, 1863-02-28

The Sickness III Gen. Grants Army
Gross Negligence Of the Sick.

Correspondence Of the n. T. Timesl
Orr y'1cKsBuHo. Friday, Feb. II, 1853.
The horrors Of war, its bravery and cns1ur-
ance, Its sutIGrinTs. triumphs and heroisms,
arc not all the exclusive possession Of the
battle field. 4 battle aggregates these quail
lies, and hence bring thym more conspicuous
II before the eyes Of the world; and Jet,
every hour in the existence Of tile army, away
from actual conflict, is scharactcrized by events
equally worthy our admiration, our sympa-
thy, cur tears.
II, at such times, death is not riding on the
fnlplurous whirlwind belched fr,m cannon
and1nusket, he is not idle; but simply changes
his form, and carries on increasingly his H.
bo1s. His attentions are not the less assid-
uous that they arc quict-not less fatal that
they arc unsought.
Five hundred men were killed In the late
attack upon VicksbIrg-500 men went down
in a fight flat lasted four days, and the
country was llorriiicd at the usclessness and
eno1mity Of the sacrifice. And Jet, every day
since we have been here, not less than 100 fail
to respond to rolf call, and are carried out to
never return. The leree, rutf1ed into pillows
By this tempest Of death, is all that tells us
how great are our losses, and how fearful our
sacrifices in these noiscless, unsung, unknown
interludcs between actual conflicts.
Ny attention las been faithfully directed to
these faets within the last three days. Sunday
night received word that soldier WAS lying
very sick at one Of the hospitals, located on 4
plantation some three miles above Youug's
Point. Upon reaching the place, found a
roomy palatia1 mansion, and some thirty or
negro quarters, hut now devoted TO hospital
purposes. All the log buildings were Of the
'*satd1c bag'' order Of architecture; that Is,
two small huts Joined By common roof and
floor, and with no other means for the en-
trance of light and ventilation than is afforded
by Il narrow door.
At rarious Of these pens, I made inquiries,
ard at length found the one sought. en-
tered it, and after waiting few moments TIL
my eyes became accustomed to the darkness,
/ found my soldier, or at least found poor
skeleton upon cot in acorncr-an cmaciated
sobbin- remnant Of What had once been an
athletic man..
Over to the Surgeons a.artcr; the Surgeon
absent since yesterday. Where: Went down
to dine with Gen. Blair. The three miles in-
teryening between the hospital aud the tent
Of tie General did not last long under the in
centiyc OF relief and speed, and not long AFTER
| wards had the Surgeon at the side Of the pa.
ticut. A clasp. OF tho pulse. and shake Of
the lIcad was all that resulted.
Iobtafned some information Of the Surgeon.
The roomy, airy house, could not be used by
his patients, because it Was held BY some In
He had 500 patients crowded together in these
dark, noisomc negro quarters, and Of these
fifteen to thirty died daily. The weather was
at times intensely cold-hc could get no wood
nobody would answer his re4ui=iiions, and
| the sick suffered severely from the cold. He
| had chopped down all the fences in the Ticinf-
| ty, dug up the posts, dismantled few out
| houses, and in this way had managed to afford
little fire in cases Of extremity. He had no
| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. met with no response
beyond refusal. Hc had no provisions but
coarse army rations; and were for three days
| the only food given the sick was that which
was Bumaneiy shared with them b. a small
guard that had been placed around the quar-
| ters, and who fortunately had brought 3 few
DAYS Jations with them, He was unable to
! afford those under his charge much beyond
| sympathy when sick, and q detail Of men
with picks and spades to cover them mp when
dead.
This was the Post Hospital, and In it, Is
not perhaps cxaggeration to assert, that dying
| is the rule and getting well the exception.
Application for discharges in cases where re-
| coyery without change of air was impossible,
rarely meet with sueceas-it having been as
serted by at least one General that it is easier
| to dig Two graves than sign ono set of papers.
| The requisite brutality Of such remark viii
| command 1dmiration-the Individual who ut
tered it takes pre-eminence In all that is mean,
unfeeling and diabo}ical:
| lam happy to state that in my investIga-
| tiors, found one bright exception to the
Treatment Of thc sick. This Is in tie case Of
The City Of Memphis, q steamer Of the 1aFgest
| size, which has been turned into hasptta1
| boat, and placed under the charge Of DR..
Turner and his estimab1e wife. There found
some 1,5eo sick, and Occupying positions 5is-
tied by pure mir and light, abnndant1y sup
| piled With medicines and delicacies, large
ind practiced corps Of assistants and nurses,
and, better than al these, the kind attentions
Of q compassionate woman, to remind them
Of home and surround them with such sym,
! pathies us only the gentle sex can offer.
The rise Of WateT, the immense quantity O.
min that has turned this portion Of the 06ot
TONI into fathomless abyss Of mud, and tht
| severe fatigue duties required Of our soldier:
in digging canals ana building leyees, vi
the camps; but there is no explanation why
The mortality is SO fea1tul-no reason Why ou1
| men should be packed like hogs In narroN
pens, and lett to die IN filth. darkness sud neg
lcct.
There may possibly be good rcason-stEate q
sic, moral OF otheIwisc-Hhy all Inc In