The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-07-05

2
The Hssplsels as Corinsh-Treesnens Of
the Sick aa1 WOUNDED.
It 10 konwn to our readers that Mrs. Senator
Harlan has spent much time among the sick
and wounded in Tennessee, and rendered much
service to our soldiers. The following sugges-
tions, drawn from experience in Federal
camps and hospitals, are made by her, and We
hope will meet with the considerations they
deserve:
MsssRs. EDITORS: In passing through the en-
campments and hospitals of the Western army,
near Corinth, some things which witnessed
daily and almost hourly struck me as very
unwise in the management of our army affairs,
which could be and ought to be corrected.
Hundreds of our brave soldiers are dying
daily for the want of proper nursing and care,
and suitable food and clothing.
Civilians not officially connected with the
service, are as general thing, carefully ex-
cluded from the lines; and when volunteer
nurses and surgeons are admitted on the solic-
itation Of did societies, frequently on large pay
very few of them will perform the unpleasant
drudcery incident to camp life among the sick
in the field or in hospitals; or if they attempt its
faithful performance, they soon weary of such
toll and leave for their distant homes; So that
the regular surgeons are compelled to fall back
on the old army regulations, of demanding a
detail of men from the ranks for nurses; but
for some time pas, the army has been SO re-
duced by sickness and death, that the officers
have not been able to furnish the requisite
number of we'll men; and this labor has conse-
euently devolved on the convalescing, the sick
and wounded in the meantime suffering ex-
tremely for the most ordinary attentions. And
although our patriotic ladies all over the land
are plying their fingers day and night to keep
up hospital supplies of clothing, wagon loads
of these goods after being used once, lie on the
ground in the rains for weeks, and rot for the
want of persons to wash them. have seen
hundreds Of wounded men lying in the bloody
garments ia which they were shot down in
battle or on picket duty for weeks, without the
possibility of a change, occasioning stencil
almost uncomfortable, in which the poor fellows
were compelled to live day and night, until re-
moved to their distant homes, or until they
were ready to be carried to soldiers grave,
which was too frequent.
Now, why not employ the contrsbands who
swarm around our lines, whenever permitted
by our generals to escape from rebel masters,
In the bot and unhealthy climate of Tennessee
and Mississippi, to assist the nurses and serve
as cooks and washers for our sick and wounded
men. They are acclimated. they are accus-
toned to the heat and outdoor life, and would
gladly serve for their subsistence alone. The
washing of the necessary changes of clothing
for our sick and wounded would more than
compensate for the expense incurred, to say
nothing OF the incslculable service they could
render soldiers able to bear arms, in perform
ing the laobr and drudgery often, mental in its
nature, which is now breaking them down and
carrying them to their graves by the thou
sand.
Some Of our commanding generals in the field
are so very delicate in their sensibilities to-
wards secession sympanhizers, and so careful
OF the rights of rebels az to induce them to i'm
pose great hardships on our troops. | have
been panied to see our poor soldiers, often
really unable for duty, though reported as con-
valeseent for light duty, standing guard around
the houses and property of Southern people,
who were as disloyal to the Union az Jefferson
Davis, and far less patriotic in their impulses
being too cowardly to risk anything in the
rebel cause. They profess Union sentiments
to save their property; and our poor Union
soldiers, pale and emaciated by sickness and
hard fare, are required, on account of this hol-
low profession of loyalty to stand guard over
their premises without shelter sleeping on the
ground or in the wet grass, exposed to rains,
heavy night-dews, and miasmatic atmosphere,
which IN many cases, develops malignant
fevers, that require them to be returned to the
hospitals from which too many of them are
never removed until the poor brave uncom
planning, noble fellows are wrapped in SOL
dier's blanket, and without SO much as rough
coffin, carried by their comrades to shallow
trench, which answers the purpose of bury
ing place for the defenders of our liberties and
all We hold dear as nation. And while our
brave Union troops are thus contracting their
death sickness in thiss loathsome service, and
dying by the thousands without the most com.
mon coarse nursing, the hypocritical rebels are
enjoying all the comforts of home, under the
protection Of our soldiers, whom they curse,
and spit upon, and betray, and openly rejoice
at their sickness, suffering and death. And
when loyal negroes escape to our lines, who
would gladly serve in the most mental capacity
for their subsistence alone, our generals under
the influence of kind of negro insanity, send
them back to their treacherous rebel masters,
to be whipped and tortured on account of their
loyal proclivities.
Why should the dead of the army be buried
without collins? It panied rue to the heart to
witnees such interments The burial of those
killed in battle, in their blankets alone, where
the number is large and danger is great, may
be exeusable. But cannot excuse it in rela.
ton to those who Gle in hospital. When officers
are asked Why some kind of coffin or box is not
made, in which to bury the remains of the dead,
their reply usually was the lack of Transports.
ton for lumber, when steamers in Government
employ, and under high pay, were lying idle by
the week at the wharf In one instance, which
came under my personal notice, one of these
boats, while under the pay Of the Government,
was occupied BY pleasure party of curiosity
seekers for ten days or two weeks
Knowing that the remains of their dead hus.
bands and sons were subject to this mode of
burial Of course occasions great anxiety to pro-
cure them for removal and intermeut at their
respective homes. You may imagine the grief
occasioned by Gen. Halleck's order, excluding
oil civilians from the battle field Of Pittsburg
Landing. Hundreds of fathers and mothers,
and wives and sisters CONS and brothers we're