Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-06-27

4
confded for distribution2 Fer nv own
part instead of being surprised ct the
magnitude Of the misappropriation of
sanitary stores, am surprised at the COM
paratively triling amount turned 10 other
uses than those intended by the donors.
There need be no eoncealment of the fact,
that in rare instances officers and men en-
trusted with them have embezzled, misap-
piled or even sold some of these goods; but
after being in the field since the active
commencement of the war, and being in
positions peculiarly favorable for correct
observation in regard to this important in
/ quiry l must say, that, in my opinion,
95 cents worth out of the dollar went
to the objects contemplated by those whose
generous hearts and liberal hands be-
slowed them. l think every surgeon in
the field, and in the hospitals, will agree
with me in this estimate, as being at least
not too high. Now, how are the other five
cents to be accounted for2 I cannot muI.
| tiply examples, and 1 will give one onlv.
| After the battle OF Fort Donelson. [ was
but too glad to avail myself Of the assist
anee Of the Ohio Sanitary Commissioner
the shape Of quilts and other articles of
clothing, liquors, articles Of food, etc for
my sick-almost famishing with hunger
apd perishing with cold-many of them
huddled up on the guards Of the steamer
| was placed in charge Of. In an intense
ly cold, and pitchy dark night l
ordered about dozen men to carry the
articles from the Sanitary boat to my
boat-about mile distant. The duty was
arduous if not dangerous. We had to
Wend our way along the slippery bluffs,
and steep, muddy banks Of the Cumber-
land, and from about twelve burdens, de-
spite the utmost vigilance, l missed one
pair Of drawers, seven bottles of whiskey,
and one of CataWba-nine only, the car
riers making sure of the freight This,
thought a successful trip and the good
ladies of Ohio, if they had been present
would have been amply prOpitiated by the
murmur Of gratitude on the tongues of all
who were the recipients of the bounty,
and at the gratifying spectacle of one
hundred men, at least being saved from
freezing to death, if not from death by
starvation, as their blankets and overcoats
were left on the field.
OF all the battles of the war, Donelson
killed and disabled the greatest number of
our men, the exposure being second only
to NapOleon's memorable Russian cam
paign. The hospital Surgeons are still
daily discharging or burying the victims
Of that battlefield, who lay with q snowy
sheet below and 3 snowy blanket above
them on the night before the battle, and
who stood up under the pitiless pelting of
a storm Of rain and sleet the night after.
The secesh suffered more still, as witness
the mortality in Camp Douglas.
But it is charged that the Surgeons |
and nurses Of regiments, and even the |
officers have used these Sani airy stores.-l
have known rare instances Of this |
but cannot recollect a single case where |
these officers were not sick, or unable |
to procure a supply Of any other sort. or
from any other source; and almost in7a- |
liably these officers made amends by do |
nations TO the men when no Sanitary sup |
plies could be had. Beer, apples, etc
have been thus bought and distributed
Moreover, these isolated cases occurred at
the commencement Of the war more fire. |
quently than now. l do not at present |
know Of a single regiment or hospital, in |
which the Sanitary donations are perverted
or mis-applied in any manner; and TO my
knowledge the medical staff and nurses of /
the various hospitals and regiments, have,
Of late, been suffering for the want of
fresh vegetables, which they procured in
liberal quantities from the Sanitary Con-
mission Agency at this post and daily
served to the sick and convalescents,
without being able to procure for them
selves a cabbage or potatOe from the North
or from the arid fields of Tennessee.
l am, therefore, unwilling to believe
that correct REPRESENTATIONS have been
made on the subject. / am unwilling to
hSliaya that those ladies and gentlemen
1,.-. '.aeh e-lsEiss-i 7s7e7ssT0ry OF hu-
manity, sent those articles, would refuse
teaspoonful of wine, or a picked cucum-
Der 10 sick officer, because he was an Of
fcer, and when he could not get it else
where.
1 am told there are traitors in the North,
and am sorry to be compelled 10 believe it.
but am not willing TO believe that hu-
man nature could descend SO low as to re-
sort to SO mean and so ineffably cruel a
trick as to dry up the fountains of the
heart-to stop the Sanitary supplies of our
brave and suffering soldiers. Rather shall
l accept the more natural explanation Of
these Fumors, viz, that certain eredulOus
and weak-minded individuals, from motives
Of petty spite or disappoin ed personal ex-
altation, have given rise to them. However
this may be, OF one thing am certain;
that the stories circulated in the North as
to the misapplicatiOn Of Sanitary dOna-
tions are either gross exaggeratiOns Of
facts or willful creations Of fancy.
I cannot close without agtiu thanking
you from the bottom Of my heart for the
late supplies of fresh vegetables which
beautifully saved my hospital from scurvy,
and for your clothing which saved the men
from the late inclemency Of the weather 1
On the part Of the patients in hospital
again thank you and your assistants for
your unremitting assiduity and prompti-
tude in furnishing The supplies, aud those
noble spirits who, th 'ough good and evil
report, are never weary in forwarding
them.
Respectfully yours,
H. NJ CRAWFORD,