The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-10-24

CAsP DsAs, Oct. rs. 1851.
Editors Di.pateh .--I am glad to se~ thai =
Doar1 70; 1 mas osen instituted 10 consider the s.b
lect Of discharges TO disabled soldiers. This
subject urged upon persons in authority
two months ago. Two weeks since I suc.
ceeded, after months' trial, In getting a dss-
charge for soldier who had not performed \
days duty since the 1st Of June last. 1bur
months.) The man had gone home on "A
| sick leave y but overstaying his time was
actually arrested as deserter and brought
hack To camp, and but for the order from ths.
War Department., would have been here To
day. The Government has thus In this ease
paid and supplied for four months man who
was OF no sort OF service, bnt a harden to his
cmpany, and who greatly desired a dis !.
enarge Many men, in their patriotic ardor,
Volunteered to serve their country in tin.
Hello, VINO were entirely unfit for such expo
SURE. SURF MANY may be found in my regiment
Their whole appearance indicate to a mef,i.
cal man tnat they are not prepared to lie
upon the wet ground, or stand sentinel two
aouis IN arenching rain. With care and
years in their ordinary health, useful mem.
per- OF society; but who ii they do not die
TINS winter, will carry home next Spring
miseraoiy wrecked constitution. really
boaor tueh men, and think they should be-
propefig cared for.
do not think that all men who are serious
~ SICK SHOULD be discharged, with the idea
that if they recovered they he permittrrl m
enlist agai'l. Men in Richmond may think
this coed ;dea: but am very sure that he
Will not fnSan officer in the field who will
agree with Em middle course Is better
and wiser, j think. Let the War Den..rt.
ment, or the chief of the Medical Department
issue an order'reQuiring every surgeon in the
army 10 exalniae carefully every man in each
regiment whom he knows OF suspects is oi
feeble constitution, and certify 10 the D.rarf. .
ment the nature OF the disability in question.
Let this be done at once, SO that the regimen
tai surgeons cer:ifcates can be received BY
the middle OF hext month, and the par
ties so discharged reach their homes by the
first OF December. Ii this matter is attended
to, thousands and teus of thousands of dollars
VIII be saved to the Confederate States he
sides an amount OF comfort and happiness
conferred upon our de2arying fellow soldiers
which 1T is impossible to estimate Ii this
end cannot be reached if any other way. il
would be better to appoiat surgeons tenn no
rariiy ior the purpose; bul this would be ex-
pensiye and tedious :
There is another matter (which is giving
rise to much trouble in the army and which
Will tell very seriously upon he next enlist
ment unless it be early attended to. refer
10 the "iurlough' system. Some three m on til
ago :, stem was inaugura ted bslat az ted ad :
| mirab!y. 1t was to permit two men to leave
each company at q time, for from five tc
| seven days. Lots We're cast, and the men
| awaited patiently their turn Every week
| two returned, satisfied, and indeed delighted
| with their trip home while two others left
| charmed with the prospect OF a similar meet
ing With friends Thus every one was con
! tented and happy. But q general order came
| that no man, "sick' or "peli,'' should leav,
| the regiment on any account; in word thai
| no more tar!onghs would be granted fhe de
| pressing efect OF this order was so great, thai
| the we'll men got sick, and the sick men be
| came W. There is often no cordial to u sici
| man so healing as the prospect of La,
| warm greetings of Il mothers well -knuWi
| voice, and the tender solicitl.de which heam
| from loving sisters eyes. Last week
| fearing a young man, far from home ant
friends, who lay ill OF typhoid fever, nigh
| die OF sheer dependency, 1 WAS compelled
| to promise that which | feared l woplt
not be able to grant. But his exhausted
| energies m9st be supported by every means
| possible. l promised him a visit to hi
| father and mother, whom he had not seei
| for two years His face flushed, and his eye
| filled with tears as he said, 'Oh, do get me :
| 'leavei L Will soon be we'll enough I,
| travel Who can describe the pictures tha
| memory hung up in this young mans mine
| at the prospect of a return to his home p
| What doctor can describe the currents OF reso
| luton and energy that flowed through hi
| excited brain? There is more in this than ha
| been dreamed Of" I fear in the philoso
| ply of many wise man. To an educated
| young man, who has never known what tin
| want of sympathy or the tenderest atten
| ton in sickness was, 70 be stretched upon tn,
| straw, with nothing but bed water as food fe
| days, who can tell the depressing effects o
| his situation, with the prospect, often in hi
| mind, Of dying amid such scenes ?* But
| weary you with this subject. A word in con
| clusion. lst Let the sick be carefully exam
| ined, and when it is ascertained that the pa
| tient Will probably not be ii for service for
| psoath, let him, if possible be sent home a
| once. End. Let an order be issued that tw
/ men of each company be permitted to leay
at a time for 5 or days-not more than tw,
| being absent at a tIme-and you will at ono
| see different spirit in the army here ant
| elsewhere. l speak what l know. BY thi
arrangement only 90 men will be absent a
| Wi ~ yua uyap /.
| regiment of or 500 men. My opinion is
| will, in more ways than one, strengthen it,
| 1t will lessen the mum Der of men sick and un
tit for duty. This know from personal OBJ
serva tions. Yours p.
| +. S.-One of our pickets was driven in yes
| terday.
| *rhe prospect of going to General Hospi
| tai has rather depressing, than An energisin
| effect. For convalescent patients, any hospi
| tai is bad place.