Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-04-01
Liahfs and sLadea d soldieT Ilfs.

brary Association and writes to the Libra
rian. Having spoken of illness and of the
want felt, while in hospital, for something
different from the ordinary soldiers ra-
tons, he says:
"The Soldiers Aid Society has sent me
some tea, or rather some was sent from
Murfreesboro' to The battery, of the stock
they had furnished. 1 have had, too, a few
blackberries, gooseberries, and q little pre-
served milk from their stores. Did not
these things taste good, and did not ], in
my innermost soul, thank the good women
of Ohio, to whom I was indebted for these
luxuries2 May God bless them, and may
every hour spent in working for the poor
sick and wounded soldier, add q year of
uninterrupted happiness to their lives. I
was very glad to receive these things from
the Society's stores, for more reasons than
my own immediate benefit. 1 was well
convinced and firmly believed myself, that
not only did the ladies intend, but really
did do a great deal ofgood to soldiers. I
had read so many accounts, both from the
soldiers themselves and from good men
who are spending their time and strength
for no other purpose but to do good, and
whom, therefore, we must believe, that
good is being, and has been done, and yet
I was sorry to find a very different notion
prevalent among my comrades. They fully
believed that the ladies worked hard, and
that the best and hottest motives in the
world prompted them. They were heartily
thankful to them for their labor of love,
but in ali their letters home they discour-
aged their friends from doing more, be-
cause they believed that dishonest physi-
clans and other officials appropriated the
bulk of what the ladies sent TO their own
use and benefit. 1 have again and again
c~ombatted this opinion but have not found
one man to support me. Many have been
in hospitals and claim that there were
things that came, but that they never got
anything. The things were eaten up, sold,
sc. I have no doubt that there are dis
honest doctors, and that they do appropri-
ate q few things to their own use and ben
eft, but 1 must and will believe that all
this really affects the soldiers az a body,
and the labors Of the ladies as a whole,
scarcely at all and 1 would say, go on,
dear ladies, in your work and labor of love,
with the full assurance that God will re-
ward you, and also that the soldier is ben
Gifted, and that his heart is lightened, his
eyes are lit up anew, and his whole being
receives new life when he sees that he is
thought of and cared for in his far distant
home. The good received from the things
was not all physical my heart was warn
ed by the unexpected but welcome pres
ents, and this did me as much good in
the depressed and feeble condition in which
1 lay as the things themselves. AS far as
our battery is concerned, 1 think that the
reason they have hitherto been so little
benefited is because they have been on
duty in O~ut-of-the-Way places, and of
course where there are the most men there
is the greatest need. A few among smaller
numbers may want equally as bad, butitis
often harder to reach them, and the worst
cases must be attended to first. Now we
are near the main body and can be reach
ed, and to my benefit and that of several
others, have been.
al nave written to Mr.. Holt, asking him
to get me a few books, old novels, maya
zines, ETC., and to enlist you or any other
Of my kind friends in the work. I hope
he has received the letter. A soldier would
spend his time much more pleasantly, and
what's Of more Importance, would be a far
better and more useful man if he could
have plenty Of good reading. When lying
in camp a soldiers leisure hours, instead
of being a benefit, are often, through want
of proper means of employing them, de-
moraliZing to mind and injurious to his
body. Hours that would be spent in read
ing, if furnished with books and papers,
are spent in gambling when he has money.
in eating and sleeping when he has none.
I think if we only had officers that really
cared for our interest and their country's,
a soldiers life might be made far more en-
durable, and consequently the army more
healthy and efficient. They can buy what
they want from the Commissary Depart
ment at the same price the contractor fur
nishes the article for, while the poor pri-
vate cannot buy at any price, however
much we may want to do 50. To grant us
this privilege might increase the labors of
the officers in charge, but would add ma
terially to our comfort. For instance, we
have q fixed ration Of sugar, just enough
to sweeten u coffee when used eeonomi-
cally. Occasionally we draw rations of
rice or hominy; either Of these we'll cooked
and sweetened forms an agreeable variety
to our hard bread and pork, and is also
beneficial to health. We cannot spare the
sugar without robbing the coffee of its
necessary sweet, and in a mess of fifteen
or twenty men all are not willing to do
this, as some do not care for it, and so
these things often lie around, get dirty, and
are wasted. If We could buy -four we
could fix up soups, gravies, &C., which we
cannot do without. Again the Commits
sary has discontinued issuing candles
for what reason we know not u ration
was not large, but enough to light up our
tent for two or three hours, and when we had
papers or an interesting book of miscella-
neous character, some one would read
aloud, your correspondent generally being
the reader; in factit originated with me
from the fact that only one or two could
enjoy the benefit Of the candle when read |
ing to themselves by the other plan all
could share IN it. From this we are now
cut off; there are candles in the company
for the officers; they can buy them at some
price-twenty or twenty-five cents
pound. We cannot; to-day per
sutler, and with the ne tried the
of the rascaIs customary extortion
a pour ne asked s~eVenty-fye cents
1 going to blame our officers, though with a
very little trouble to themselves they
could help us to what we want, for they
could buy and then sell to US. It was in
regard to newspapers that were sent to
MS through the mail not one-tenth Of the
number sent ever reaches us. For this 1
cannot think that the pOstofice or Govern
ment is to blame; if they are, it is a
shameful neglect Of a fair bargain, they
agreeing to carry, our friends to pay we
charge our officers with taking them for
their " use. 1t may be that we are
wrong; but there is blame somewhere.
Letters come through, generally-newspa-
pers seldom. There are other things, but
I have not space left.
Respectfully, yours,
HENRY MACE.