Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1863-04-30
Our Sick and Wounded Soldiers.

with the Sanitary Commission, by which the
relatives of the sick and wounded soldier may
learn where to find him. "By application at
New York, Philadelphia, Washington or Lou.
isville, news of every man in the hospitals may
be obtained. Its loving care, hand in hand
with the Government, following him to the.
field, aud does not lose sight of him even when
discharged for it volunteers to collec, his
pay, and, in fact, puts him through 10 which
ever direction destiny points. If the public
and the press would continue to the Commis.
sion the constant love which the Commission
bears to the soldier, its supplies would not run
| so low. How little is now in reserve for the
next battle With what remorse will every
man and woman regret the Indifference of the
present hour, when garments and various com.
forts are suddenly required! Heretofore, hun
dreds of boxes were always ready for shipment
nov everything is lacking" The great rise
in the price of material is one cause of this
falling off and this should render more i'm
perative the duty of concentrating aud send
ing through the most efficient channel all the
stores which our loyal women furnish If the
various Aid Societies would unite in making
the Commission almoner Of their supplies, how
grand would be the result | They would then
be able to meet every demand made upon
them and there is DO estimating the amount
of suffering they could relieve, for their stores
would be almost elhaustless.
Another cause of this fall of is in the weari
ness consequent upon this protracted war. But
in tbs language of the President OF the Com.
mission, " As long as the men fight the 1Oomen
must knit and ss10, and the friends at home
furnish means to alleviate the sorrows and
wants of the camps aud hospitals. Whatever
you may have heretofore been doing from this
time consider how you can best and most sure
ly reach the suffering soldier, where he is most
exposed and nost forgotten. Do not delay
and do not abandon your efforts after short
time. You must enlist in the work for the
war 1t is the woman's part in the patriotic
struggle we are in. l can only invoke the pc.
cuniary aid OF the men aud the supply OF Hos.
pital clothing from the women-sure that this
is the most direct, humane, efficient aud fixed
channel through which the good will and
Christian care Of the people can flow to sick
and wounded patriots in the field"
Again. Nothing short of the free con.
church and community throughout the loyal
can avail to meet this never ending, always
| lUCi cuSiUk 0ldib ~ lS tu0 HItI0 6pIlUk vi uT6-
side labor oozng into the rlls of village in
dustry, these again uniting in the streams of
country bene6cence, and these in state or lar
ger movements. flowing together into the riv-
ers which directly empty into one great nation.
al reservoir of supplies, which could alone rem
| der possible the vast outflow of assistance
which the Sanitary Commission is lending our
sick and wounded soldiers"
The objection has been brought against this
Commission that its work Is "purely philau.
thropic" The President says, ." | hope this
impeachment is we'll founded We want to
keep the souls Of the soldiers in their bodies,
that We may send them safe an sound home
10 theirChristian friends and their familiar pas
tors. We do lose no opportunity of circuat.
ing good reading, religious and otherwise,
and believe our work, though not missionary,
is done in the Christian spirit. from Christian
impulse and with Christian interest I sus-
pect we reach the souls of the soldiers Certain.
| ly their hearts) by their earnest, patient, SELF
sacrificing care we exhibit for their bodily com.
fort and solace. My own impression is that
War, the Camp and the Hospital afford very
| imperfect opportunities for purely spiritual
work. It requires very wise head to infu-
ence them religousl y-except by good Chris
| ton example. This, we mean always to give
them, and as much more as we can. None
who know our work, and the spirit of self sac.
r6ce, zeal and tenderness in which it is car.
red on by our agents-all carefully selected
Christian men-coud for an instant think of
stigmatizing it as wanting religious character
We will try to show our faith by our works
and when the war is over, it may safely be
left to the nation and the world to say, which
exerted the best total influence on the army,
those who aimed at their souls direct, or those
who aimed at their souls through their bodies"
In connection with this reply we give por.
tion of letter written by one of the volun.
teer agents of the Commission, who went out
to the relief of the wounded after battle.
Mr.. VIM. Fl. Hague =
Il held service last Sabbeth between the
two rows of tents where most could see and
hear. 1t was very welcome to them The
Bible and prayer book can now be found 10
nearly every tent. On the hillside, across Tho
| road may be seen long row of graves of those
who have died here. A little board, with the
name, regiment and state, of the occupant of
each grove, is at the head Nearly every day
one is carried there, adding continually to the
number of those who have given to their coun
try their most precious offering-life
To-day have to write to poor mother
far away on the hills of New England, and
give her the information that her boy has
gone to his resting place. Like most every
soldier he had but two or three things to send
her. His little pocket Bibly With his mothers
likeness seeled to the cover, his comb, three
letters, the medal OF his regiment. Taese were
oil the remembrances left for her. --.
A.pd now, il the women Of Pennsylvania re.
spoa5 IS uools TO tho call made upon !.en By
taa Sshita37 Commission, 50 sha women o.
Falsdel2hls havc d6ns. thsir ato.-s xil. be
Ia2estls ead aropi3 yeolen,,het