The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-07-03

separated. In lew hours after our arri-s
val at the landing. while standing Oh one
OF the boats, IMas ~gratified to see nv
young stranger friend returning from the
battle field with the body Of his brother.
What commingled emotions of Joy and
grief must have filed his heart, as be
bore in his arms aboard the returning
bost the nlangled form Of this heart 3 trea-
sure Of lis dear old motheri Nav God
bless him, and the brave captain through
whose goodness this success was achieved. !.
The greatest abuses / witnessed ID the
Western army grow ont of the careless
ness or incompetency of SURGEONS in
charge Of the sick and wounded. Some
OF the surgeons are devoted to their pt :
tients. and work faithfully day and night
for their welfare: but Too nlauy OF them
ere totally unfit for their places. Some
et them sccmed not to know how to make
out a requi-ition for medicines and stores
Tor the sick, and hun lreds were conse-
quently suffering f,r the most common
necessaries, within an hours drive of SUI
plies that would have been promptly for
warded on surgeons requisition.
Some OF these surgeons seemed to me
to have grown hard-hearted and indiffor-
ent to human suffering. In this connee-
tion, may mention one practice adopted
BY some regimental surgeons, that made
my heart ache almost every hour in the
day; that was compelling the sick men,
pronounced TO be hospital cases, to walk
back to the post hospitals and hospital
boats, not unfrequently several miles from
the encampments. have known many
TO be ordered to walk back as far as fire
oraix miles, and seen them staggering
along the rnad, fainting Ly the way, with
out the slightest assistance from any ol.c.
And whom appealed to the off cers to
send them in ambulances, / have received
Tue reply that it was impossible to spare
the few anbulAnees at their disposd for
that purpose. Between the Landing and
Coriath, frequently found poor sick
soldiers lying by the roadside. who had
been three or four days creeping five or
SIX miles in search of hospital, by order
OF their surgeons, with nothing to eat but
the common bacon and hard bread which
they carried for themselves in their kna n
sacks; some of them who were unable TO
carry knapsacks, being totally dcstituts.
In fact, coats, blankets. and knapsacks
were to be seen everywhere strewn along
the roads, which had been abandoned by
the sick men who became too feeble TO
carry them.
Much of the sickness in the Western
army is occasioned. have not the slight
est doubt, by the character Of the food on
which the soldiers are compelled to live,
the want OF tents in which to sleep, and
the ineessant hard work which the men
are compelled to perform in erecting
bridges and Notifications, and making
roads. in hot climate to which they have
not been accustomed. / heard more COM :
planning on account Of the hard bread on
which, they we're compelled to live, than
any other grievance. Even the sick, AZ
a general thing, were furnished with
nothing better. l could not perceive
how 1t was possible for them to subsist
on such food, aud regain their herith.
! hope the new corps of medical in.
spectors recently appointed by the Presi-
dent, and the additional surgeons and as
slstant surgeons asked BY the War De-
partment, may be speedily sent to the
held. and that they may prove to be efi-
olent and worthy men. 80