Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-11-08

an act of justice TO those VINO are JOlneu
with us in this good cause, and by whose
cordial cooperation and bOundless liber-
ality the Soldiers Aid Society of Northern
Ohio has been enabled to send so much
comfort to the hospitals of our army.
SOLDIERS AID SOCIETY.
CARE OF THE WOUNDED AT PERRYYILLE.
The following report just received from
DR.. A. N. Read, Inspector United States
Sanitary Commission, will be read with
much interest by all, and especially by
those having friends among the wounded
in this recent battle:
RooHs [. s. SANITARY COMMISSION,
LOUISVILLE, KY, Oct. % 1852.
DEAR Mrs. RoUsE:-I have just returned
from Perryville and vicinity, where I
have been looking after the wants Of the
wounded, and though now on the eve Of
nv return and with fresh supplies l have
no time to give you a full report of what 1
have seen and done, it is but proper that l
should render to you at least brief ac-
count of the disposition made Of the stores
so promptly and Hberatly forwarded by
your Society, in answer to my appeals
Immediately on reception of the news Of
the late battle, accompanied by MIR. ThOm-
ason, of Louisville, l started for Perryyille
with three wagons loaded with sanitary
stores, of which large part we're of your
contributions
On arriving at the scene of action, we
were the first to bring relief when help
was needed more than tongues can tell.
Instead of 700, as first reported, at least
$500 Union and rebel soldiers were at that
| time lying in great suffering and destitu-
ton, about Perryville and Harrodsburg.
In addition to these, many had already
been removed; and we had met numbers
of those whose wounds we're less severe,
walking and begging their way to Louis
vile, eighty-fve miles distant. There had
been an entire want of preparation for the
care of the wounded, and as a consequence
| the suffering from the want Of help Of all
kinds, as well as proper accommodation
food, medicine, and hospital stores, was
terrible. Do not blame the surgeons, how.
ever, for this. Both those in charge, and
those in attendance, had done, and were
| doing, all in their power to prevent anC
| mitigate the evils from which our poor fel
lows were suffering. The fault lies higher
! than they-with the superior military au
| thorities, who Withheld from the surgeon!
/ the information, and denied them thu
resources which alone could have en-
abled them to meet the emergencies Of tht
case.
Soon after the arrival of the three
wagon loads of stores before mentioned
there came twenty ambulances also freight
ed with sanitary goods, all of which fur
nished tho means of establishing a depo
of supplies, the value of which to surgeons
and patients, reduced to the extremities il
which we found them, language can hardl.
express. These stores were all forwarded
| by the Louisville Branch United State
Sanitary Commission-whose energy ant
zeal in our work, are above all praise
though they included also, the bounty 0
both Cincinnati and Cleveland.
The vehicles which bore them were fur
nished by my request by DR.. Head, tn
Medical Dircctorhere, whom have alway
found most prompt and kind in his coop
Grafton with our efforts for the sick an
wounded.
To Captain s. Perkins, of the Quarter
master Department, formerly from Akron
Ohio and well known to some members Q
your society, also feel that special &C
knowledgements are due for his READINGS
on this and other occasions in giving u
the benefit of the resources of his depart
ment. Through his instrumentslity,
was enabled to have our wagons connecte
with an ammunition train which had tn
| = 70 an ofhoro N
. travelled night and day. Thanks to thi
arrangement, our stores reached PerryVil
two days sooner than they would Other
wise have done. As to what were the d.
msnds on our means of assistance at Perry
willie, and how far this demand was me
, you may perhaps gather some idea frol
tho following extracts from my journal:
"# : We found the first hospitI
for the wounded at Mscksville; this was
, tavern with sixteen rooms, containing 1G
} wounded, thirty sick, mostly from a Wi!
: consin regiment, Colonel Starkweather
= Twenty-Five were on cots, some on stray
4 and others on the floor with blanket
t The cooking was all done at
: fireplace, with two camp kettles, and a fe
e stewpans. The ladies of the town wer
e however, taking articles home and cOokin
q them, thus giving great assistance. Fro
this place to Perryville, some ten mile
nearly every house was a hospital. Alto
log house we found twenty of the 10t
= Ohio, including Major Moore and Ca
, tains Bentiy and Marmion. At anotht
house we found several of the 63d Ohio
9 The family was very poor, but doing all
: their power for those in their charge. tt
: old woman promised to continue to do 6
. but said with tears in her eyes, she fear
they themselves would starve As at Il
other houses, the sick had no regular me
d ical attendance. therefore prescribed
4 them, and left them medicines. 3
After dark reached Perryville, Mr.. ThoI
as giving his place in the buggy to YOU
r. soldier whom we found laying by the ",
side, sick and unable to walk. saw hi
L placed in hospital.
'e DR.. Marks, of the 10th Wisconsin, was
] Perryville, He received US kindly, to-