The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-08-08

i4hbAhhhIION Of IhE ClCh AND WOUNDED
FROM THE PENINSULA OF VIRGINIA IN THE
SUMNER OF 1862. Compiled and published
at the request of the Sanitary Commission.
Boston Tcknor and Fields 1868.
This is neat volume, got up in the best style
OF this well known publishing house, and COM
mends itself to the reader at once by its inviting
exterior. But the editors have done their work
even better than the publishers. A'note accom-
panyng the book says:
"HoSPITAL TRANSPORTS E" has been prepared
under the auspices of the Sanitary Commission.
and will, it is hoped by the thrilling and pathetic
character of its contents, serve to im.ress more
deeply upon the public attention the importance
of the work which that organization is accomplish.
ing. Most of the letters comprising the volume
were written by FREDERICK Law OLMsTED.
Esq, Secretary of the Commission; the Rev. Mr..
KNAPP, Chief Relief Agent, and several ladies
who are coworkers in the enterprise
We need say no more to commend the book to
the public. We cannot refrain, however, from
giving our readers two of these letters, they give
such graphic description of hospital experiences.
This letter, giving description of the contra
bands, and closing with beautiful tribute to the
good angels of the Commission, is graphic and
touching:
We have on, ,our boats nine contraband woman.
from the Lee estate,-real Virginia darkies, ,"
and excellent workers,-who all " wish on their
souls and bodies that the rebels would be 9" put
in house together and burned up." Mary
Susan" the blackest of them, yielded at once to
the allurementS of freedom and fashion, and
begged Mr.. K. to take a little commission for her
the next time be went to Washington " wants
you to get me, sar, if you please, lawn dress
and hoop skirt, sar." The women not working
on our boats do the hospital washing for US in
their cabins on the Lee estate, and | have been
up to-day to hurry them with the Knickrbocker's
eleven hundred pieces. The negro quarters are
decent and comfortable little houses, with wide
road between them and the bank that slopes to
the river. ANY number Of little d4rkey babies
are rushing about and tipping into the wash-tubs
and in one cottage we found two absurdly small
babies taken care of by an antique bronze, calling
itself grandmother. Babies had the measles,
which wouldn't come out " on one of them.
, So she had laid him in the open clay even, and,
with hot sage-tea and an unusually large brick
put to It's morsels of feet, was proceeding to de.
veiop the disease. Two Of the coiored women
and their husbands work for us at the tent kitch.
en-, close by the shore, and entertain US by theil
= singing. The other night Molie and Nellie col.
lected all their friends behind their tent and COM
menced, IN sort of recitativo, a condensed mar.
ratlve of the creation of the world one giyinp
out line and all the others Joining in. They
went straight through from Genesis to Revelation
following with confession of sin and exhortatior
to do better, till suddenly their deep humiit,
seemed to strike them as uncalled for. and they
rose at once into the assurance Of the saints ;
and each one instructed her neighbor a, the tor
of her voice to
4" Go tell the holy angels
4 done, dene all ever can =,
Just as they came to pause the train arrived
mlanight, as usual, and the work of feeding anC
caring for the sick began again. Dr. Ware wa
ousy Wlth his nightly work of seeing that the meI
were properly lifted from the platform cars ant
put into the Slbley tents; Fl. was processing
his detail with additional blankets and quilts
ana Wagner, our Zouave, and his five men, were
going tie rounds with hot tea and fresh bread
while We were getting ready beef-tea and punch
Tor the use OF the sickest through the night. By
two O'Clock we could cross the gang-plauk to tht
'SmaH again. feeling that all the men were quie
and comfortable.
we women constantly receive noble and patr
QUO letters from the parents and friends of tht
soldiers who have died here among US, one of ou
duties being to write to the families of those VIZ
have had care OF. Mrs. - had sent her tbt
other day, from one the --Regiment LITTLE
poem In such delicate acknowledgment of kind
ness received that must copy it -
" From old St. Paul till now,
! OF honorable women not few
Have left their golden ease in love to do to-.
The sanity WORK that Chrstlike hearts pursue.
" And such art thou,-God's fair apostle
| Bearing his love in wars horrifc train: