Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-01-24

street, Baltimore, Nd. Please also 70
write to me by mail when they leave
Cleveland, giving list Of the articles
sent. The officers of the Commission are
G. s. Griffith, Chairman, Geo. P. Hays,
Treasurer, ]. N. NJ. Jilton, Secretary
Send as freight by all means, if you can
do so with economy and any degree Of
promptness. To suggest caution in
the packing is doubtless superhuous,
yet our matron tells some sad stories Of
broken bottles and wasted wine.
After all, my letter is not brief, for my
excited sympathy will speak. Hoping to
hear from you again, am, with grateful
acknowledgement
- Yours truly,
ELLA $. WOLCOTT.
Letter from DR.. Woodward, United
States Army:
PARK BARRACKS, LOUISVILLE, KY,
December 3lst, 1862.
DE-. J. S. NEwBERRY-DEAR SIR:-Af-
ter the short interview with you this morn
ing which it was my pleasure to have,
have thought could not more appropri-
ately close the year than by bearing will
ling, grateful testimony to the great good
which has been done by the Sanitary Com
mission during the past year, as it has
come under my own knowledge.
Immediately after the battle Of Belmont,
Missouri, in November, 1860, was the first
I knew much of the workings of the San
itary Commission. At that time, DR..
Agnew was in Cairo, and finding the great
want of Sanitary stores, he caused sup
ply to be forwarded to the various hospi-
! tails where our wounded were. The most
Of these supplies were from illinois,
| Many Of them were sent by the direct
agency of Governor Richard Yates, than
whom, no warmer friend Of the soldier
lives. Not only did the Governor and Dr.
Agnew see that the necessary stores were
provided, but DR.. Agnew spent weeks
visiting the hospitals and regiments at
tending to the wants of the sick and
wounded.
After the battle of Fort Donaldson, there
was great destitution among the soldiers
and without the aid Of the Sanitary Com
mission much suffering must have ensued,
and many lives been lost, which by the aid
of these supplies were saved. It was while
our army lay before Corinth that Twas en-
abled to see the amount Of good which the
Commission was doing. The 22d regi-
ment of Illinois took part in all the fights
and skirmishes on the left of the lines, at
and near Pennington, Mississippi. Here,
on the 9th Of May, our whole brigade lost
their knapsacks, and net only their extra
clothing, but very many their oVercosts,
| blankets and coats, they having been
left on the edge of piece Of woods just
before entering on the fight, and as we
were driven back by the greatly superior
force of the enemy, were not able to reooV-
er them. had, at that time, five large
tents crowded with sick and wounded,
the most Of them without change Of shirts
and drawers. Thus they lay in the blood
soaked clothes in which they fell, and
there were no Quartermaster's stores avail
able as the whole transportation Of the
army was required to bring forward "a
tions, forage and munitions Of war. We
had nothing but army rstions for our sick,
and dysentery and diarrhea were very
prevalent. At this juncture Ilearned that
there was q supply at Hamburg, and i'm
mediately sent my hospital steward with
an ambulance, over the worst roads pos
sible to conceive Of, with letter to the
gentleman having the stores in charge,
stating my wants. In three days he re-
turned with shirts, socks and drawers, loaf
sugar, tea, crackers, dried beef, oranges,
canned and dried fruit, farina, pearl bar
ley, and indeed with every needed article
No moments of my life were fraught with
more pleasure than when these things we're
taken into the hospitals and distributed.
AS the bloody, nIthy clothing was roPlaoed
by that which was clean and comfortable,
the tears came 10 many an eye, and thank
God" came from many lip. The most of
the articles were from Ohio and Illinois,
as indicated by the stamps "Soldiers' Aid.
Northern Ohio" "Soldiers Aid Chicago"
&c, and one large package from " Indian
apolis, Indiana" After the evacuation of
Corinth, Brigade Surgeon G. T. Allen re-
ceived very large supplies from various
points in Illinois, and it gave me pleas
ure to see many articles from my own
home, Galesburg, Illinois; and frequently
the name Of soms lady friend pinned to
the articles. Let me here relate one pleas
ant incident. Among a lot of quilts was
one marked "FrOm widow" AS it was
spread over poor wounded boy the little
label attracted his attention. He looked
at it and burst into tears. al wish, said
he, knew who sent this. Ny mother Is
a widow, and spends her time praying for
me and working for the soldiers' Often
have seen them take off the labels which
were pinned to articles, and put them in
their pockets as precious mementoes.
Soon after I was assigned to these bar
racks, where we had the debris Of Buels
army after the fight at PerryVille, there
was so much destitution among them that
wrote to Judge Skinner of Chicago ask
ing for aid, and the response was seven
large boxes and a barrel. 1 distributed
over 200 shirts, as many pairs Of drawers,
and rs quilts. When l wrote to him 1 was
not aware that there was a branch Of the
United States Commission in this city,
but before the articles arrived 1 learned
the fact, and made application to you and
received good supply Of shirts, drawers,
sc. l have thus been enabled to distribute
from these and other sources Of supply, 80
quilts and blankets, over 400 shirts, 300
pairs of drawers, 108 pairs Of socks, and
various other articles, to men who, from
loss of descriptive rolls and other causes,
could not be otherwise supplied. While
our wards we're full of sick, especially ty-
phoid cases and dysentery, the " Ladies'
Aid Society Of Northern Ohio sent some
boxes of fresh grapes. These were most
thankfully and jOyfully received. Though
there is in the minds Of many Surgeons q
prtiUdies against them, look upsn good,
sound, fresh grapes as the very best diet
that can be given in these diseases, if care
is taken not to swallow the skins or seeds.
They are cooling and refreshing, and the
tonic acid they contain, with the tartaric
acid and grape sugar, make combination
which art cannot equal As this is not
an official report, you viii pardon me
for saying that for years past, in private
practice, I have always prescribed ripe
grapes in these and other forms of disease,
and have invariably found them not only
grateful, but beneficial. Whether with the
regiment in the field, or labOring in hos
Ditals | have alWavs fOund the membara