Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-08-18
From the BrattlebOro Phenlx.
Care of Sick and Wounded Vermont Soldiers

Care of Sick and Wounded Vermont Soldiers
Articles have recently appeared in several pa
pers, crtlcsing the action Of The State in her
care of sick and wounded soldiers. SO far from
falling below her sister States in this matter,
Vermont far excels them all. A few brief state
ments will set this subject in its true light.
In December last, the State authorities made
arrangements with the authorities at Washing
ton, for the enlargement of Hospital accommo-
datons in Vermont, and the transfer OF Vermont
soldiers in U. 5. General Hospitals south of New
England, 10 the hospitals in Vermont. Under
this arrangement, the State was TO appoint
Commissioner, or Commissioners, to visit the va.
nous General Hospitals mako lists Of the Yer
mont soldiers therein found, present them at
Washington, and procure the transfer to Hospi.
tails in this State Of all thus found, excepting
such as could not bear the journey to Vermont,
and such as would get we'll in two or three weeks
where they were. A condition was made by the
authorities at Washington, that the State Com
missioneis should have only 10 do with such Of
the Vermont soldiers as had been sent in from
the field to General Hospitals, and that no in
reference or meddIing by State Agents with
soldiers in Camp or Field Hospitals. or attached
to their commands in the field, could be permit
ted
Two Commissioners were appointed, with in
structions conforming with the terms of the ar
rangement The Commissioners have not since
been authorized by the State, nor permitted by
the authorities at Washington, TO exceed their
original instruction. The Commissioners COM
menced their labors in the latter part of Deeem
Der last, and during the winter and early spring
visited large number of General Hospitals
finding the Vermont sick and wounded scattered
along, lew here and few there, in theee Hos
pitals, picking up all that were proper cases for
transfer, and sending them to hospitals within
the State. Having thus hunted up the YER
monters then in hospital, the effort has since
been to prevent new cases from becoming scat
tered through many hospitals 1t was necessary,
therefore, for the Commissioners 10 have their
headquarters at Washington, 80 as to attend to
cnr men as promptly as possible, as fast as they
were sent in from the field te General Hospital.
One Commissioner only has been on service
since April, because having picked up the scat
tered men,i was thought that one was sufficient.
But although headquarters were at Washing ton
1t was necessary for the Commissioner to be
large portion OF the time on the wing, taking
/
for "luxuriatng at Wizards Hotel''
Up to about the first OF August, current, $40
men bad been thus picked up and transferred
to Hospital in Vermont Since the first Of Au-
gust, the Commissioner has sent two detach-
ments Of sick and wounded men to Hospital in
the State-the first one numbering l0l men,
and the second l3l men. A third detachment
may be expected to arrive in the course of a
week.
Thus ever one thousand sick and wounded
soldiers have been transferred to the hospitals
IN Vermont, to enjoy the benefits Of change
of climate and water, of the best Of medical
treatment, and being near and visited by their
friends. Particularly In cases Of chronic diar-
rhea, certain stages of convalescence from ty-
phold fever, entecbled general physical condi-
tion, gun shot wounds which heal badly in
Southern Hospitals, or near the tide waters.
this change proves highly benehcisl-over 60
per cent. of sll cases long enough in the State
TO be fully treated, have been cured. and the
men restored 10 the service.
This arrangement for bcnehting the sick and
wounded il nearly or quite peculiar to Vermont /,
and it ID we'll known that several other States
would like at any time similar arrangement,
We wait to bear Of any other State which has
done as much, substantially, and striped Of all
mere demonstrations, for the benefit Of its sick
and wounded, in proportion to its whole num-
! Der, as Vermont has done for hers.
| Vermont was one Of the very first States 10
offer to send Surgeons and nurses to the army,
as long ago as when 1t moved to the Peninsula
under Gen. McClellsn and has repeated the
offer several times since but has been informed
that such help could with difficulty be used /;
that the army, in time Of grim.visaged war,
and in face OF the enemy must necessarily be
strictly q military organization, subject to rig
| id rules and tina, civilians could not DO mixed
IN with the military without producing disor-
! ganration snd confusion.
At aud after great battle like that at Get
I tysburg, it would be quite remarkable If, among
troops 80 hotly engaging the enemy's IRE, as did
the Vermont troops, there should not occur
cases Of distressing suffering Only few such
cases have however been mentioned as occurring
among the Vermonters; and probably there
was q less number among them who were not
speedily ministered to, so far as human agency
could relieve or alleviate suffering under such
circumstances, than among almost any other
equal number of troops engaged. The Vermont
Regiments had full and superior corps of Sur
geans, with good assistants, and all attended
to their duties on the field, with untiring devo-
ton. As for the Commissioner he attended
precisely o the duties Of his appointment, OBJ
tanning the requisit lists Of sick and wounded
and arranging with the proper authorities fol
their transfer TO Vermont.
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