The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-11-13
From the Museatine Journal
Sanitary Matters.

is an article in your paper Of this morning
ON sanitary affairs, in reference to a pro.
posed convention to be held at Des Moines
on the 18th inst which wish to notice.
and will do so by treating the subiec,
generally.
| have been in position for some two
years or more, which has brought me in
contact with our sanitary operations, and
if can shed any light on the subject,
shall be glad to do SO. Light is all that is
needed to produce correct action.
Whether the proposed convention will
aid our sanitary interests will depend en-
tirely upon the action it takes, or at.
tempts TO take. But if it shall attempt
to carry out the schemes Of its authors.
as shadowed forth in the "call," and bv
the representations Of the ladies' who Wis
tied this place in it's interest, it will, in
my opinion, only result in throwing con-
fusion into our sanitary affairs, and an ut
ter failure of its objects. This view is
contrary to one you express. Let us look
at it.
What are the schemes proposed From
the sources above named | learn that it is
proposed
!. To establish in Iowa depot to re-
ceive all the supplies furnished by Iowa.
2. To employ sanitary boat to trans
port these supplies to the army, and
3. 10 employ Iowa agents to distrib-
ute these supplies to Iowa men only.
Is this practicable? 1t appears to me
the bare statement is it's refutation.
Let us examine further.
We have one regiment a. Springfield,
Missouri, several at Little Rock, Arkan-
sas, and at various posts in that State, one
regiment at Alton, Illinois, one at Cairo,
one at Columbus, Kentucky, several at
Memphis, Tenn. some at Helena, Arkan-
sas, several at Vicksburg, Miss, and on
the Big Black, in the rear of Yieksburg,
some at Natchez, some on the west bank
of the mississippi river, forty miles above
the mouth of the Red river, some at Port
Hudson, some at New Orleans, several
regiments in the 18th army corps in Lou
isiana, or Eastern Texas, several regi-
ments between Corinth aud Chattanooga,
pressing towards the latter place, one reg
iment south of Nashville, and one rcgi-
ment at Louisville, or were at these
places when last heard from. Most Of
them are constantly changing their loca-
ton, and all are liable to do SO at any
momeht.
Our sick end wounded are scattered in
every hospital from Keckuk 10 New Or
leans, and east and west Of tie Missis-
lsippi river wherever our regiments 20.
Yet IT is proposed that Iowa shall supply
all these scattered men by Iowa agents,
with Iowa sanitary goods, to the exclusion
of all others. Do you believe it practica.
bic | do not. The Government will
furnish no transportation for any individ-
Iual, company or regiment. of course
the State must do it. Have the authors
of this scheme calculated the magnitude
of this item How long would II require
for their one steamboat 10 get around to
all the navigable points, andlhow will they
transport where their boat cannot 60
How many agents will it require to visit
all these points once month, and leave
them unyisited the balance of the time
Provided all this is practicable, where are
the funds coming from ? No voluntary
association can furnish them. Il must be
| done by the State. Should the war con.
tinue, nothing short of half million oi
dollars will answer for the two years to
tome.
But can it be done even with such pro-
vision Will the United States authori
ties permit it
What would be the effect, in the army,
Of our agents going through camp or hos.
pital, filed with needy men from all the
North, dealing out their supplies to Iowa
men, and passing all others by although
they might be much the more needy
| think it would produce anything but
the harmony and good feeling SO essen
tial to the success of our arms, and dc
not believe it would be tolerated for 9
moment. Again, Iowa has always been
more prolific in fighting material for this
war than any other State, in proportion
to her numbers, while she has been fal
behind most of them in all other supple:
tor an army. She is in no way indebted
to the other States for their surplus d
supplies of material, for she has doubly
cancelled all obligations of this kind by
the best blood of her sons; but does sh,
now propose to refuse the partia! payment
others are ready to make her for thi'
blood?
1t is a fact, known to those who hav,
been cognizant of the matter, that low,
men have received double perhaps treble
the amount of sanitary stores that low;
has furnished. | marvel at the outcry b.
Iowa people about their goods going int
a general stock, when it is susceptible 0
proof that Iowa soldiers draw so much
more largely therefrom than our contri
buttons. If Iowa is to shut herself ~
within herself in this matter, of cours,
our soldiers can have no claim on the sup
plies furnished by others. How woul,
our wounded and mangled soldiers, afte
some great battle fare, il our agents fail
ed to be at hand and they were denie,
the comforts furnished by others p
Would not they curse the folly that la,
SO bereft them of what they had so richl
earned !? Much is said about harmo
\ ni1iuO the sanitarv efforta in the State -