Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-02

my wanderings | came upon suffers establish
ment, whom for once blessed. But his oil of
fare very limited. | called for a can OF oys
tiers, a link OF bologna sausage. slice OF cheese
and a section of gingerbread. out of which ma,.,.
comfortable dinner for just one dollar. At all
events satisfied the pressing demand OF my APP
petite
In the afternoon | visited some of the hospitals
TO look after some sick and wounded, whose
friends had made special request that should
In one | found poor fellow from the 9th In
diana whose arm had been amputated IL week cr
more | sat down on his bed and entered into
conversation with him for some time The smell
from his very offensive, but | thought
that if he could stand it all the time | could
little while. so ] staid AS long us duty TO Others
would allow. On starting away. Nhiie stand
ing hear another case, became suddenly very
sick, and staggered TO an empty bunk near by.
The attendants concluded they had another pa
tent without the requisite papers; but soon re-
covered enough to get to the air and the sickness
passed off. Aud now whether it was the oysters
OF the bologna, or the cheese, or the ginger cake,
or the impure air of the hospital, | cannot de-
term ne; l On y know | have not eaten oysters,
or bologna, or cheese, or ginger cake since, and
have experienced no sickness in my subsequent
visits to hospitals
The most striking feature of this army at pres
ent is the accession it is receiving from refugees
/ They come in by hundreds; some from the army;
but mostly to avoid the CONSUMPTION. Some
have been serving conscripts, others have
been robbed of everything and come to avoid
starvation. They aILSet to work enlisted
/ in the army. They seem quite willing to do
either. Their accounts of the decentralization
and desperation of the Rebel army would be in
teresting and important. if it were not a repeat
/ ing of the old refugee story on which much
was counted at an earlier date. Their accounts
are true, doubt. but we have learned that the
Rebels fight terribly notwithstanding. From
them, however, Gen. ROsecrans has gathered
important information which he does not wish me
| to disclose.
The desperation of Bragg is quite as evident
from his anxiety to receive information from
within our lines as from any thing else. Never
before were the avenues OF Information as her
metcally sealed, and never he so anxious to
know what are about. In this extremity he
has resorted to the agency of the feminine portion
| of his friends, who until very lately could get
through to some sick or dying relative A
few days ago one we'll dressed lady obtained
pass on the representation of some very trying
family affection. but on being examined the
picket station it was discovered that she had
bolt of secesh uniform cloth made into tempo
rary under garment, and two pairs of cavalry
boots tied to her under clothes and some import
ant letters in her stockings OF course she was
passed back to the town. One lady had passed
several times on missions OF mercy, whose gen.
eral department and family connection gave
strong grounds of suspicion, but whose stockings
had been searched in vain for the contraband in
formation. The Provost Marshal General was
not vet satisfied, and ordered more thorough
search by committee of females, when i'm
DOrtant dispatch was found where no spy OF the
masculine gender could have carried it. That
woman has since been confined by order of Ged.
ROsecrans, in very close quarters.
could give you chapter on the animus of
the army, and the sentiments of the soldiers on
political questions but il would be unsatisfactory,
for another man, Calling around him another
class OF soldiers. would obtain probably just The
opposite expressions Moreover, am of opinion
that their views now are not of half much i'm
pOrtance as some folks imagine. They are sol
diers not citizens and long before they change
from one to the other, the questions of to-day
will have passed away. l have heard but
soldier approve of the suggestion of arms
tce; others might in the same length of time
find but one who did not desire it, but have not
conversed with a citizen of this place who does
not desire it, but he says the South will never
ask it, and never consent to a reconstruction. As
it is, | have concluded that the peace movement
at home is a two edged sword which cuts both
WAYS, but more in the right than in the wrong
direction; therefore | would encourage them.
They will not make peace. but intensity the
struggle and make the overthrow of rebellion the
more complete when it is done. So think
Others may think as they please. T. A. q.
MURFREEsBoRo. Feb 30. 1863
Since l wrote the other day | have visited sew
era hospitals or the natives would say, several
wards of the one hospital which this town is, and
wish to say, without meaning 70 puff anybody
or to offend ANYBODY, that crowded hospital is
no desirable place to be a visitor, and much
less as nurse and still less as a patient; vet in
Justice to all parties and no less to the friends at
home than to the sick here, must say that as a
general thing every possible attention is given to
those who are sick and wounded | could men
ton cases Of neglect but they exceptions, not
| the rule. Were disposed to amuse your readers,
or TO pain them, rather | could cluster together
hospital peculiarites, so as 10 make dOeul ex-
hibt of privatons and suiferings just as desttu-
ton hunters. in the shape of Yankee school
: marms and Yankee missionary preachers, some
times write to Bosting noosepapers, how great
their privatiOns are, and how benighted the poor
HOLSTERS are while we think at home that we are
! somewhat advanced in civilization. The undis
guised truth is that hospital is not home, and
men nurses are not wives and mothers, and
women nurses, except in limited way, are. in a
hospital worse than men nurses: but the further
, truth is. that everything is done that can be to
make the men comfortable, and they COM
} Portable as nen with sore heads and sore arms
and legs, and sore all over, well can be. And in
this connection must say that great praise is due
to the Sanitary Commission which supplies Sd
many essentials which the Government does not.
He is a great liar and a dirty dog who represents
this noble charity as failure, as thousands can
testify. Very true, no one sees very much OF
5 anything. A barrel of apples, even dozen
4 apples, 90 great ways in private family when
used only for one sick man. but dozen or a hun
t dred barrels are but IA small item where sick are
numbered by thousands. In Nashville / ascer-
tain there are $500 sick lndianans aolne. Here
there must be half as many. What are all the
delicacies that have beer sent among many
Yet il is something, and instead of our drying up
our charities because some croaker says the con-
tributions do not reach the sick, let Us double
them and make our poor soldiers doubly happy.
Z. We have forty three Indiana regiments. and
batteries hereabouts, besides those left at sh-
VILE Galatin and other places in the rear, num-
bering in all something more than fifty in this de-
partmenI. And now if YOU would like To- enjoy
soldering WHILE would like TO curry you with
me from camp to camp, as the darky carries the
horse to water only will agree 10 walk if you
will and we will walk not go at all, for horses
IRE out of the question. Captain Bracken can
stand it, for have seen him tried, but the weather
is decidedly soft and the roads ditto Blessed be
! the man who has water proof boots, prov ided
always they don't hurt his corns, unfortunately
mine do / have been trying it to-day. and now
l am resting, by way of writing few lines be-
fore going to bed.
If should tell you the truth. you would want
the whole truth, and nothing but the TRUTH about
these regiments, all of which would be difficult
and delicate matter, requiring more time to OBJ
? tain, and then more time to write, than have to
bestow. Moreover, the whole truth would com