteer surgeons proposed returning home, Dr. Rauch, (sur- geon in charge of the hospital,) objected on account of the number of cases requiring constant attention. The answer EEPOET OF DR. LEWIS H. STEINER. 89 ■was, " We have done up all the amputations and resections, and there is no farther need of our services." My informant proceeded to examine the cases that had been attended and operated on by those verj^ medical men, and found recently amputated stumps filled with maggots and pus, and patients in a condition of unhealtliiness and depression that showed utter negligence on the part of their medical attendants. A number of self-styled " Commissions,"* Relief Societies, Charitable Associations andPhihinthropic Clubs have been rep- resented on the field and in the hospitals since the late engage- ments. Their agents have been actuated by the best motives. They have doubtless done some good. A few of them have drawn from our own stores, and at times employed our own means of transportation, but have never acknowledged either, although they have received special commendation for their labors from the press. A spirit of State charity, seeking out not wounded Federal soldiers, but the wounded from their own special State, or even their own special county or town, has guided these organizations, Tliey have thus done positive mischief to the National cause. Instead of laboring to destroy tlie spirit of State Rights, which, in various forms, seems to underlie tlie whole of the Rebellion, they have furnished incentives for its preservation. "We demand that the soldier should be well cared-for, not be- cause he is from Massachusetts, ISTew York, Ohio, or any other State, but because he is in the United States Army. We * The word " Commission" has been strangely misused of late. A " Commis- sion" is a body of men commissioned by Government to make certain inquiries or do certain work. We have Military Commissions, for instance, appointed to investigate the surrender of Harper's Ferr}-, and to report on the merits of new projectiles, and a "Sanitary Commission" to aid Government in preserving the health and eflficiency of our soldiers. The Sanitary Commission introduced the word into popular favor, and it is now generally used as a vague, indefinite synonj-m of " Committee." Hence we have so-called " Commissions" without end, none of which possess the authority from Government and the relations with Government that give meaning and value to the title they assume. 40 THE SANITARY COMMISSION". feel it 0111* duty to bring aid to any and every soldier in the army. His highest claim to onr attention and sympa- thy being the fact that he is there. Hon. Frank B. Fay and Miss Helen L. Gilson, (Chelsea, Mass.,) liave been laboring witli untiring zeal and most earn- est fidelity at or nearKeedysville, since the battle of Antietam, and Mr. C. B. Barclay, of Philadelphia, has been actively en- gaged wherever want and suffering were greatest. These philanthropic patriots are examples worthy of all imitation on the part of those who aim to keep the good deeds which their right hands do from the knowledge of the world. I am pleased to record their names as among those whose labors have been more or less aided by the supplies which the Com- mission kept on hand in its store houses. lu concluding this Report I have to acknowledge myself indebted to the Central Office for its prompt attention to tele- grams ordering supplies ; to Mr. Olmsted for his advice and interest in my field of labor ; to Drs. Agnew and Harris for faithful and earnest attention to the immediate wants of the Field Hospitals around Sharpsburg ; and to Mr.W. Piatt, Jr., of Philadelphia, for one entire week of invaluable ser- vice, in conveying supplies to the field, and aiding in the general duties of the Frederick office. It is proper that the name of this pure-hearted, Christian patriot should be honored in connection with our labors in the Maryland campaign, as he contracted the seeds of disease while on duty there that, in a few weeks afterwards, ended his life of useful- ness,' — as truly offered up in the cause of his country as if he had been killed on the battle field. With great respect, your obedient servant, LEWIS H. STEINER, ,^ San. Inspector. APPEJSTD IX. No. I. Report ofW. Platt, Jux., in charge of tlie Expedition icitli supplies from Washington to the Battlefield of Antietam. Dr, J. Foster jENicrNS : Dear Sir, — In pursuance of your request of IStli inst., I went with the four-liorse team of Hos23ital Stores on the way to Rockville, arriving there at nine r. m. There were no sick on tlie way and few stragglers. I found the Hospital at Rockville under the charge of Surgeon Lewis, U. S. A., with about 325 patients, most of them light cases. Mrs. Harris was also there with some stores. They were in want of some few arti- cles, such as bed-sacks, tin cups, biscuit, &c., which we left with them. September 14. — Started at 10 a. m., and went eighteen miles, stopping frequently to relieve sick stragglers, who were becoming quite numerous. 15th. — Started at 6 a. m., and reached Frederick at 11 a. m., and re- ported to Dr. Spencer, who requested us to proceed in the afternoon to Middletown and deliver the remainder of our supplies to Dr. Thompson, in charge of the hospital there, and meanwhile to leave at Frederick such articles as were wanted. "We left at Frederick a few stimulants, and reached Middletown at 7 p. m., and left the remainder of the load. 16th. — Returned to Frederick and took the team to the Junction, loaded it from a car, and delivered it at the hospital at Frederick, and the wagon was returned to Washington. 17th. — Loaded the wagon belonging to the Commission, and a four- mule team with stores from a car at the junction, after much delay, owing to the great number of cars on the road, and went to Middletown, arriving at 9 p. m., and were joined byDrs. Andrew and Smith, and Mr. F. Fay, with another team; proceeded at 11 p. m. to Boonsboro', and thence to Keedysville, where we halted for the night, (one mile this side,) and arrived at headquarters, near that j)lace, at 9 o'clock on the 18th, Thursday. It was decided by Drs. Letterman, Smith and Andrew that the supplies (the first received) should be distributed among the hospitals at headquarters, the greater part at the outer station where many wounded were being brought in. This was satisfactorily accom- plished, and requisitions from various Brigades were tilled, and at 5 p. M. we started to return, arriving on 19th, at 6 A. ji. at Frederick, and were cjuite unsuccessful in getting further supplies from the car which should have been up the day before. 20th. — The ear not yet arrived ; but there w«re 50 ambulances with 42 APPENDIX, wouuded, wliich had been from some unaccountable cause kept waiting for twenty-four hours. These men needed much attention in having their bandages renewed and moistened, and in being helped into a train, which had at last been prepared for them — all which occupied me for several hours. There is much to be done at Frederick in attending to the wants of these jJarties of wounded and sick, and I earnestly call your attention to it. 24th. — From the 20th to 24th I have been occui)ied in regulating the movements of trains and acting for thirty-six hours in Dr. Stciner's j)lace. I also call your attention to the superior facilities afforded by the rail- road in j^lacing your supplies where they are wanted, in economy both of time and money. Yery respectfully yours, W. PLATT, Ju>T. IS^o. II. At a meeting of the Philadelphia Associates of the United States San- itary Commission, held on the 26th November the following resolutions were unanimously adojoted. Hesolved, That the Philadelphia Associates of the Sanitary Commis- sion have learned, with the deeiJest sorrow, the death of their late most faithful superintendent, William Piatt, Jr., Esquire, who fell a victim to disease contracted on the battle fields of Maryland, in the service of the Commission, and in the discharge of the highest duties of humanity and patriotism. Besohed, That the Associates desire to record their high apprecia- tion of the character of Mr. Piatt, and of his invaluable labors in the cause of the Sanitary Commission. Accepting the invitation of the Executive Committee, in June last, to undertake the superintendence of the business of the Philadelphia agen- cy, Mr. Piatt devoted all the force of a highly energetic, though gentle character, to the discharge of the duties of his post. Giving his whole time, and applying remarkable vigor to the business of the agency, he soon brought it to a state of efficiency not previously reached, while his judicious and effective applications to the friends of the Commission brought its claims under general notice in Philadelphia, and rapidly filled its treasury, so that the contributions, which, on his entering on his of- fice in June last, were but eight thousand dollars, had, at the time of his death, in November, exceeded the sum of forty thousand dollars, an Increase which the associates ascribe almost wholly to the labors of Mr i Piatt, and of an agent of his own designation. All the services of Mr. Piatt were rendered gratuitously. When the APPENDIX. 43 battles in Maryland were imijcnding in September last, I\Ir. Piatt Last- ened to "Washington, and A^olunteered to take cliarge of a wagon train of hospital stores, for use in tlie field. Visiting and supplying the hos- l^itals at Rockville, Frederick, and Middletown, and reinforced with other supplies forwarded by the Commission, he left ^Middlctown at 11 o'clock at night, on the 17th of Sei)tember, and proceeded with his train of wagons to Boonsborough, and thence to Keedysville, and ari'ived at the headquarters of the army at 9 o'clock the next morning. His own modest official report of his services omits mention of the fact that, as he came within sound of the cannon, he quickened his speed, driving the leading wagon himself, and, when darkness threatened to delay the train, he left it and walked in advance, carrying a lantern, and compel- ling the reluctant drivers to follow. The supplies of the Commission thus brought to the battle field by Mr. Piatt anticipated those forwarded by the Government, and were at once distributed by the medical director and surgeons of the army, to the unspeakable relief of the suflferers. But Mr. Piatt's earnestness was not satisfied with mere direction and supervision. On the 20th September, as the ambulances appeared bring- ing the sufferers from the bloody battle field of Antietam, but unaccom- panied by competent assistance for their removal, Mr. Piatt gave himself up for a long time to this arduous service, carrying the wounded in his arms to places of shelter, and there rendering them the tendcrest offices of a nurse. Thus engrossed, he overtasked himself, and through fatigue and exposure contracted the disease which, on the 22d of November, brought to a close, in his 37th year, his short but well spent life. To those who knew and loved him in the relations of private life, and particularly as an active member of the church which he adorned by a consistent Christian conversation, no public record is needed of his modest virtues. But as he fell in the service of his country — a willing- offering in the noblest cause— his life has become part of its i)ublic his- tory, and it is, therefore. Resolved, That the Philadelphia Associates of the Sanitary Commission desire to perpetuate their estimate of the services and worth of their late friend and officer by some enduring memorial, and they therefore most respectfully request the ffimily of Mr. Piatt, and the vestry of St. Thomas's Church, "Whitemarsh, (of which he was warden,) to allow them to erect in that Church a mural tablet to his memory. Resolved, That the foregoing Resolutions be communicated to the fam- ily of Mr. Piatt, and to the vestry of St. Thomas's Church, with the as- surance of the most sincere sympathy of the Associates in their loss. Resolved, That the foregoing Resolutions be published. HORACE BINKEY, Jn., CnAiRiiAN. Edwakd Hartshokn, Secretary. Erratum. — Page 35, Gth line from bottom of page, for the words " of the regiment '" read " or the regimeut," EEPOKT OF LEWIS H. STEINER, M.D., CONTAINING A DIARY KEPT .DURING THE REBEL OCCUPATION OF FREDERICK, MD. AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE U. S. SANITARY COMMISSION DURING THE CAMPAIGN IN MARYLAND, SEPTEMBER, 1802. Publisijtl) is p*tmij5Bion of t{)« Sanitary Commission. NEW YORK : ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH, No. 683 BROADWAY. 1862, R B 9. 3. 1 \0^ o. ^> v^ .-.^'A s\ ^ "' .V .. ^ * V ">t> ''.^ ^^-n.^ 9- 'K » .„ 0' \^^Tr-\/'' %"^^''/ "\.^^^-\^^' ^^ • ^V ^0. 0^ U^ *..,.' ^^- ^c r. « * ,0 1^ - < • o. ST. AUGUSTINE