The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-12-31
THREE WEEKS AT GETTYSBURG.
What we did at Gettysburg.
july, 1868.

July, 1863.
What we did at Gettysburg, for the three
weeks we were there, you will want to know
pening to BE- on hand at the right moment, gladly
fel! in with the proposition to do what we
could at the Sanitary Commission Lodge, after
the battle. There were of course, the agents OF
the Commission, already on the field, distributing
supplies to the hospitals, and working night and
tell you what was done by all the big wheels OF
the concern, but only how two of the smallest
ones went round, and what turned up in the
going.
rwenty-four hours we were in making the
journey between Baltimore and Gettysburg,
places only four hours apart in ordinary running
time and this win give you some idea of the
difficulty there was of bringing up supplies when
the fighting was over, and the delays in trans
porting wounded. Coming toward the town at
the fences were down and the ground slightly
tossed up :. That's where Kilpatrick's cavalry
men fought the rebels" some one said, 50 and
close by that barn a rebel soldier was found day
before yesterday sitting dead 80 no one to help,
poor soul, near the whole city full" The
railroad bridge broken up by the enemy, Govern
ment bad not rebuilt as yet, and we stopped two
miles from the town, to find that, as usual, Just
where the Government had left off the Commits
sion had come in. Their stood their temporary
lodge and kitchen, and here hobbling out of
their tents came the wounded men who had made
their way down from the Corps hospital expect
ing to leave at once in the return cars.
This is the way the thing was managed at
first the surgeons left in care of the wounded
three or four miles out from the towl, went up
and down among the men in the morning, and
said, :" Any of you boys who can make your way
to the cars, can go to Baltimore" So off start
all who think they feel well enough, anything
being better than the - HOSPITALS so called, for
the first lew days after a battle. Once the men
have the surgeons permission to go, they are Off
and there may be an interval of a day, or two
days, should any of them be two weak to reach
the train in time, during which these poor fellows
belong to no one, the hospital at one end, the
railroad at the other, with far more than chance
of falling through between the two. The Sani-
tary Commission knew this would be so of neces-
sity, and coming In, made q connecting link be-
tween these two ends.
For the first few days the worst cases only,
came down in ambulances from the hospitals /;
hundreds of fellows hobbled along as best they
could in heat and dust, for hours, slowly toiling,
and many hired farmers wagons, as hard as the
farmers fists themselves, and were jolted down to
the railroad, at three or four dollars the man.
Think of the disappointment of a soldier, sick,
body and heart, to find, at the end of this miser-
able journey, that his effort to get away. into
which he had put all his remaining stock Of
strength, was useless that Sc the cars had gone"
or 81. the cars were full - that while he was COM
ing others bad stepped down before him, and
that he must turn all the weary way back again,
or sleep on the roadside till the next train I. to-
morrow !" Think what this WouLd have been,
and you are ready to appreciate the relief and
comfort that ras. No men were turned back.
You fed and you sheltered them just when no
one else could have done so and out of the bar
rels of good and nourishing things, which you
people at home had supplied, we took all that
was needed. Some of you sent a stove (that is,
tha r,nnau n ~ - y unr,o n g n tLa HaaE e%1aI~
some Of you the milk and fresh bread and all of
you would have been thankful that you had done
so, could you have seen the refreshment and
comfort received through these things.
AZ soon as the men hobbled up to the tents,
good hot soup was given all round, and that over,
their wounds were dressed for the gentlemen
of the commission are cooks. or surgeons, as
occasion demands,-and, finally, with their
blankets spread over the straw, the men stretched
themselves out and were happy and contented till
morning. and the next train.
On the day that the railroad bridge was re-
paired We moved up to the depot, close by the
town. and had things in perfect order a first
rate camping ground. in 4 large field directly by
the track, with unlimited supply of delicious
cool water. Here we set up two stoves, with
four large boilers, always kept full of soup and
coffee, watched by four or FIVE black men, who
did the cooking, under our direction. and sang
(not under our direction at the tops of their
voices all day,
Oh darsies hb you seen ny Massa.n
when this cruel war is oreJ.'
Fhea we had three large hospital tents, holding
about thirty-6ye each, a large mp-meetin
where barrels of goods were stored, |
and our Own smaller tent fitted up with tables
where Jelly pots and bottles of all kinds of good }
syrups. blackberry and black currant, stood in
rows. Barrels were ranged round the tent walls
drawers, d~ressing-gowns, socks, and slip
pers Il wish we had more of the latter rags and
bandages. each in its own place on one'side on
the other, boxes of tea. coffee, soft -ckers,
tauarinds,c cherry brandy, etc. Over ~iiEEkitchen,
md over this small supply-tent we MIN pen rather
and filed up our wants BY acquisitions
IN the Commission depot. By this time there
rad arrived . delegation of just the right
from Gs1andaigua, N. T., with surgeon
ressers and attendants. bringing a srst-rate sup
ly Of necessities and comforts for the wounded,
7hich they handed ever to the Commission.
Twice q day the trains left for Baltimore or
harrisburg. and twice q day we fed all the
who arrived for them. Things were
IsteInati1ed now, and the men came down in