Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1862-10-28
Condition of the Army.

ii. which we thought it our duty to reprod
" 1 in these columns, which we did, some d.
y Iago. We refer to the subject again not for
5. purpose of finding fault with the Governme
q Though it has been guilty of the most unpardt
J. able neglect, but to remind the people of th
a duty in the premises. Our information is &
n rived from persons who have been with the arr
n for some months, and whose opportunities ha
been such as to leave no d. ubt as to the corref
' ness of their statements.
81 The health, zeal and discipline of the arm
are all that the most sangnine friend of our no
, cause could desire. Since their return to Vii
glnla the troops have had ample time to rest an
recruit their strength, and their supplies of be-
an! -four are abundant. The stragglers and al
sentees, including many of the sick and wounded
have rejoined their several commands, and th
army is stronger to-day, in numbers, than it ha
been at any time since it left the banks of Jane
river. But it is not of the discipline the health
or the Commissary Department OF the army tha
we propose to speak to-day, but of the destitut
condition Of the troops in regard to clothing ant
shoes.
/ What, then, is their condition? We asser
most emphaticaiiy and positively, that up to ths
10th day of this month, it was most deplorable
We do not mean to say that such was the condi.
ton OF the entire army, or even majority OF
the troops, but that large numbers of them were
barefooted, in rags, and covered with vermin
and that those in the hospitals at Wincheste,
were the victims of the most cruel neglect. As
already remarked, this information comes to us
from su sources and in so direct way, that
we feei authorized to assert, in the most positive
manner. that such is the sad condition OF large
numbers OF the troops from all the States-the
glorious conquerors, too, at Richmond, at Ma
nassas, in the Valley, and in Maryland We are
assured, moreover, that any other statement,
showing more favorable condition of the army
while it may be gratifying to the public, is cru
el wrong to the troops themselves, in that, il may
lead the people and the authorities to siacken
their efforts to furnish the necessary supplies.
1t may be asked, how is it that the troops
should have become thus suddenly destitute p
The answer is readily giveu. Having marched
from the James river to the Rappahannock, they
fought their way from that stream to the Poto-
mac, passed into Maryland, reduced Harper's
Ferry, fought two great battles az BoOnsboro'
Gap and Sharpsburg, eng9ged in numberless
skirmishes, and returned TO Virginia, all in the
space of one month. The weather was extreme
ly hot, and many OF the men fell out by the way
Others wore out their shoes, and We're unable to
carry their baggage on barefeet over stony turn
pixies; whilst others stripped themselves of their
knapsacks when they went into the fight, and
coming out at different places, were never able
to recover them. In the g wear and tear of bat
te,'' too, among the chapparel and sharp rocks
of the mountains, and along the hills and valleys,
many lost Lortions of the clothing they had on,
and emerged from the terrible conflict with little
else than their trusty muskets and cartridge
boxes. Indeed, we learn from gentleman, who
speaks from personal observation, that it was no
thing to pass men On the march whose
outfit was not sufficient to cover their
nakedness. Some were without shirts, others
had on only the dirty remnant of pair of pants,
without shoes, and almost without caps or hats.
Some were barefOoted, others had ragged
socks but no shoes, while one man he saw was
n 49, l~cIL L,1
Of his pants torn entirely away Let it be re-
too, that many of these troops, thus
re gged and destitute, and limping aleng on feet
covered with stone bruises, had been reared up
in luxury, and accustomed to all the comforts |
which wealth and industry supply.
But, bad as is the condition of the men in camp,
those who were wounded and sent back to the |!
hospitals are still mofe unfortunate. Surgeons
and medicines were sent NJ to Winchester, to
which point most of the sick and wounded were
taken, but up to the 18th instant are assured
that the Medical Department had net furnished
a solitary cot, bedsack, sheet, pillow, or change
of clothing for these unfortunates With the
single exception of the York Hospital, which
was formerly occupied by the Yankees, and
where they had left complete outfit of hospital
furniture, the sick and wounded were huddled
together upon the dirty floor in many in tan
ces without wisp of straw betwee. their aching
bones and the hard plank at Hollingsworth
Grove large numbers were placed under tent
flies, with nothing to protect them against the
cold night air and driving mountain mists. A
few cases are reported where the pa
tents were as naked as babes just born, their
scanty clio hing having been torn off to dress
their wounds, and but for blanket borrowed
from comrade, they would have been wholly
destitute of any covering the narrow fly that
had been stretched above them! Such as were
fortunate enough 10 get into into private quar-
ters were well cared for; but even the most
wealthy citizens of the town and country are but
lily prepared to provide for the sick and wound
ed. The lower valley of the Shenandoah has
been occupied alternately by one party or the
other for eighteen months; and the people have
been stripped of almost every comfort. Some
of the good women of Winchester had established
hospital kitchens, and in w arrenton they even
tore up their calico dresses to make bandages for
the sufferers; but with every disposition to as
sist the wounded, hey found it Impossible, from
lack of means, to relieve their destitute condi-
tion.
We are further informed, that the agents OF the
Georgia Relief and Hospital Association arrived
at Warrenton and Winchester, with supplies of
medicines, bandages, splints, bed-sacks, sheets
and clothing, several days in advance OF the Gov
ernment supplies. These agents even walked
from Rapidan station to Warrenton-a distance
of forty mies-in a day and half, through the
the hot sum- and over the dusty roads and the
Instruments They proceeded at both places to
look up the sick and wounded from their own
state ; to place bed-sas ks, filled with straw, un-
der them, furnish them with change ofciothing,
and to do whatever else they could TO render
them comfortable. They even supplied the
Government surgeons at WarrentoD, with medi-
cines, and at " nchester with such hospital fur
niture they could spare
Now. if the State of Georgia can do this much
for her sick ana wounded soldiers, why may not
the Confederate Government, which has ample
means and power, do the same How is it that
an association, organized by philanthropic clti-
zehs, and supported By the Legislature OF one OF
our sister States,is able to accomplish more,
with less means, and in less time, than the Gov
ernment of the entire Confederacy Ii TINS as
socation can procure d-sacks, ,sheets, clothing,
and other hospital furniture, why cannot the
| Surgeon General of the Confederate Government
do the same? Can the Surgeon-G neral answer
Ithis question? lave we so many able bodied
men in the country, and are the lives of ouI
seasoned soldiers of so little value that we car
thus afford to sacrifice them either by sheer ne
/ glect or the adoption of brutal system The
lcountry demands an answer to these questions
and no owlish silence or affected official dgnit,
will satisfy this public demand
But enough for the present. We shall adver
] to this painful subject again 1t Is but just t.
add that the Government has at length begun T.
move in the matter of supplies, and that c.othin
and shoes are being forwarded to Wincheste
for the relief of the destitute. We design t
give the authorities full credit for what the
have done and may yet do, not only because
is right and proper, but in order that the peopl
may see how much will still be left for them t
i Ido.-Richmond Wing.