The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-04-15
KEOKUK IOWA TUESDAY, April. IS, 1862.

tween them az TO which could beet accomplish eur
designs. With no hesitation we concurred in the
Judgment that woman, by hcr wide and quick
sympathies and by her -loag pefienee a. urss
In the sick room far better qualified to discoy-
er at glance the wants and necessities ofthe sick
and with means at her disposal to supply them
with delicate tact ard discriminating judg gment--
There were objections 10 sending lady alone
among such crowds Of men, and burdened with tie
cares Of transportation Of boxes Of stores but
confidence in the long proved honor Of our coun-
tfyinon, which makes them always treat a selfre
spectfnl woman with ali courtesy and kipdness and
m intcnsc desire to aid most ehicientiy those who
were suffering soon overcame these objections.
Our Gerrespending SscrstsryI Mrs 4sHie Wit
tenmyer offered to 80 With our first supplies at her
own expense. This generous offer eagerly a.-
ccpted her benes oence, trustworthiness and ex-
,cutive skill were we'll known among us. She
went IN Sept. aud Was absent about two weeks,
and on her raturn gave facts which fully con-
frmed as In the wisdom Of our plans and the need
Of our most antiYing efforts. We were soon able to
send her second time with supplies, and she was
occupied almost day and night for three weeks in
distributing hospitnl neccssares among the sick and
wounded Of our scattered lows Regiments /,
would be impossible lif II were desrabls) 10 de-
scribe tho scenes Of misery and horror that she
witnessed. There well prepared rxtions systema-
| hxed hospital arrangements, surgical appliances,
aud ambulanccs weresadly wanting, and our army
l n
ment and want Of thorough organization Hap
tpily in these respects army in the West is In
\ far better condition now.
| At this time there were cooperating with US in
inis bcnenccnt work the Aid Societies In the fol-
lowing towns and cities Of this State: DUBUQUE
Watsrieo, Cedar Rapids, Davenport Indcpendssoes,
Palo, Muscatine, Mt Pleasant, kossuth, Iowa CITY
| Fairfield, Winchester, -Four Societies In Burling.
| ton, Monuesc. 1T. Madison, Birmingham, Farm
ingtVn, Mlddiclewn. ottulnws, Primruse Eddy
VILE. Bonaparte, keosauqGa, Indian Frairie Ben
| ,ansport, Salins, Denmark, Bloomfield, Fl Des
Noines, West Point Council Bluffs, Oskaloosa, MI
Aver, Dover, Grsnncll, ChAxlastcn and Montrose =
Each OF these places haye sent one boxior more oI
supplies, and somc As many as seven for ono agen,
| 70 distribute. Some have sent money, vii. The
Baptist Church Of Warren $7.S1; Council Blui5u
| Aid Society $f9.25; enclosed In boz FROM. Wus,
Point : 90 The ladies in this place cannot b too
highly commended for the self sacrificing gcneros-
iy aad ssesgy which they hass 20 ffoely employed.
10 enable TO carry out the plans in which SO snaay
are deeply interested besides ourselves. The sup
plns which they have sent TO our sgsnt for ds,ri-
| button, have been yHissd st about t600 90, and
large nanben Of boxes srs constantly arriving.
There have also been number Of Aid Societies
mot directly cooperating with us, who have sent
their good on 10 the regiments, which our
agent has had eSntrs, through the Surgeons, when
ovsr-supplisd
The Aid Society OF this city has sent six boxes
Of STORES 70 sgcnt, valued At &Ig2 90 besides
paying IL sxposses of Distributing Agent
while in thcAeld since the first time. The third
time We sent her with supplies she was occupied
sevca weeks, travelled hundreds Of miles and visited
every Iowa Regimeatin iAs feld. and persosany in
sPcctcd the condition and wants Of each Regimen.
tai Hospital, and many Of the Post Hospitals ad.
minisering from her TO the necessity Of each
II Wa made the dnty Of agent only 10 visi,
these bospiials but to select and distribute the ar
1 fiRi &kA ~ A1x1s 1xat
distributed and TO il fas far n pcssibel that
they wcre used for the sick and wounded men OF
Iowa; that they might have the comfort aud cheer
ing knowledge that they not forgotten in their
suisrings by the women Of the State they had VOL
un ntseresi 10 defend with their lives.
By she varied and persistent efforts of our agent
the change Of the Second Iowa Infantry from
Cairo, where il had long been stationed 10 st. Louis
was procured TO enable il 10 from the sick
ness that was almost fascinating its ranks. Nobly
did they thsir rstarued bealsh in that raiiant
and victorious charge at Donelson, the remem-
brance of which will always make an Iowan's check
glow with pride and exntatien.
Our Agent ia now in the field and las been for
month past having visited our posts as far as
Koila distributing supplies. She urged upon the
Sanitary CcIanasson OF St. Louis; long before the
battle OF Pea Ridge, the Importance Of sending
down muses. and supplies. The suggestion was
acted upon and the Commission sent two messen-
furnish pHri ei the goods, bat the Commission had
heavy lot ON hand and advised cur agent to take
our goods up the Tennessee river. Our troops un-
der Gen. Curtis were fully supplied needing noth-
ing but additional surgical all. The hespital of
the lst lowacAsalry Is also we'll supplied. Our
agent is now making her headquarters at Cairo, and
has visited the Hospitals in that vicinity and At
~. DoneIscO, and has been up tbs Tsnnessee river
among our Post Hospitals, which she finds quite
desttnte. Al last advicesi ahe was going to Pith-
burgh Landing, where our forces are gathered in
Tennessee, with 81 large boxes of supplies valued
9 III OF which was given TO our agent 70
distribute by the Sanitary Commission Of ST. Louis,
which they had received from the Iowa Stats San
itary Commission. Our agent win remain hi that
vicinity, Hhrc there is already much sickness aud
suffering, and where great battle is soon expec-
ted tof which We have just received intelligence1
when shsrs wall BE- need of all the aid ne can fur
nish. ss8 ~
The whole expense to the Society Of keeping this
Agent in the field up to this time has been only
BOO, out Of hich she has paid the freight of ssve
raj large boxes before our present arrangement for
transportation Of goods. This will make her ex-
penses amount to scarcely So per week. We are
Mtisfod that We could not have q moro economical
efficient, untiripg aid prudent agent to distribute
our stores. Not single box or bundle Of articles
has been lost that has been sent through this Soci
ETY. for distribution by our Agent, and slI have
been quickly distributed among the sick who were
lying in daily need Of these things.
Besides sstending as far ~ in our power 10 the
wants Of the sick in the regiments in tbs field, the
Ladies' Of this Aid Society have bestowed much
labor and expenditure upon the Hospital In this.
city. TAs Ladies regarded il duty 70 supply this
Hospital entirely from their own Society, without
asng the stores sent BY sister societies in the State
This daty thsy have performed. Since tho lst
Rcginsnt Was qaartered hsrs the Hospital hss been
occupied BY this sick. Az oach regiment left for
the hsld, the stores used here were either taken
with them Or destroyed BY iaundresses or scattered
some way, fos il isimposshe 10 ascertain what hs-
comes OF them,) 20 ~ TO leave the Hospital quite
desti.nto Tor the sick Of the succeeding regiment
Az ne regiment could eall on the Government for
Hospital supplies until il was fall, and - ths rsei.
ments wore weeks aad mAnths in arriving ct their
full complement Of men. and the Hospital some
times being cfowdcd with ever hundred nick ct !
time, II became laborioss task to kesp il supplisd
Whsn the Sd Iowa Cavalry vas qaaftesed here
for some months, much sickness prevailed among
.sc .-oor., ara.t became evident ;h.. il - :.