WSTAf 
 
 
 United States sanitary commission. Western 
 
 dept. 
 
 Brief reports of the operations of the 
 Sanitary commission in Tennessee, May, 1862, 
 
 
 M
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 U. S. SANITARY COMMISSION. 
 
 
 BRIEF REPORTS 
 
 Of the operations of the ^unitary Cuuimissionin Tennessee, May, 1862, 
 
 BY 
 
 DR. J. S. NEWBERRY, 
 
 SEC'Y WEST. DEP'T. 
 
 FKED. LAW OLMSTED, Esq., 
 
 Secretary United States Sanitary Commission: 
 DEAK Sin: 
 
 I have just returned from Pittsburgh Landing, where I 
 have spent the last two Aveeks in doing, so far as in my power, the work of 
 the Commission. And now, before my return, which must be immediate, 
 I will give you briefly a history of some of the results recently accomplished 
 by the various agents and representatives of our organization in Tennessee. 
 At the time of the battle of Pittsburgh I was in Nashville, engaged in the 
 establishment of a depot of supplies. There are eleven hospitals there, 
 containing about thirty-five hundred sick. Most of the hospital buildings 
 arc situated without the city limits, and are large, handsome, airy structures 
 formerly medical and academical schools, asylums, seminaries, &c. some 
 of the numerous public edifices for which Nashville has been celebrated. 
 They are generally well located and unusually well adapted to hospital pur- 
 poses. In these respects they are much superior to the buildings occupied 
 by the s'yjk in Louisville, but in regard to equipments and attendance the 
 < umii.uison is by no means so favorable to them. We found in all a great 
 deficiency in hospital furniture and stores ; and since that market affords 
 almost nothing suitable for hospital diet, and the volunteer care and contri- 
 butions from resident ladies, so important and beautiful an element in the 
 Louisville hospitals, is here almost entirely wanting, the condition of the 
 sick offered abundant inducements for our efforts in their bchalC
 
 ARMY HOSPITALS. 
 
 The Sanitary Commission, as you are aware, has been fortunate in being 
 represented in Gen. BUELL'S army by inspectors of unusual energy and 
 merit Drs. READ and PRENTICE and in having to do with one of the best 
 of men, in Dr. MURRAY, the Medical Director. As a consequence, we have 
 here enjoyed the rare privilege of doing all the good in our power, without 
 opposition or impediment. The Commission has, therefore, in this district, 
 become a living force, and working in harmonious and efficient cooperation 
 with the constituted authorities, has accomplished so much in the prevention 
 and relief of suffering, as to secure the sincere respect to use no stronger 
 expression, of all who are cognizant of its efforts. Such being our status, 
 the duty of providing for the wants of those in hospital became at once easy 
 and pleasant. From Dr. E. SWIFT, the Medical Purveyor in Nashville, we 
 received all possible assistance, and through his intervention obtained a fine 
 room, which is now the depot for the stores entrusted to the Commission 
 by the loyal women of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. In this depot we 
 were able to place at once three hundred boxes of hospital stores, which, 
 under the care of Dr. READ and Mr. FRACKER, are being dispensed to the 
 inmates of the hospitals at Nashville, Murfreesboro and Columbia. At these 
 several points there are now from six to seven thousand sick, most of whom 
 were in great need of the very things we were able to supply. I am sure it 
 would gladden the hearts of all who are interested in our work if they could 
 see, as I have seen, the surgeons coming hourly to our depot, bringing long 
 lists of much needed articles, and taking away wagon load after wagon load 
 of sheets, shirts, drawers, towels, pillows, comforts, wine, jellies, eggs, but- 
 ter, cheese, potatoes, fruit, dried beef, canned meats, &c., &c., all to be imme- 
 diately and carefully employed to cheer and cure our suffering volunteers. 
 This depot is now one of the institutions of Nashville, and is accomplishing 
 a great amount of good. 
 
 Just as it was put into working order we received news of the battle at 
 Pittsburgh, and Dr. PRENTICE and myself hastened to the scene of action. 
 
 THE PITTSBURGH BATTLE-FIELD. 
 
 On our way up the Tennessee we met three transports descending, loaded 
 with wounded, destined for the hospitals at Padu^ah and Mound City. 
 Arriving at Savannah Saturday night we found ner -> thousand sick 
 
 and wounded crowded into churches, dwelling-houses, - " f ures of all 
 
 kinds, filling to repletion every receptacle at all fitted to i* The 
 
 suffering and destitution here were extreme. The number of su. ->d 
 
 nurses was entirely inadequate, and the resources of the Medical Depu 
 in the way of bedding, clothing, dressings and diet so exceedingly meag. 
 that it is scarcely too much to say that all things necessary to the proper 
 care of this great mass of suffering humanity were wholly wanting. 
 
 Depending upon the large stock of stores forwarded to Pittsburgh before
 
 . 
 
 3 
 
 the fight, we had little to supply the pressing wants of the wounded at Sa- 
 vannah. We therefore hastened forward on Sunday morning to headquar- 
 ters at Pittsburgh Landing. The scene that here met our eyes was one to 
 which no description, though it exhausted all the resources of language, 
 could do anything like justice. 
 
 For the space of a mile or more the bank of the river was lined with 
 steamers, closely packed together, loaded with troops, stores and munitions 
 of war. Each of these steamers was discharging its cargo, living or inani- 
 mate, upon the steep and muddy bank, and soldiers, forage, provisions, 
 clothing, artillery, army wagons and ambulances the reinforcements and 
 supplies of the great army which covered the hills for miles around poured 
 on to the shore ha a noisy, turbulent, chaotic flood. 
 
 To one standing on the bluff overlooking the landing, the scene below 
 seemed one of wild and hopeless confusion. Soldiers hurrying to and fro 
 in a busy, inter-weaving crowd; the countless throng of army wagons 
 floundering through the mud, now inter-locking, now upsetting with their 
 loads ; the wounded, borne on ambulances or on litters to the boats ; the 
 dead, lying stiff and stark on the wet ground, over-run with almost con- 
 temptuous indifference by the living; the busy squads of grave-diggers 
 rapidly consigning the corpses to the shallow trenches all this formed a 
 picture new, horrible, and never-to-be-forgotten by the many who here, for 
 the first time, were brought face to face with the dreadful realities of the 
 war in which we are engaged. It is no part of my duty, however, to de- 
 scribe to you the horrors of the battle-field. This has been done, graphic- 
 ally and well, by others, and I turn at once, with legitimate pleasure, to the 
 many bright spots in the dark picture I have sketched. 
 
 THE HOSPITAL BOATS. 
 
 Previous to our arrival, and in company with us, there had come to the 
 relief of the wounded in the battle of Pittsburg, quite a fleet of hospital 
 boats, sent by the considerate humanity of our warm-hearted and patriotic 
 people, and embodying the spirit of our beneficent and wide-spread organi- 
 zation. 
 
 These now lay, each marked with its yellow flag, moored among the steam 
 ers which lined *' > shore. They had come freighted with stores, surgeons 
 and nurses, ? led commodious and comfortable quarters to thousands 
 
 Who, but ' ., must have endured incalculable suffering, and in many 
 
 cases ' _,elf. Doubtless you will have received from Dr. DOUGLASS a 
 
 IP ^ce account than I can give you of the earlier efforts made for the 
 
 the wounded, but so far as I could learn, the history of the measures 
 ^n for the relief of suffering among the victims of the battle are some- 
 what as follows : 
 
 The preparation made by the government for the engagement Which had 
 been expected to take place a few da} r s later, was, for some reason^ far from 
 
 471912
 
 adequate. Though aid tendered by the Cincinnati Commission had been 
 declined by Gen. HALLECK, just at that time very large requisitions were 
 made on the Branch Commissions of Cincinnati and Chicago by the Medical 
 Purveyor of Gen. GRANT'S division. In answer to these requisitions, and 
 spontaneously, a large quantity of hospital stores was sent up the Tennes- 
 see from Chicago, Cincinnati and Cleveland, and yet nothing like a sufficient 
 stock was in the hands of the Medical Purveyor to meet the emergency 
 when it arrived. This may be in part accounted for by the fact that on 
 Sunday a portion of the supplies of our army fell into the hands of the ene_ 
 my, but there is still reason to believe that the medical or military authori- 
 ties failed to act with the promptness, forethought and energy which the 
 circumstances required. Much had been done, however, in anticipation of 
 this conflict, which was in the highest degree wise and commendable. The 
 government officers had chartered four large steamers, which had been fitted 
 up by the Western Sanitary Commission, and were of incalculable benefit 
 when the fight took place. 
 
 Immediately on hearing of the battle, the Chicago Branch Commission, 
 with its accustomed promptness, despatched a special train to Cairo, taking 
 large quantities of supplies, and a corps of surgeons and nurses, all under 
 the care of Rev. Dr. PATTON and Dr. ISHAM. These reached the scene of 
 action on the Louisiana government hospital boat on Friday evening. 
 The good which they accomplished by their services and much needed 
 stores, can hardly be estimated ; indeed, the arrival of this steamer may be 
 regarded as the sunrise of a glorious day, which soon dissipated the dark- 
 ness, till then brooding over the battle-field. Dr. SIMMONS, medical director 
 of Gen. HALLECK'S army, Dr. BRINTON, his efficient aid, and Dr. DOUGLASS 
 of our Commission, arrived with the Chicago delegation on the Louisiana, 
 and as all acted in harmony and with enthusiasm, you can imagine that 
 their efforts soon gave a new phase to medical affairs at Pittsburgh Landing. 
 The Cincinnati Branch Commission was also most creditably represented 
 at Pittsburgh. Two first-class steamers, the Tycoon and Monarch, were 
 fitted out as hospital boats by the Commission, furnished with every com- 
 fort and even luxury for the wounded, and manned by a large and efficient 
 corps of ? urgeons and nurses. These boats were under the care, respective- 
 ly, of Drs. MENDENHALL and COMEGYS. After dispensing with liberal 
 hand of their stores to the sufferers at the Landing, they both returned, 
 carrying loads of wounded, all thoroughly and tenderly cared for, to the 
 hospitals on the Ohio. t 
 
 From Cincinnati came also, on the same merciful errand, the LancJjter 
 and Superior, chartered by the municipal authorities, for the most pai i 
 equipped by the Sanitary Commission, and the latter accompanied by ten 
 of its members. 
 
 Since that time the Cincinnati Branch Commission has furnished and 
 forwarded several other boats for Pittsburgh and Savannah, and has thus
 
 5 
 
 retained the preeminence in philanthropy gained by the Allen Collier, the 
 pioneer hospital boat despatched by the Commission to Fort Donelson. 
 
 The Governor of Ohio sent from Cincinnati the splendid steamer Magno- 
 lia, in charge of Dr. WEBER, the Surgeon-General of the State, to look after 
 the wants of the wounded of Ohio regiments. This boat was almost lux- 
 uriously fitted up by our efficient auxiliaries, the Aid Societies of Cleveland 
 and Columbus, and returned to Cincinnati with two hundred and thirty of 
 the sufferers in the fight. Since then, the Legislature has made liberal 
 appropriations for this purpose, and several other steamers have been des- 
 patched by the Governor on the same mission. 
 
 During my stay, there came from Louisville two hospital boats from 
 Evansville, Indiana, one, and from Quincy, Illinois, another; all chartered 
 by the State authorities for the care of the State troops. These, like those 
 I have before enumerated, were but the advance-guard of the great fleet 
 which, wafted by the breath of sympathy and patriotism, came, bringing 
 health, courage and life to the thousands left shattered and bleeding by the 
 storm of battle. 
 
 A large number of other boats were sent by the efficient branches of our 
 Commission which now exist throughout the Western States, and nearly all 
 were fitted out from our stores, and were accompanied by our associate 
 members. 
 
 RELIEF OF THE SUFFERING. 
 
 This splendid display of humanity may therefore be regarded as the ex- 
 ponent of the value of our organization, and in great part the legitimate 
 fruit of the efforts we have made and the system we have adopted for 
 "promoting the health, comfort and efficiency of our volunteer troops." 
 
 It is true, that in the luxuriant growth of the measures of relief in which 
 the interest of the people in the success of our arms, and the fate of broth- 
 ers, sons, husbands and lovers has expressed itself, symmetry has been often 
 lost, and system over-shadowed ; yet, while we have to regret that in many 
 cases the efforts for the relief of suffering have been irregular, wasteful , 
 fruitless and even harmful, we can congratulate ourselves that, on the whole, 
 incalculable good has been done, in which all should heartily rejoice. 
 
 The part which Dr. DOUGLASS, Dr. PRENTICE and myself were able to 
 perform in the great work which has been done at Pittsburgh Landing, was, 
 I think, not without its value and importance. It was to harmonize and 
 systematize, so far as possible, the diverse, and sometimes discordant ele- 
 ments wliic^h are in action in a common cause. 
 
 ^Tlfough our relations with the military and medical authorities, we were 
 nblc to facilitate the accomplishment of the objects for which our friends 
 had come, and to effect the more speedy and complete relief of the suffering. 
 
 It affords me sincere pleasure to say that at all times and in all cases, we 
 were most courteously and kindly treated by those in authority, and a de- 
 gree of respect and consideration accorded to us, as the representatives of 
 our Commission, which was most gratifying to us, and complimentary to it.
 
 DEPOT OF SUPPLIES. 
 
 In addition to the duty to which I have alluded, I devoted myself, during 
 a part of my stay, to the establishment of a depot of supplies at this point. 
 
 Through the kindly cooperation of Dr. GRINSTED, the Medical Purveyor, 
 this was easily accomplished. He assigned to our use a series of tents 
 pitched adjoining his own, in which were placed the stores sent there on 
 my requisition, and then turned over to us by the Branch Commissions of 
 Chicago, Cincinnati and Columbus. These combined, composed nearly 
 one hundred and fifty boxes of supplies, containing an assortment of the 
 most useful articles. 
 
 This depot was put in charge of Dr. PRENTICE, and before I left, was in 
 active and successful operation. The surgeons of the regiments composing 
 Gen. HALLECK'S army were systematically notified of its existence, and 
 when coming with their requisitions to the Medical Purveyor, now apply to 
 him for such things as they need and government cannot furnish. 
 
 The importance of the work accomplished by the depot may be inferred 
 from the following extract from a letter written by Mr. F. C. SESSIONS, of 
 Columbus, Ohio : 
 
 ***** " The United States Sanitary Commission is 
 doing a noble work. Many of our men must have died had it not been for 
 the generous support sent by Ladies' Aid Societies. At the Purveyor's 
 office, there were no hospital stores, and not a full supply of medicines. 
 I distributed nearly all the fifteen boxes from Columbus, on two hospital 
 boats. Dr. PRENTICE, of Cleveland, Medical Inspector, appointed by the 
 United States Sanitary Commission, has now three large tents near the 
 Purveyor's office, and is distributing sanitary goods without regard to States. 
 Any needy regimental hospitals can be supplied. Many Aid Societies 
 complain that their goods are not distributed to the immediate friends from 
 the points from which they are sent. It is impossible for him to do so, and 
 the rule of the Commission forbids it. Some local institutions have 
 sent goods here and carried them back, and others have been thrown 
 upon the shore with none to care for them. Dr. PRENTICE is indefa- 
 tigable in his labors to correctly distribute anything sent to him, to ex- 
 amine personally the needs of the regimental hospitals, and to distribute 
 only to the surgeons or on their requisitions. Goods sent to Dr. PRENTICE, 
 United States Sanitary Commission, care United States Purveyor, Pittsburgh 
 Landing, Tennessee, or to the Commissions at Cleveland, Columbus or Cin- 
 cinnati will be properly cared for. Had it not been for the sanitary sys- 
 tem at Pittsburgh Landing, many a brave man would have beeri~^o^l_sav- 
 ing." * ***********' 
 
 To the depot at Pittsburgh Landing I have since sent a large amount of 
 stores, and shall to-morrow start with over two hundred boxes more, and 
 with nearly a steamer load of potatoes, vegetables, fruits, stimulants, ice, 
 &c., tec., all furnished by the liberality of the Soldier's Aid Society of North- 
 ern Ohio.
 
 A STORE-SHIP NEEDED. 
 
 In this connection let me say that we greatly need, in Gen. HALLECK'S 
 department a steamer that shall ply between the frontier and the excellent 
 markets of the Ohio, carrying fresh meat, vegetables, fruit, &c., &c., which, 
 in addition to the ordinary hospital supplies, would be furnished in any 
 quantity by the liberality of our people if we only had the means of trans- 
 porting them. The Medical Director has promised me a barge for a floating 
 depot, which may thus be moved from point to point as circumstances may 
 require; but we want something more a steamer instinct with life, to go 
 and come as we may direct now carrying sick or wounded to hospital, or 
 discharged and furloughed men to their homes and friends ; now returning 
 richly freighted with all the abundance of the North, to those who, sick or 
 well, have for months tasted nothing better than hard bread and bacon. It 
 seems to me that, on proper conditions, the government should furnish us 
 such a boat. 
 
 A greater battle than that at Pittsburgh is daily expected at Corinth, and to 
 meet our responsibilities in such an emergency, I start this evening for 
 Cincinnati to take charge of a steamer which has been chartered for a trip 
 to that point, and which, with its load of stores and corps of attaches, will, 
 I hope, be the means of preventing in some degree, both suffering and loss 
 of life. 
 
 Yours Respectfully, 
 
 J. S. NEWBERRY, 
 
 ASSOCIATE SECRETARY. 
 
 CLEVELAND, May 16, 1862. 
 
 MRS. B. ROUSE, PRESIDENT SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY: 
 DEAR MADAM : 
 
 Having just returned from Pittsburgh, Tenn., whither I 
 went with a steamer chartered by the U. S. Sanitary Commission, fitted up 
 for the reception of the sick, and richly freighted with hospital stores by 
 your Society, it seems to me proper that I should make some report to you 
 of what use and disposition I have made of the abundant and valuable 
 stores which you committed to my care. 
 
 On my arrival at Cincinnati, I found the 251 boxes and barrels sent May 
 1st to my address, not only all safe in the custody of the agents of the Little 
 Miami Rail Road Company, but thanks to the generosity of the officers of 
 t^ffofcCl, and those of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Rail Road, 
 all subject to my order, with no charge for transportation. 
 
 These stores were put on board the Lancaster, No. 4 the steamer we 
 had chartered without delay or accident. 
 
 The 251 packages to which I have referred, contained, according to the 
 
 8
 
 8 
 
 accompanying invoices, 317 bed ticks, 275 comfortables, 1223 towels, 15 
 mattresses, 546 sheets, 191 pairs socks, 874 pillows, 2,010 pillow cases, 800 
 shirts, 889 handkerchiefs, 041 cushions, 98 pairs drawers, 7 vests, 2 pairs 
 pants, 15 coats, 98 pairs crutches, 8 blankets, 452 sheets, 24 bed-gowns, 37 
 pairs slippers, 270 pin cushions, eye-shades, &c., 988 Ibs. dried beef, 384 Ibs. 
 groceries, 6 boxes dried fruit, 15 Ibs. dried apples, 961 cans and jars of fruit, 
 5 kegs pickles, 1866 dozen eggs, 1 box apple butter, 519 Ibs. butter, 124 Ibs. 
 bread, 985 Ibs. cheese, 1462 Ibs. dried fruit, 7 bottles lemon syrup, 360 bottles 
 wine, 2 boxes lemons, 11 bottles horse radish, 21 bottles catsup, 9 Ibs. soap, 
 10 gals, maple syrup, 632 Ibs. maple sugar, 29 spittoons, 28 basins, 310 vols. 
 books, 3 boxes magazines, 130 Ibs. linen lint. 
 
 I also, in accordance with your instructions, and with the money fur- 
 nished by your Society for that purpose, purchased in Cincinnati nearly 
 200 packages of such articles as could be best procured there, and such as 
 seemed necessary for the comfort and well-being of the sick among our 
 soldiers in Tennessee. 
 
 These articles, which are enumerated in the accompanying invoices. and 
 vouchers, consisted of Lemons, Oranges, Sauer-Kraut, Potatoes, Crackers, 
 Codfish, Ice, Ale, Tea, Coffee, Tapioca, Sago, Cocoa, Farina, Mustard, Soap, 
 Loaf Sugar, Tin- ware, Wooden-ware, Fans, Musquito Bars, &c., &c. Hav- 
 ing received all these things on board, we left Cincinnati Friday evening. 
 May 2d. 
 
 At Louisville we took on board 159 convalescent soldiers returning to 
 duty, several paymasters, with $3,500,000 in cash, and a quantity of govern- 
 ment freight, by the transport of which, the expenses of our trip were 
 reduced over $700. Our voyage down the Ohio and up the Tennessee was 
 made without accident or incident. 
 
 We arrived at Savannah early on the morning of the 6th, and found there 
 nearly six hundred sick, but all pretty well cared for, and not greatly in 
 need of articles of clothing or diet. Pittsburg Landing was, on our arrival, 
 comparatively deserted and quiet. The great body of the army having re- 
 moved to a distance of from six to twelve miles, and being more readily 
 reached from Buell's Landing and Hamburg points higher up the river 
 Pittsburg had in a great measure lost its importance as an entrepot for sup- 
 plies, and hospital station. 
 
 The Medical Director and Purveyor of Gen. Halleck's army still made 
 their headquarters there, however, and we found the Depot of the TJ. S. 
 Sanitary Commission occupying part of the store ship of the Medical Pur- 
 veyor, and in the hands of Dr. Douglass, Dr. Warriner, Mrs. Noble, Mr. 
 Clapham, Mr. Mall, and Mr. Goodsmith, who were doing a lar^e aril im- 
 portant business in supplying the wants of the sick. Learning from the 
 Medical Director that Hamburgh, seven miles above Pittsburgh Landing, 
 had already become the most important port of entry for the army on the 
 river, and that the business of Pittsburg Landing would soon all be trans- 
 ferred to this point, by his advice we transported our stores to that place,
 
 9 
 
 and established a new depot there, which is now in charge of Dr. Prentice. 
 
 There were, at the time of our visit, 3,500 sick at Hamburgh, and al- 
 though nearly every day a steamer load was being removed, they were 
 coming in in such numbers as to keep the hospital tents prepared to receive 
 them, crowded to their utmost capacity, and even more than full. The 
 hospitals here are in charge of Dr. W. VARIAN, (son of Rev. Mr. VARIAN of 
 Cleveland), assisted by Dr. GAY, Dr. STIFF, and others. These gentlemen 
 are doing all things possible for those under their care, and are performing 
 an amount of labor that is severely taxing their strength. From the sur- 
 geons I have mentioned, we received every attention and kindness. They 
 provided for us a house in which to place our stores, and transported them 
 to it from the boat. They also gave us assurance of the continuance of the 
 hearty cooperation which they have initiated. 
 
 From the report of Dr. VARIAN and my own observation of the condi- 
 tion of the sick at Hamburgh, I learned that the demand for hospital cloth- 
 ing had been, for the time, pretty well supplied by the Medical Purveyor and 
 the contributions of the people, mainly through the agency of the branches 
 of the U. S. Sanitary Commission. Of proper articles of diet, however, 
 such as composed the bulk of your donations, there was a sad deficiency. 
 Most of the sick are greatly debilitated, and are much more in want of 
 stimulants and nourishing, appetizing food, than any kind of medication. 
 Most diseases here assume a typhoid type, and more than half of the 
 severely sick have typhoid fever. Scurvy is beginning to make its ap- 
 pearance among our troops, and the health of all is impaired by their long- 
 continued deprivation of fresh meats, fruits and vegetables. I cannot 
 describe, nor can you fully imagine, how great blessings the eggs, the 
 butter, the cheese, the oranges, the lemons, the thousand cans of fruit, the 
 sauer kraut, the pickles, the ice, the potatoes, the ale, the wine, and other 
 articles of equal value, which composed your generous gift, will be to these 
 poor, feeble, feverish, and almost famished fellows, now lying in the hospi- 
 tals at Hamburgh Landing. Could our people realize how priceless a boon 
 an orange, or a glass of lemonade would be to those who are burning with 
 fever, breathing that stifling air, they would hardly rest till so cheap a lux- 
 ury was possessed by all those who deserve from us so much greater things 
 and who could so readily command them at their homes. 
 
 As an evidence of the value of one item of your contributions, let me say 
 that the eggs alone, which arrived in excellent condition, if sold at the prices 
 obtained for them there by the sutlers, would bring the sum of over $600. 
 
 H.-iving transferred our stores to the Depot, we took on board, mainly at 
 Hamburgh, 218 sick. These were for the most part from Michigan regi- 
 ments, there being many more from this State requiring removal than from 
 any other. This was due to the fact that the steamers sent from Ohio, 
 Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, had taken away the sick from these States 
 nearly as fast as they had gathered here. Representing the National Sani- 
 tary Commission, our steamer took those most requiring removal, without 
 reference to State lines.
 
 10 
 
 Having received on board all we could by any means accommodate, we 
 left Hamburgh and Pittsburgh Lauding, Friday morning, the 9th, on our 
 return trip. 
 
 Before our departure the Tycoon, sent by the Governor of Ohio for Ohio 
 sick, arrived at Pittsburgh, having on board Dr. READ, and his brother, M. 
 C. READ, who had been laboring for some weeks most successfully in the 
 distribution of stores, and in the care of the sick at Nashville. As your 
 Society has manifested a deep interest in the condition of the sick at Nash- 
 ville, and your donations have contributed as much as those from any other 
 source to their present well-being, the testimony of a well-known and en- 
 tirely reliable gentleman to the value of our depot, and the efficiency of our 
 agents, contained in the following extract, will not seem unimportant. 
 
 Mr. F. C. SESSIONS, who went to Pittsburg Landing, as Commissary, on 
 the steamer Tycoon, writes to the Columbus Journal as follows : 
 
 "Our people probably, are not generally apprised of how much the 
 Western Branches of the United States Sanitary Commission have done, and 
 are doing, to relieve our sick and wounded soldiers. In Gen. BUELL'S de- 
 partment, for the last two months, they have had thirty military hospitals 
 under their charge, commencing at Elizabethtown, Munfordsville, Bowling 
 Green, Kentucky; Nashville, Murfreesboro, Shelbyville, Franklin and Co- 
 lumbia, Tennessee. There have been something like 7,000 patients in all ; 
 at Nashville, 4,606; and on the 1st of this month there were 1,800 remain- 
 ing; 311 deaths. They have distributed 26,000 articles. The goods were 
 nearly all sent from Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Louisville, but 
 distributed wherever needed. In the hospitals at Nashville, every bed is 
 furnished with sheets, pillows, comforts, etc. 
 
 A neighboring State, having sent out local agents to distribute only to its 
 own troops, one of them inquiring for their sick, with a few boxes, was 
 invited to go with Dr. READ, our Inspector, and in one hospital seventy- 
 eight were found from that State. After distributing their goods to them, 
 our Commission distributed in addition to them more goods ilian had been 
 received altogether from that State : showing our desire to be impartial. I 
 visited the camps and hospitals at Camp Nevin and Green River, in No- 
 vember and December last, and found some of them in a wretched condi- 
 tion. Now, in Gen. BUELL'S army especially, you will find the police of the 
 camps equal to the " Roman army ;" streets clean, tents well ventilated, 
 refuse slops carefully disposed of, so as not to be offensive, and great im- 
 provements in cooking. One boy, after coming into one of our hospitals 
 and having his bed cared for and made comfortable, looked about him in the 
 morning and remarked, with tears in his eyes, " It looks as if mother had 
 been here.'' 
 
 On our return, I was so fortunate as to secure the services of Mrs. NOBLE 
 and Mrs. WILCOX, ladies well known to you, who have been for some time 
 most assiduously occupied in the care of the sick at Savannah, and in the
 
 11 
 
 arrangement and distribution of our stores at Pittsburgh. I cannot express 
 to you Low much I fsel indebted to both these ladies for the important 
 part they took in the care of the sick on our way home their presence and 
 efforts not only relieved me from labor and anxiety, but what is of much 
 more consequence, secured to those under my charge all the thousand 
 delicate yet important attentions which only a woman can give at the bed- 
 side of the suffering. 
 
 On receiving the sick on board our steamer, the most seriously ill were 
 placed on cots in the cabin and on the guards. Each cot was spread with 
 quilts, comfortables, clean white sheets and pillows; as inviting a bed as a 
 sick man could ask. It would have done your heart good if you could have 
 heard the expressions of satisfaction which fell from the lips of these poor 
 fellows when their soiled camp-stained garments were taken off, each wash- 
 ed throughout, and clad in clean under-clothes, then laid between the sheets 
 to which they had so long been strangers. 
 
 Those who were, less sick were provided with comfortable beds spread on 
 the boiler-deck, mattresses filled with straw, quilts and comfortables in abun- 
 dance, from the boxes which you sent. 
 
 The food furnished to the sick was abundant, varied and excellent. Fresh 
 bread, butter, eggs, fresh beef in the form of soup, tea and coffee, boiled 
 rice, stewed apples, canned fruits, with wine and ale to those requiring 
 them, formed a bill of fare of which they did not seem disposed to complain. 
 
 I may perhaps weary you with an enumeration of these details, but you 
 must remember that not an article of food or clothing was dispensed on our 
 boat which was not your gift. 
 
 On Sunday religious services were performed by Mr. MERWIN, and as 
 cleanliness is next to godliness, our convalescents were tempted to self-pu- 
 rification by the offer of a pair of socks to every one who would wash his 
 feet, to those who would perform a general ablution, clean shirts and draw- 
 ers. In this way, with little trouble to ourselves, we soon brought our 
 whole cargo of living freight into a more comfortable and presentable con- 
 dition. 
 
 After dinner, all who were able to move about were gathered to the bow, 
 and I made them a little speech, in which I described to them the interest 
 that is felt, and the efforts that are made for the health and comfort of the 
 soldier by his friends at home told them who had chartered the steamer 
 which was carrying them so swiftly homeward who had made and sent 
 to them the gifts they were receiving, &c. &c. I closed by distributing to 
 them a basket of cake which I held in my hand prefacing the distribution, 
 however, with the following little story : when away down at Pittsburgh 
 Landing, in unpacking a box filled with miscellaneous niceties intended for 
 the soldiers, all showing women's warm hearts and women's skillful hands, 
 I had come upon a beautiful loaf of cake, nicely wrapped in a napkin. This 
 I had laid away without opening, intending to cut and distribute it at the
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below 
 
 *"" JANl 
 
 
 1969 
 
 966 
 
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 APR Q3 
 
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 APR OR 19 
 
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 JUNO 9 1992 
 
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 ONIVERSITY OF CAZilFORNIA' 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
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