Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-02-19
sanitary stores a. sI,e NasbvfIIe Hospitals.

SoAAhAFy STORES at fhe NasnVAle hospAHA
Correspondence ofelevelsnd LEADxR.l
NASHVILLE, CTenn.) Feb. Il, 1853.
EDITORS CLEVELAND LEADER "a few
lines from an observer in the field as to
the most efeetual mode of relieving the
wants of the sick and wounded soldiers of
this army will probably be of interest to
very many Of your readers who are labor
ing SO faithfully in their behalf With
from ten to fifteen thousand sick and
wounded in the hospitals, no mode of dis
tributiOn can fully supply the necessities
of all; but systematized effort is made SO
so to distribute the supplies sent forward
that the most needy shall be relieved with
out regard to State lines or local psrtiali-
ties. 1t must be remembered that Nash
vile is in q state of blockade. No goods
Of any kind can be sent through from the
North without especial permit, except san
itary stores sent through the United States
Sanitary Commission. While write,
boat is tied up in the river for bringing
goods in violation Of this announcement
which is already confscated; and the
question now Is whether the boat itself
will escape confscation. General Rose
Grams has issued general orders giving all
needful transportation for the Sanitary
stores and agents of the commission. For
reasons apparent to every one here, he also
insists that all goods sent through the Com
mission should be for general distribution.
II without special permits goods are al
lowed to be forwarded through this chan
mel, marked sanitary stores and consigned
to particular persons or regiments, it is
impossible to prevent instances Of Snug
Cling through contraband goods. Your
readers will observe, according to newspa-
per accounts, that some OF the "infernal
machines" sent South to blow up Union
boats and Union soldiers have been sent
forward from New York city as hospital
stores. One such instance is enough to
show the necessity of prohibiting all such
shipments. Much as the friends Of par
ticular regiments may desire that their
contributions should reach their regiments
the possibility that in sending forward
their tokens of love, they should open up
channel through which mercenary
friends of the South can send aid and
comfort to the enemy and the means of
destruction to the loyal sOldiery, will sat-
isfy them that it is best to forego that
pleasure and send only for general distri-
button.
But it is certain that the latter is the best
mode, independent of other considerations,
Of accomplishing the real purposes they
have in view-the relief of their especial
friends. OF the sick of cvery regiment four
fftks are in the general hospitals, and
goods sent to the regiment are sent away
from majority of its sick ; and if they
reach the regiment those most needing
them see none of them. But they cannot,
with any certainty, reach them. The great
loss of supplies is in this class Of ship
ments solely. Packages, for instance,
reach Nashville for q regiment at Gala
| TIN. 4O-uhE Luey uE6 4uAh Nu1AS :
tomorrow the regiment is here, and the
next day sent to the front; the goods must
be returned here and sent forward, with
the probability that all this trouble is for
nothing, and the regiment will never see
the shipment.
But while they are expecting immedi-
ately this large supply, they do not feel
that it is right to draw from the general
stock, and they suffer more than those for
whom no special provision has been made.
The Commission can communicate with
wants of allif the means Of doing it are
furnished. The present supply, large as
it is, is only adequate to the partial relief
of the sick. Let that great army Of moth
ers. wives and sisters at home, who have
alrsaA . dome ~ nOR1y, OoILiNus thaiF good
work, recruit their ranks, and send forward
their contributions in large quantities,
assured that they do and will 60 to the
needy soldier. If any return and truth
fully report that their wants were not sup
piled; that they got none Of the contribu-
tions it is only because when they were
needing them, the supply was not equal to
the demand. Could they only see how
much good they are doing, how much suf-
fering they arealleviating, and how many
soldiers they are saving from death, they
would feel repaid thousand fold for their
labors, and would work with renewed en-
ergy and spirit.