Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-02-07

ways to get good accommodations. Generally
the soldiers are huddled together uncomforta-
bly, in the cars, and sometimes they 70 Into
the cattle care to the eeat of war: When
they get to Washington-if they 20 % far
without stopping-you may bs sure some of
them will 6s sick within twenty.four hours.
Sickness almost certainly begins in that time
from the period Of starting. aA e 41o2e
But in Philadelphia tho soiAiers alniost al.
ways get good meal at the Volunteers RI.
frsshment Ros,us of tlns city. The Qualass
ife doing glorious work. SOldiefs have of.
ten spoken to ms about the "last good meal'
they had taken before entering active ser.
vics, and which they received in Pi,ilad,lphia.
think two hundred thousand men have ken
fed there. Understand, this Is not the Sani-
tsry Commission, it is tho city Of philadel.
phia: laughter and applause. Nhnf
The soldiers get to Washington. The fret
thing they find-and they would not, howev.
81, find that If the Sanitary Commission had
not raped the government over the knuckles
lis the Soldiers Rest" Soldiers may
and often do expect that on arriving at WASH
ington, the capital Of tho government they
have volunteered to defend, they will be wei
coined by the President, or perhaps, by some
member of the cabinet but they may find
instead that they can scarcely get meal IT,
eat. They have had 60 many soldiers in
Washington, that they have ceased to regard
them as objects Of special attention; in fact,
soldier ia now looked upon there as a very
common sort of man, and much less thought
is bestowed upon the subject of his comfort
than should be. lie las, however, the bene-
fit of the Soldiers Rest. 4.o
But what Of those who are sick They
cannot ordinarily have the benefit of the gel
eral hospital. and there is perhaps no time,
nor opportunity Of making a rginental hos
pital. The Sanitary Commission has estaE.
lished hospital. to cover this want. And
VIZ undertake to give the sold 'ers good care.
We have had thirteen thousand men in or
" Soldiers Home" ..f III, .,.-. .
But this il not our only home. There 10
one at Cincinnati, and one at Cairo, and the
Commission takes care of soldiers every
where in the United States. 1t does not
only take care Of soldiers who are sick. and
are going to the field, but of those who arv
discharged and sick, waiting perhaps for their
pay: W. t,s H., e
Those who have to wait for their pay often
have no means and no place in which to live
while they wait. Therefore, VIC have erected
q sort Of inn for the purpose, next the pay
masters Office in Washington. We take care
Of all such persons-all who possibly can bs
got into our hand-and " do" for them as they
say in New England, rntil they can do for
themselves. We send them home; if they
have no money to pay their fare. we pay it
for them, and if they are not well enough to
60 home alone. we send person to take Z
charge Of them On the way. We have the
satisfaction Of knowing that the soldiers ap.
preciate what we do for them whatever may
be the case with others, and they will ever
remember the Sanitary Commission. ~.
INSTRUCTIONS TO SURGEONS AND oFrlcERs.
We give instructions to surgeons and oth-
ers, and give al the information We can to the
officers Of the regiment and of the general SER
vice. The quartermastrr and commissary
srs, perhaps, but partially acquainted with
the operations Of the army regulations. Many
things are wanted which they do not know
how to get. They could get them, perhaps.
If they waited week. but articles Of clothing.
ordinary stores or medicines are doubtless
needed a once. The Sanitary Commission
comes in here. The officers explain to us
what they need, and the wants arv supplied
Immediately If necessary, but in moderate
degree, for we wish to inculcate the necessity
Of depending on the ordinary channels Of sup
ply: ...'''. 's' rs -as .5aiE
We send down little package Of this ar
ticle and another Of that, and somstime largs
one. to the regimental hospital or quartermas.
ter's department. A regiment is ordered to
Fortress Monroe. from ito camp. The sick
msn in the hospital cannot 20 along. They
must Be- taken to the general hospital There
ars sometimes hundred or more regimen.al
hospitals, where the sick men are among their
5tisods they fsel themselves At home Con-
siderable towns are formed Of thu hospitals.
and which often contain many thousand in.
habitants. The time comes when the regi-
ments must move, and the men must, Of course.
b. lsfe. They do not like the General Hos.
pital. SIS sss
But the general hospital is q much better
place than might bs expected. The soldier
thinks It place to die. But our government
takes good care Of these hospitals, and they
have been much improved. There are, how
ever. omissions mot designed for omissions.
but they amount to such. The hospital fund.
which y the money allowance for the food
the sick soldiers arv entitled to. but cannot
eat. is constantly accommodating. Some hospi-
tails have been made absolutely indepsrdent
Of al outside aid through this means. This
b the main reliance on which The Government
dspsnds for tho supply u the wants q the iick
and wounded soldiers. but 10 some casse the
surgeons do not understand this fund and do
nj 1rnv Il. Then the no1diasn vnnf 9ofn,..