The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-01-10
HOSPITAL REPORT.

HOSPITAL REPORT.
To the Ladies 81 Io,ea:
In attempting to present to You a true
statement Of the condition of the hospitals
OF the Iowa troops, We are aware tina. we
have most delicate and responsible Office
to perform, but il is duty from which We
may not shrink. IS we are bound BY the
most sacred Obligations to you, snd TO
our soldier friends who are sacrificing
their all In the defence of our country,
10 make a true exhibit of their condition.
We may not. therefore. conceal from YOU
the painful fact that sickness is fearfulls
on the increase IN our army; that hundreds
al our Iowa Troops are p e>iraie3 BY Dis
case, ana that the arrangements made for
their accommodation are altogether made.
quate t. secure their comfort.
As false impressions have obtained in
some sections with regard to the amouu,
OF supplies furnished by Government, We
would just say that they are BY far too
limited to meet the demand. Of the sick
at the presen; time, and are not unfre-
quently do'ed out with a spar ing hand
9r"rtyi"gy. Medical Pureyors, if We
may credit the united testimony of the
Medical staff, reserve to themselves the
right not only to restrict but TO dictate
with regard to acquisitions. SO that in
many cases NE mY lics a3o,eed ig the
: uoreFHnitRt arr not rtceirtd
he government seems to have lost
sight, IN great measure, of the Medical
Department of the army In proof of
this, we have onls TO state that when
nen. fremont's army marched TO Spring.
held SO little attention was paid 10 tie de.
mands OF the Medical Staff that the
necessary supplies of medicines, ambu-
tances, DC, We're not obtained. and those
falling sick ON the way were without the
means OF transportation
During the march, whenever an empty
waeoh could be secured, as many sick as
could possibly be crowded into it were
thrust IN, and thus they were forced to
travel on, the rocky and precipitous roads
over the Ozark hills, till, in many in-
stances, life was iolted from their bodies
aud then the dead, side BY side with the
living sick were carried ON ill generou.
night put stop to the dead march. And
even now, at Birds Point, Cairo and the
camps on the Pacific road, the sick are
hauied about IN army wagons and thrust,
unprosided for, into post and other hos.
ptais, while hundreds OF ambulances and
vast accumnlations of hospital stores are
lying unused in the city of St Louis
from whence these supplies should come.
In the event OF an onward movement
OF our army We can scarcely hope for a
favorable change in the policy of Gov.
eminent officials, unless a committee of
investigation be appointed. and special
order be issued from the head of the De-
partment bearing directly ep the subject.
Inc limits of this paper will not allow
Us 70 dwell to any great length on the
sickealng details connected with the hos.
p'tais OF the Western Department. We
therefore pass on to notice briefly the con.
ditlon OF the hospitals of our own troops.
Inc "a Iowa regiment now the first in
the service is quariered in the city Of st.
LOUIS, and is now detailed TO guard the
rebel prisoners incarceratcd in Mcdowell
College. The troops quartered in and
around st. Louis have no; had the nri,i.
lege OF maintaining regimen,at h ,spitals
until very recently, their sick being sent
TO post hospitals in the city. The build.
ings opened in st. Louis for the accom-.
mediation Of the sick becoming crowded
and many reginental surgeons expressing
strong determination to maintain cen.
troll over their own sick, the establish.
ment OF reglmental hospitals has hesn
deemed advisable The Iowa % ,..,.
therefore but recently established hos.
pital.
The I'd regiment, quartered in Benton
Barracks for some months past. have bee n
ordered up the North Mo. X. R., 10 70.
build and guard the bridges lately des.
troyed BY the rebels. They have but r..
Gently organized a hospital and we are
not prepared 10 speak in detail Of thu
hospital arrangements Of either of these
regiments, sufficient time not having
siapseu to cxhibi. the efficacy OF their
plans, Each Of these regiments has 70.