Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-03-24
REPoRr OF The RELIEF COMMITTEE.

REPORT OF The k:LIgF COMMITTEE
We publish this morning the report Of DR..
Maxwell, one Of the committee Of three sent ty
the citizens, to look sitsr the interests of our
soldiers wounded 1t Fort Donelson. Dr. Nc
Carn also reported, but ~ that of the former
is the fullest aod ~ that Of the latter contains
only such matters % Our readers have been
fully advised of, We omit it. Attached will al.
80 be found lst OF the expenditures incurred
on the trip. The following is
DR. AAxwELLs REPoRT.
On Saturday morning while awaiting the
orders IF Brig. Gen. Paine learning thGs a
steamer had arrived from the Fort With
wounded. v ho needed surgical aid, accornpa-
MED by Dss. White, Of Iowa City, ard Cattle.
OF New Albany, Ill. l went on hoard the Ha-
xsi Dell sad found So wounded Union soldiers.
principally Of our own State aud illinois, and
20 sick rebels. Finding no surgeon on board
! 10 charge, We proceeded to relieve the suffer-
! ing sol1iers, aided by several ladies and gen
,lsmeD, whom We found 10 charge az volunteer
nurses. and in which capacity orr own es.
teened ci,,zens and companions. Messrs. Lin.
dermsn ard Burwe!!, rendered most efficient
| service.
! 10 the discharge Of our duty, to the wound
| ed. as surgeons. We found our labors greatly
embarrassed by the great want Of an articles
used for dressing weunde-int. bandages and
| adhesive plaster. But for the noble and liber-
al acts OF the ladies' on board, in divestin9 their
persons of such raiment ard their wsrdrotes
| of all articles that could be used for lint or
| bandagts. we mIst have Jailed for the time TO
| give the relief they 60 much stood 10 need Of,
for there were many whose wounds had not
been dressed but once, .ince they had received
them. and we're mostly 10 the same clothes that
were On them when wounded, which were stiff
With blood and dust. Ga this boat. as found
on all others visited, but little. if any, pro-
vision Was made by government agents, by
which the sick and wounded could get regu.
lar uarm meals, but we're left to the mercy or
the caprice Of the stewards 1t is true, rdtions
such as mete1 out TO eodiere on the
march, were put on board, consisting Of poor
beef. ham. shoulder. hard bread, (cccaeions ally
part in !oaves) coffee and stuff marked black
tea ;" bu. no utensile to cook With, cor articles
sui;sn!e io ca, with. (tiLs, plates, knives md
spoons consequently the wounded had to 60
without their much Deeded warm meals.
AS ordered by Gen Paine. DR. McCarn and
,ay sell reported 10 Brig Gen Sherman, al Pa
| ducah. ard received general PERMIT" to 81.
sit and assist ip any ana ali ho.pitas il h :
there III company. Monday noon. was as,
| sigced duty o. toard hospital steamer from
the Fort. with 23O woun ded, bound for Mound
City, where | was directed to report to DR.
Franklin.
Duting the trip l devoted my entire time
IN dressing the wounded and performing and
assisting TO perform such operation. ae were
urgently demanded. Among the wounded
were u number Of Iowa .old.ers, bet as their
names all appear elsewhere, l shall not give
| them. On this beat there were few comforts
indeed, and the wounded were in the sam.
condition that those were on the Hazel Dell
they suffered much from the want Of sppropri.
| ate food. clothes and hcspi,a! stores.
At Mound City, l reported to DR.. Franklin,
who assigned me hospital duties, agreeable to
the tenor Of Gen. Sherman's permit. in which
capacity l found my time almoet taken ur
with ttentions to Iowa soldiers; in " hich
was greatly assisted in rendering useiu! sar
vice to those to whom we were mainly sent o
| look sfter-Coupsnies 3 and C Of the Second
| Iowa by the untiring lsbors Of Messrs. Clifford.
| Linderman, Burweli and Centre. who were
| engaged in various capacities in this very ex
tensive hospital-in which were then 200
or l 400 patients. mostly wounded. Here, il
] the erysipelas ward, l found the brave color
| carer Of the Second Iowa, in a most rreca
rious condition. recommended his remova,
to better quarters. which wac promptly carried
out by our Committee where he occupied q
room 10 the Mound City House vacated for
him, by the kindness Of Mrs. Magill. for whose
many kind offices in preparing suitable diet,
&C.. for him, the thanks Of this Committee and
community are due.
As this extensive hospital has been frequent
ly described by the Press, 1t seems hardly nee
| eesary to DO 80 here 1t has "a wards fitted
up for the reception of the sick and wounded :;
| each ward will accommodate from so to 81,
although the building was not erected for
| hospital purposes Yet under the management t
of experienced and frusty Surgeons, it could be
moe. certainly made very great and 50 e
retreat for the sick and wounded OF our pat.
riotic soldiers. l regret, exceedingly, that
such cannot be now ssid Of it. here found
many Iowa soldiers, 10 wbom rendered all the
relief their pressing wants eeemsd TO demand
although with them, as with the soldiers OF
other states attended, each soldier bore, op
an average not lees than three wounds yet
they bore their suffering. privations and neg.
Iects without a murmur. Whilst eassii g
through the wards and carefully enquirng in
to the real condition Of the sick aud wounded
l found grea. lack in the supply Of clothes
many. very ma,y. although they had been
th.re three or four days. yet had on the sane
clothes they had when taken from the field arc
some there were, after removing such rameat
ae was DESTROYED ~ shot or blood, were LEI,
in that denude1 condition for days, as one of
our own boys Of Company B. Cd Iowa, can
bear testimony, from personal experience.
Having about finish ed the visiting Of wards,
ard placed H. b Doolittls under the care OF
the medical gentlemen OF Gov. Kirk wood e
medical etaff. l was about to leavet, visit
Il Il - ID IL n
when l was ordered to select a.l Iowa soldier 8
that could be noved without material danger
and have them transferred to the steamer T.
J. Pattie. then laying at the wharf for tha,
purpose. which order was promptly complied
WITH and through the efficiency Of Messrs
Burw+!l, Lindermen and Center, and the gen.
,iemanly conduct Of DR.. Dun. Post Surgeon at
that point, our Iowa boys were permitted TO
oecupy the most comfortable places upon the
boat. This acc omplished took another boa.
and arrived at Cairo in time to visit steamer
; on which we're $50 wounded, bound for S.
Louis, in charge of Or - and DR.. White
Of Iows City +; to whose polite attentions waa
indebted for the opportunity OF observing The
condition Of the wounded on board, among
whcm were Is or 20 Iowa soldiers, and %
did not have the time to learn their warts
Dr. White kindly offsre to attend to this for
| uIe. Wuich 'eoTu Ee Vlu, HGO PuOllsnSQ list
but l have not seen it.
, A. wse passing 10 the wharf to find boa,
bound for Bird. Point. was me: by Mr.. Bur.
we'll and Capt. Henderson, who we're then in
search for me to go on board the T. j. Patten
agreeable to the orders Of Mr. Frarklin. az A.
sociate Surgeon in charge. l obeyed the order
| found the boat at the government wharf
After the preliminary arrangements beioe set
tied With ORA Woodssrd and Norton. and tn.