Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-10-11
CORRESPONDENCE.

CnESArEAKE HOSPITAL,
FuRTREss MONROE, September 30, 1862.


FORTRESS MONROE, September 30, 1862.
II, b. MAsSER, ESQ -Dc0r Brother When |
left you at Sunhury July 2l, on my way to Fortress
Monroe, Va, promised to write toyou occasionally
have not fulfilled my promise on account Of sick
ness and professional duties. Nearly every Surgeon
here had to pass through the ordeal OF durTAul AMI
iaundice to be accmatcd. My health now is very
good and ] hope soon to regain the - pounds OF
flesh have lost
Our Hospitals are outside the Fortress near lamp
ton, the i-iHcd handsome village Of brick buildings
destroyed by fire by the Rebels in August. 1861 -
The main building, called Chesapeake Female Col
lcgc was occupied by the daughters of the T. /. Y.
until the war broke out when they all Skcdaddlcd,
leaving furniture and everything else behind. 1t
was occupied by negroes until last March whcnthcy
were driven out yielding inch by inch. reluctantly.
Amongst the furniture are seven pianos, distributed
throughout the building, one in the pGrOr, one in
the Superintendent room, and the rest in the
Surgeons rooms. The building is 100 by %, built Of
brick, five stories high, with rorico in front and
columns nearly the hcighth of the building. 4 large
dome ana observatory stand on the top. giving fine
view of the Bay and Fortress, Newport News and
the maSts of the sunkcn Cumberland at the mouth OF
the james river. In the main building the first
noOr Is divided into parts; one large used n
Hospital Ward; another as II mess room for all
soldiers able To 20 to the table another as the
kitchen; and the 18th store room. Second floor,
iuto chapel ward for sick the Dispensary, dining
room for conyalcsccnt officers Surgeon Supcriutcnd-
en and Matrons with parlor, private bed rooms and
office OF the Chief Surgeon, DIR. X. b. McCHy. The
tHllb lpui bIlt lHll NS Il N,Iu lOT flick OHccl-, (s
ward is under my chargc) the other half as bed
rooms for the Surgeons, Clerks, Hospital Stewards.
and several female nurses. The fourth and fifth
stories are occupied with sick soldiers ward masters
| The building stands several hundred yards back k
from the Bay. On the right and left are one story
buildings, in the form of cross they each contain
about 100 patients, and further east is brown cot
tnge. used MS Hospital, and the west is a large
frame building, with 20 80 tents around also used
Us Hospitals Altogether we have constantly on hand
about 1000 sick and wounded soldiers.
In the rear, to the northwest a half mile, stands
20 story frame buildings l25 feet long just
erected and used Us Hospitals, and just beyond
stands the late EX-President Tylers mansion, now
occupied by negroes fit subjects To represent him in
his absence, East Of the frame Hospitals, for II mile
or two, the ground is covered with white tents
pied by our soldiers that we have the appearance
| of war around us constantly.
Our Hospitals under the auspices of DR., II. b.
McCay, of Northumberland, than whom no better
man ever took charge of llospita-n fact | don I
think there is better, if well conducted Military
Hospital in the country, gotten up since the war
There are few such men as DR., McCay combining so
many good qualities.
On the 18th ult 1 was detailed to accompany the
fleet Of steamers to 20 to Aiken's Landing, the
james river, under flag Of truce, ten miles from
Richmond, to bring down the 5000 released prison
| crs. The Commodore was fitted up for the sick
and wounded, and fcoursc all the Surgeons were
aboard Of her On our way up we passed alongside
the Monitor and Galena at Newport News, also the
NlelbIC pNl lIIc luels
and rigging, above water.
We left the Port ON Friday noon, anchored over
night above Ilarrison's Landing, and next morning
ut clock arrived at Aiken 5 Landing, where VIZ
lay all together until o'clock in the afternoon, when
it was announced our soldiers coming, From
the top Of the hurricane deck Of the steamer Canoni
Gus could see them nearly mile distant, AS they
nearod the landing they commenced and kept up a
continual "Hurrah for the Stars and Stripes, cur
sing the Rebel guards they passed along to the
boat. Some of the men cried for joy, The 1000
that arrived ON Saturday not disposed of until
nearly o'clock The sick were brought down in
! four-mule lumber wagons, Amongst tho cayalcade
were several carriages containing ladies going
North having obtained passes at Richmond. l saw
one lady, with whom was conversng, as she sat in
the carriage pay the colored driver S25 for bringing
her and her mother to the landing, that being the
price for twohoTse carriage from Richmond 10 the
landing, -Four carriages with ladies and gentlemen
yielded the proprietor SlOO-pretty good for one
days business
On Sunday, some four or five of us visited the
premises of Mr., Aiken, very clever gentlemanly
man, who allowed TO 90 all over the property and
furnished us with peaches and other comforts, and
his son aged about Is, who had just returned from
! the Rebel army, (wounded took us into the park
and showed their deer Wild geese, domestic geese
and crossed Ills beautiful brick house is situated ON
an elevated ground about 200 yards from the
ping up from the waters edge with beautiful lawn in
front and fine gardens in rear and south His large
bE'ck barn stands near the landing In thi- he has