The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-07-04
SAINT PAUL. FRIDAY. JULY 4, 1862.

of Newport, Kentucky, gentleman well
skilled in his profession, and practical,
kind, good man. He. is deservea'y popular
with the battalion.
On Friday, May 23d, visited the camp
of the Second Minnesota Regiment, and
from that time until finally left the army
on the I'd inst, took every means in my
power to procure correct information as to
what had been the condition in health of the
regiment since it left here last September,
and what it was at the time of my visit.
There had been so many complaints of med
ical neglect concerning this regiment. that
any other course on my part would have
been highly improper.
1t appears that the regiment had not
more than the ordinary amount of sickness
in its ranks up to the time of its leaving
Lebanon Junction, on the first OF January.
Its march to Somerset, and its glorious
participation in the battle of Mill Springs
the first victory that turned the tide of
success on the side of the Union arms, and
scattered the infamous hordes of secession
before our bayonets-is part of the writ-
ten history of this unho!y rebellion. But a
history of the sufferings incident to laying
without tents in the cold mud on the night
of the battle in front of Camp Zollicoffer /;
the tedious march in pursuit to the Cum-
berland the still more long and dreary one
over Kentucky mud roads, during the worst
of weather, back from Somerset to Louis
vile, and of the sickness aud death incident
to all this exposure, never will be written,
because it cannot be. Aud, during all this
time, only one medical attendant was with
the regiment-Dr. Tollman, the assistant
surgeon. DR.. T., although I heard some
complaints against him, undoubtedly, during
this trying time, did the best be could under
the circumstances. He himself contracted
disease during this march, from which be
had not recovered when saw him last. But
how was it possible for one man, had he
possessed the skill of an Abernethy, and
powers of physical endurance such as are
not bestowed upon any mortal mao, to have
given all the medical attention that the
regiment required during this distressing
period?
Let US then investigate briefly where the
blame rests. DR.. Bingham, the late Sur
geon Of the regiment, has never been with
the regiment since the first of January. He
was absent the whole while at Louisville
himself on sick leave. This being the case
and disease and death stalking through
the camp in the panoply of pestilence, it
undoubtedly became the duty of those in
command of the regiment to report the facts
officially to your Excellency, who, l am
happy to know, stood ready at any moment
to send forward the proper relief. But l
have searched the army correspondence on
file in the Executive Office in vain to find
the scratch of pen 10 connection with this
discharge of a solemn duty until after the
regiment arrived at Pittsburgh Landing,
late in the month of April.
The regiment was compelled to scatter
its sick in every hospital from Somerset by
Way Of Louisville to Nashville. At the
latter place vast numbers were left; and
when the regiment reached the banks OF the
Tennessee, there were not 400 fit for duty.
l am happy to state, however, that the
health improved rapidly afterward; and
when l last saw the boys of the gallant
Second ou duty, which was in the trenches
10 front of Corinth on tue 26th ult.-two
days before the evacuation-they numbered
about $40. And since my arrival home l
have seen letter from DIR. Wharton, who
has joined the regiment since I left, stating
that the number fit for duty when be wrote
was over six hundred, and that he had only
twenty in the hospital.
With all its trials and sufferings, there
was DO regiment in the army during the
entire investment OF Corinth that went to
its duty with greater aIacrity, or would
have given better account of itself had
there been an engagement with the enemy,
than the Minnesota Second.
During visit to Nashville, subsequent
to leaving Corinth, found the soldiers of
the Second that had been left there all con-
valescent, and mostly ready to join their
regiment. Many of them had been tenpo~
rarily detailed to guard trains and railroad
bridges on the roads running South from
Nashville.
The first day visited the regiment, Col.
George received an order dismissing DR..
Bingham from the service, on account OF
his prolong ged absence from duty.
also made my first visit to the Fourth
Regiment on the 23d of May. 1t had. as
you are aware, been in active service but
short time; and although exposed to all the
vicissitudes of change of climate and Wa
ter, working in the trenches and on heavy
picket duty, it was in most excellent health
But;few cases of sickness had occurred, and
no deaths from the time of their arrival in
the field to the period of my leaving the
enemy. One death had occurred from sick
ness and one from casualty previous to the
arrival of the regiment at Hamburg. Ser
geant Van Slyke, Orderly of Company d,
died at st. Louis of pneumonia, and Antoine
Kasper of st. Joseph, Stearn's county, O
private in Company g, was drowned at the
time of the falling of the deck of the steamer
on which the regiment was going up the
Tennessee river.
am pleased to report that the medical