Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-05-23
Gbe Obio 5tatesnrram
rKR q n 8
sickness In the wostorn Army

The accounts beginning to be received thus
early in the season, respecting the prevalence
oil sickness among our troops in the Southw est
are calculated to excite apprehension. There
10 reason to fear that unless every possible
precauion Is exercised and the best medical
preparations are made, that the list Of NOR
tality from disease will equal IL not surpas IS
that arising from the casualties OF war. The
correspondent Of the Chicago Tribune, writing
from near PItsburg Landing on the 9th inst,
says the army Is absolutely melting away"
from sickness-that more than 10000 men in
the army of the Southwest are already dis.
abed from this cause. Another correspondent
says, under date Harrisburg, Tenn, May l2 b.:
"Sickness continues on the increase. The
weather Is intensely hot, and, of course, the
prostrAtion OF the troops oorresDondingy great.
You can have no idea of the immense loss
caused by sickness passed through the hos
pital receiving boats to-day, and the sight of
suffering humanity that there presented itself
was enough to harrow up the soul"
A correspondent connected With the Wiscon-
sin Sanitary Commission at Pittsburg Landing,
says the seriously sick in four regiments from
that State now before Corinth, number about
500. We also notice the frequent arrival of
boats at Cairo, st. Louis, etc., laden with sick.
1t is evident that we shall soon be compelled to
recognize the fact that hostile climate is an
alliance with the enemy, to oppose the progress
of our arms, and that what we do before the
commencement of hot weather must be done
quickly. If it is impracticable to bring the
war to close this spring, we have but
to consider how 1t can be carried on through
the summer months, with the leaat sacrifice of
| life from exposure, and especially to make the
most complete sanitary Irovision which our
pninal a IA mn na anH Ii
also be humane to exempt from military ser.
vi 70 in the S0u.hera States, go far AZ ptssible,
all those regiments recruited from the extreme
North, till cold weather again returns, as this
class OF volunteers will be most liable to suffer.
The peculiar exposure TO which the army ia
subject, is apparent from the use made OF
| marsby districts as part of the plan Of de-
fense. At Corinth, for example, the Federal
army Is in close proximity to extensive sWamps,
which no doubt will soon evolve dangerous mi
asma. But it 10 satisfactory TO know that this
point, at least, is not likely to fear trouble much
longer, from the fact that the rebels concentrs-
ted there must soon either 6ght run or starve,
their communications in a great measure being
| cut off
1t is not, however, correct to suppose, as
many do, that the entire South is unhealthy for
Northern troops during the summer season -
The interiors of many of the StlIes, especially
North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia,
contain places Of resort which are in all re-
spects as salubrious and perhaps as cool as Can
be found in the Northern States The same il
true of many points on the sea coast, and oil
the pine regions, where they are not sWampy
II therefore the great work OF destroying The
rebel armies can be accom- pshed before the
hOtweather sets in, there will be no difficulty il
finding positions in any of the Southern S.ate
in which our volunteers can be summered will
meTce.