Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-01-22

advised the applicants to form such com
panies under the Statute, and so far al
possible the acquisitions of these compa
MES have been complied with. But il
the more thinly populated parts of TIT
State, where the necessity for arms i;
most pressing, the formation of uniformed
companies is hardly practicable.
RELIEF FUND, HOSPITALS, &C.
At the adjourned session in June last
the Legislature made an appropriation oil
$4,000 for the purpose of defraying ex.
penses Heretofore and since incurred in
the care of sick and wounded. soldiers.
Of this fund there has been expended
up to the present time the sum OF
Sl0,828 81, leaving 50, III 06 yet IN
drawn A detailed report of these
expenditures and of their nature, and
the purposes for which the money
was used, and the general results OBJ
tanned, will soon be laid before you.
During the sickly season of last summer
several expeditions, consisting of physic-
ians and nurses, were sent south to bring
sick and wounded soldiers from our State
to their homes or to northern hospitals !;
and such expeditions were subsequently
on several occasions dispatched to battle
fields after severe battles in which troops
from our State had taken part. These
expeditions have all been under the charge
of the Surgeon General, and have been
of the greatest usefulness to the brave
wounded soldiers, adding much to their
comfort and Immediate help and great
credit is due to the Surgeon General and
the philanthropic gentlemen who, always
without compensation, accompanied him,
for the manner in which they always dis,
charged their missions. Often have
heard of the touching scenes that took
place on the arrival of these parties, when
the gallant unfortunate men could not
repress their tears on seeing that the State
followed them upon the battle field, ten
dering them the aid and comfort which
they so well deserved and were in need Of
At the beginning of the war and up to
last summer sick and wounded men were
general permitted to 60 home to recruit
their health and were granted limited
furloughs for that purpose. This system
led to much abuse, and to the diminution
of the army to such an extent, that the
Government adopted the rule, to which it
has since rigidly adhered, of refusing all
furloughs, keeping the sick and wounded
soldiers in government hospitals, and au-
thorizing their discharge if unfit for fur
Their service. Last fall, with Governors of
many other States, l presented request
to the President to change this system to
some extent, by establishing hospitals in
the several States and removing as much
as possible the sick to the respective hos
pitfalls in their own States, where they
would be nearer their friends, and where,
to limited extent at least, the system of
furloughing such as could go to comforta-
BILE homes could safely be carried out.
Prior to this [ had repeatedly and urgently
applied for the establishment of hospi-
tai at some proper place in our State, with
a view of having our sick and wounded
removed thereto. The reason why these
requests have not been granted is
the one, [ presume, which induced the
Government originally to cease the system
of furloughing. l am not prepared to
deny that the present system is on the
whole the best, and one dictated by neces-
sity; and | will here take occasion, from
lily O"h OooC1 fuUlOl HUH dill UuG
reports [ have received from reliable
sources, to bear witness to the really
excellent manner in which the government
hospitals are generally kept. 1t is true
have often been made, and in
many instances undoubtedly justly made,
of improper treatment of men in hospitals,
but in many cases where such complaints
reached me, and where | always caused in
vestigation to be made, l have been subse-
quently convinced that the complaints
were without foundation, and emanated
from some worthless source.
Immediately after the appropriation, l
sent several competent gentlemen to the
principal hospitals to act as agents on the
part of the State in looking after and aid
ing our sick and wounded soldiers. But
few such agents, not exceeding four at any
one time, have ever been sent, and their
labor has in all instances been most use
fully bestowed. In the cities of New
York and Philadel phia I have made use
of agencies already established by other
States, and in the city of Washington the
Wisconsin Aid Society has rendered most
valuable and gratuitous services. A SOL
der lying in hospital sick and wounded
has many wants that the regular hospital
attendants cannot we'll supply. The
agents can see to these wants, procure
descriptive lists, place sick men in COM
munication with their relatives, see that
those who are entitled to discharges OBJ
tain such, and see that abuses in hospitals
are promptly brought to the attention of
superior officers and remedied. Much
complaint and, [ regret to say, just COM
plant, has been made upon the matter of
discharges. Men wholly unfit for SER
vice have often been obliged to remain in
hospitals for want of their disch .rges an
length of time; many have
died who, but for the negligence of some
officer in not promptly forvarding the pa
pers, might have recovered if permitted to
60 home or at least might have expired in
the arms of their friends. In this matter
the State agents have worked necessarily,
and have often made complaint to the
proper authorities, not always however
with success. Some delay is unavoidable,
but a large part of it, unreasonable, and
some change to the better in the present
system of discharges seems absolutely
demanded. l recommend that you memo
rlallze the President upon this subject, as
also upon the subject of establishing a
hospital in this State to which Urge
portion of our sick aad wounded might be
brought. ! also respectfully recommend
that before you adjourn the necessary ap-
preparation be made to enable me to con-
tinue to give aid to our sick and wounded
soldiers.
l cannot close this subject without pay
ing a proper tribute to the many noble
aid societies, consisting mostly of women,
in our State, who have necessarily labored