Litchfield enquirer., 1863-07-30

There was nothing in all my experience among them that struck me more forcibly than the longing with which they look to the people at home. and especially to the women at home" as they express it, for encouragement and sympathy. This was the first question, almost, that they greeted us with, as we went think about us," or What are the women at home saying about, and doing for us ?" It was pleasant, then, to point them to our hos pital stores, sent from different societies to the Sanitary Commission, and say, '' IHis is what the women at home think of you this is what they are doing for you." We could haue told them how many at home were lukewarm and indifferent and living on in peace and security in their quiet homes, so far from the war, that the stories of suffering and bloodshed seemed to them almost like idle tales. We could have told them that such as these had forgotten all about them, had forgotten that 1t was that liv- ing wall of brave men, and these banks of graves all over the plains and hill-sides, that kept just such scenes of suffering and danger from among them. It is hard that the very peace, and comfort, and safety that these sol diers have bought for us, should be the very cause why we so often forget them. We that have been among them, month after month, know what it costs them to fight our battles, to protect our homes, and to save our country and that every one of US owes them debt of gratitude that it will be hard eyer to repay. And yet these soldiers do not claim this as right, they ask it as kindness. and they re- ceive it with the deepest gratitude. "Why do you take so much trouble for me ?" they often asked us, as we were nursing them. q We are trying to reward you for what you have done for us," we answered. "Why, what did we do for you P' they asked again. and when we told them it was fes us they had fought and been wounds ed, or lain all night upon the soak ing ground ready for the mornings march, or stood for hours in ram and snow, as pickets on some dangerous outpost-when we told them this, they would seem to realize it for the first time. "Yes,'' they said, we never thought of that before.
 wish could find words to express, how blessed, how full of the richest recompense, this work of laboring among the soldiers has proved to me. might tell you of story after story of their enthusiastic reception of those who come to take care of them how like little children they cast themselves with perfect con fdence and rest upon their power and willing ness to save them. ooh, boys" said one pale, thin stripling, as he looked up to our Hospital
 
 us looking from the windows" Oh, boys, it is all right now for the women have come down to look after us'--and he told me after wards, with trembling lip, how his heart had bounded at the sight of woman |" for, said forgotten us, for they had sent you all down to look after us."
 have often been met. when I urged the soldiers needs upon my friends, with the ar gumen,, that tiere had been no recent battle and therefore no need of cxertion for the present. This is :. sad mistake. In propor ton to the great humber ot soldiers who die the proportion of those who die of wounds ii small When we reacEed Vicksburg, or rathe
 EegGSs Ro1 s sspR%sTssss R%sss EskSM1arg May we aanf where they were encamped, the damp, malari ous atmosphere, the absence of suitable diet ing, and the approach of the hot season, made the mortality greater than usual. Again, al Helena we found 5000 graves, and so far as could learn, very few were those of wounded men. Tie sick increased so rapidly in mum hers, that. it was impossible to provide ade quately for their comfort. Another thing that we ought to know is, that these soldiers are those we gre sailed upon to help Are they as traitors at home try to make us think, colt and dissatisfied in their country's service Are they weary of this abolition war,p anl indignant at the Administration No, tha is an utter talsehood. have talked with hun dreds and thousands of soldiers. and knov all these assertions to be falsehoods, almos without an exception. Some do want to g home as they say, to ts keep home traitors il order" but not because they are weary of tn, war. They are willing and glad to stay, ant won't go home, as they say, till this thing over." All they ask is to have the people a home sustain and strengthen them. And ! have never seen such examples of cheerful pa tience and fortitude as among our sick anl wounded men.
 And here, as before, might fill page afte \ page, of tae most touching histories of long 1 weeks of illness, and days of dreadful suffer ing j: of little fellows, almost children, bearing their agony like heroes, and of men dying, as they said themselves. " almost for nothing. and yet, to the last, never regretting that they issme when their country needed them. Ons exan2le-and it is only an eranple, for there are hundreds like it--I cannot refrain from giving you. fge wounded boys were lying side 6y side, all splistered and bound up, ane yet they greeted ladyyho came into thei ward, with such pleasant smile, that s1rss as stopped beside them and said, "Wh5 you look very cheerial to-day" '.Oh, yes. ma'am, they answered, "Ye've been n,ooed to-day fol the first tine"-and she found that they hae been lying there for sir soeeks, so terribly wounded, that, for the first time, that morning they had been moved to the other side of thei, cots. They had been wounded st the capture of one of the rebel forts, when the weathel was so cold that the wounded froze to the ground. ''And were you among those who were left out on tue field 50 long? the lad, asked. "Yes, ma am. we were left out tw, days and night. You knoy t.ley w.re too busy taking the fort to have time to attend to us." And did you not think it v,ry cruel il them to leave you there so long ?" "Why, nc ma 'am,' they replied in a-toiiskment, 70
 yanted them to go on and take the Fort. '"
 Said the lady, .shad you consciousness enougt 10 know or care2" .Oh, yes, ma'am," they said, while their eyes flashed and their cheeks glowed with the remeMbrance, "oh, yes ths hillside was covered with us wounded fellows and we lay there watching them, and afrait they would not be able to take the Fort, ar1t | when we saw they had it. every one of ux ina