Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-01-23
A TRIP TO JEFFERSON BARRACKS.

FRIDAY. JANUARY %, 1883.
A TRIP TO JEFFERSON BARRACKS.
Hearing that our brother, the junior of the
GAZETTE, had been sent up from Helena to
Jefferson Barracks, st. Louis, we on the 9th
inst, started for that place for the purpose
Of looking after his welfare. We left home
Thursday morning and the next day noon
were in st. Louis. The Barracks arc situated
some ten or twelve miles below st. Louis, on
the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Rail-
road, and are very easy of access from the
city, there being four daily trains each way
between the two places. At o'clock P. NJ.
Friday, we reached our destination. The
first thing to do was to find Ward m"
which contained the object Of our search
We found it without any difficulty, and en-
tering door at the upper end of the room
walked slowly down the aisle, both sides Of
which were lined with cots. As we passed
slowly down we glanced on either side for a
well known face, eager to see il, yet almost
dreading the meeting. As we went on down
the long narrow room, we noted that many
wild eager glance was cast upon us from
sunken, staring eyes, set in wasted features
that wore the pallid hue Of death. We fan
cied, land perhaps it was not all fancy as
we passed them by that many an eye grew
humid, and that over many face fitted a
look of disappointed hope. Poor fellows,
perhaps they too were expecting some loved
one from the home hearth; had longed and
looked day after day for the sight Of ia
miliar.. face, and had watched and waited all
in vain til! the heart had grown sick with
hope deferred. After having gone about
two-thirds the length Of the room we found
"Geo." and in speaking of the meeting, per-
haps it is only necessary to say that there
was no hauteur or luminosity exhibited by
either party. Though we were glad to clasp
his hand and be assured that though suffer
ing with a dangerous malady, with proper
care and attention he might recover, yet We
must confess we did not spend very pleas
ant evening with him. A short time after
our arrival poor fellow died within few
feet Of where we sat, and about the same dis
TANGO to the other side of us man was de-
llrious and raving necessarily. These in
stances, taken IN connection with rom
crowded with sick, many Of them in t..,e
last stages Of disease, had very decreasing
effect upon us, WHO were unused to sucl,
scenes. The nurses and corvalescents, how
ever, who had "got used to it" were rs lively
md chatty as though in the drawing room Of
home on gala night.
1t being the opinion Of the Surgeon of the
post. and the physician of the ward, that our
brother was laboring under a permanent
disability which would prevent him from
ever re-entering the military service, and
he stood no chance of recovering if obliged
10 resn.;n fH-the nusprraI Tor any. considers.
bic length Of time, We immediately set our
selves to work to procure his discharge, and
for the information of those that may not
understand the routine to be pursued and
thinking it probable that the knowledge
might be Of benefit to some persons who
may have occasion to visit some hospital or
an GRAND similar to the one that took us to
jefferson Barracks, we give the modus oyer-
"ndi to be pursued in procuring discharge:
If upon examination the surgeon has reason
to believe that the patient will not recover if
kept in the hospital, or that if he does in a
measure regain his health, he will not be fit
to again take the field, he gives certificates of
disability, which besides giving the nature
Of his disease and the facts connected with
it, states the mans name, age, company, reg
imcnt, residence, amount Of pay and cloth
ing received, &C., which latter items are
gathered from the soldiers descriptive roll.
These certificates must then go to the Medi-
cal Director, and be approved by him before
they arc valid. This being done the certifi.
Gates must then be taken to the officer who
has the discharge business to attend TON
st. Louis Gen. Carr is the proper officer to
make application to,-when he makes out
tho discharge papers, the soldier takes his
discharge and statement of his account
with the Government, goes to Paymaster,
draws what pay is due him, and goes home.
Though this process is very simple and easily
understood, it takes several days to bring it
about for the reason Of having to pass through
several different hands, in its regular order.
When soldier has his descriptive roll, it is
not very difficult matter to procure dis
charge, providing the applicant is in pre-
carious state of health, with no prospect of
immediate recovery. But when tho sick SOL
dier has no descriptive roll, and, alas, there
ire too many without them, it is altogether a
different affair, it being almost impossible to
procure discharge under these circumstan,
ces, no matter how important it may be that
,ne be granted. When q descriptive roll is
acking al ordinary means for obtaining a
discharge fail. Our brother had not this IN
'ortant document, and therefore we speak
rom experience in this matter. For three
days we labored increasingly; bringing to
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