The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-11-14
Iowa Sanitary Matters.


convention to be held ut Des Moines on the
18th inst, which I wish to notice, and Will
do so by treating the subject generally. l
have been in a position for some two years
or more, which has brought me in contact
with our sanitary operations, and If can
shed any light on the subject, / shall be
glad to do so. Light is all that is needed TO
produce correct action.
Whether the proposed convention VIII
aid our sanitary interests will depend en-
tirely upon the action it takes, or attempts
to take. But if it shall attempt to carry
out the schemes OF its authors as Swallowed
forth in the "call'' and by the representa-
tons of the ladies who visited this place in
it's interest, il will, in my opinion, only re-
suit in throwing confusion into our santa
nv affairs, and an utter failure ofits objects.
This view is contrary to the one you ex-
press. Let us look at it.
What are the schemes proposed? From
the sources above named learn it is pro-
posed:
l. To establish in Iowa depot to receive
all the supplies furnished by Iowa.
Q. To employ sanitary boat to transport
these supplies to the army, and
8. To employ Iowa agents to distribute
these supplies to Iowa men only.
Is this practicable? Itappears to me the
bare statement is its refutation.
Let US examine further. we nave one
at Little Rock, Arkansas, ana at various
points in that State, one regiment al Alton,
illinois. one at Cairo, one at Columbus.
Kentucky. several at Memphis Tenn,
some at Helena, Arkansas, several at
Vicksburg, Miss, and on the Big Black, in
the rear OF Vicksburg, some at Natchez,
some on the west bank OF the Mississippi
river. forty miles above the mouth Of Red
River. some at Port Hudson, some at New
Orleans. several regiments in the 18th Ar
nv Corps in louisiana, or Eastern Texas,
several regiments between COrinth and
Chattanooga, pressing towards the latter
place, one regiment south Of Nashville and
one regiment at Louisville, or were when
last heard from. lost of them are constant
ly changing their location, and all are La
bic to do so at any moment.
Our sick and wounded are scattered in
every hospital from Keokuk to New Or
leans, and east and west of the Mississip-
ri river wherever our regiments go. Yet
it is proposed that Iowa shall supply all of
these scattered men by Iowa agents, with
Iowa sanitary goods, to the exclusion OF
others. Do you believe it practicable p
l do not. The Government will furnish no
TRANSPORTATION for any individual, compa-
nv or regiment. OF course the State must
do it. Have the authors of this scheme
calculated the magnitude of this item p.
How long would it require for their one
points, and how will they transport when
that boat cannot go? How many agents
will it require to visit all these points once
in a month, and leave them unvisited the
balance of the time? Provided all this is
practicable, where are the funds coming
from? No voluntary association can fur
nish them. It must be done by the State.
Should the war continue, nothing short OF
half million of dollars will answer for
the two wears to come.
But can it be done even with such pro-
vision? Will the United States authori-
ties permit it?
What would be the effect, in the army, of
our agents going through camp or hospital
filled with needy men from all the North,
dealing out their supplies to Iowa men, and
passing all others by, although they might
be much the more needy? l think it would
produce anything but the harmony and
good feeling so essential to the success of
our arms, and do not believe it would be
tolerated for a moment. Again, Iowa has
terial for this war than any other State, in
proportion to her numbers, while she has
been far behind most Of them in all other
supplies for an army. She is in no way
indebted to the other States for their sur
plus OF supplies of material, for she has
doubly cancelled all obligations of this
kind by the best blood of her sons; but
payment others are ready to make her for
this blood?
1t is a fact. known to those who have
been cognizant of the matter, that Iowa
men have received double, perhaps treble,
the amount of sanitary stores that Iowa
has furnished. marvel at the cutlery by
Iowa people about their goods going into a
general stock, when it is susceptible of
proof that Iowa soldiers draw so much
more largely therefrom than our contribu-
tons. If Iowa is to shut herself up within
herself in this matter, of course our soldiers
can have no claim on the supplies furnish
ed by others. How would our wounded
and mangled soldiers, after some great bat
tie, fare, if our agents failed to be at hand
and they were denied the comforts furnish
ed by others? Would not they curse the
follv that had so bereft them of what they
had so richly earned? Much is said about
harmonizing the sanitary efforts in the
State. l know Of no conflict. What are
our present agencies? We have two. One
Iowa Sanitary Commission, of which Rev.
A. J. Kynett, of Davenport, is principal
manager. He has an arrangement with
the United States Sanitary Commission by
which all supplies sent through his agency
go to Chicago into the common stock OF
that noble institution, free Of all cost to tie
donors, and of which common stock Iowa
SOluieTS shdIS SlOsiAAS WIN oAA ooA>AS'
can see no objection to this arrangement.
nor any hostility to any other.
Another agency is through Mrs. Witten-
myer. Our Legislature appointed her to
this position, and she is thus acting under
the highest State authority. All goods sent
through her agency go directly to st. Louis
and then into the common stock OF the
Western Sanitary Commission, and Mrs
Wittenmeyer is recognized agent of both
of these organizations, and at perfect lib
erty to draw from their stores, and OF which
Iowa soldiers receive vastly more than we
contribute thereto. Do we lose anything
by this? =.
Both Of these organizations are recognize
ed and fostered by the general Government
and have every facility of transportation
to any point reached by any part Of our ar
nv, and they do their utmost to reach eve.
nv such point with sanitary supplies, and
generally succeed, when their supplies are
distributed through the surgeons OF the diff:
ferent regiments.
Can the exclusive State agency, without
such Government favor, be thus success
full? It is utterly impossible. Nor can
such favor be obtained, for the Govern
ment will make no distinction between
troops from different States. They are all
So 1,a ri