The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-02-10

mercy. that God spared her the knowledge. Of
her sons desiitution and suffering, that bleak,
stormy night. He turned away, and i never
knew what became Of him, for Uneven saw him
afterwards.-The next day joined the guards
The duty was light, and by doing so, l secured
comparatively comfortable quarters.
Everything about the camp indicated the most
grievous neglect and msmansgemeHt; in fact
there was no management at all. There wac no
wood to be found within radius of mile and
half, and there was no means adapted to provide
any. The soldiers received their rations aDCooksd,
and each one had to prepare bio own the best be
could. In this matter of wood the convalesCents
suffered immensely. They must go this long dis
lance to for it, or they must go without. Nothing
could be found nearer. Even the gnarly, grabbed
oak stumps were grubbed down to the very roots.
have seen men mile from camp tugging along
with chunk of wood in one b. no. and cane in
the other resting at intervals OF every few rods,
and then pushing forward again and exhibiting
degree of perseverance worthy Of much
wider range Of usefulness. Aad have seen them
obliged to desst from such efforts to get wood
from sheer exhaustion, and return to their tents
to SILVER away the long hours OF the day, utterly
Indifferent whether the results were life or death
How could men be expected TO regain their
health under such circumstances Not every
invalid can cook and prepare his food, even if the
means were furnished him, and do it properly
But when to this is added the discomfort and e1-
posure to the cold, what wonder that men die off
SO fast at the Convalesceut Camp.
If a man wants TO see human suffering and hu-
man depraviy in tn ir grossest phases he need not
go to the Kingdom of Dahomey, nor cross the
Arabian Desert to find it. Let him go to the
Convalescent Camp, and he can see enough to
siCken his soul forevermore, unless his heart is
harder than adamant Imagine four or Ave men
ether, and men wAc have suffered everything but
death Itself. These sufferings have soured their
dispositions and irrtated their feelings until they
are as morose and unsocia as men can well
become They care nothing for one another and
seem to care but little for themselves. Once they
we're robust and healthy, their nerves flashed FIRE,
and their chief glory in their physical proves,
and all things were joyous to them and full of
hope but when hardships and exposure in the
field, had robbed them of their strength, life lost
its charms. and they became hardened to every.
thing around them. Men have slept unheedng.
while their comparisons by their side has gasped
and died. was told of an occasion when man
was thrust out of tent to die, because those
tenting with him did not wish to be disturbed bv
his dying groaus.
II this account is rejecting upon the authorities
here, the fault is not mine. Col. BeIknap who
commanded the camp seems to be a umane man
and anxious to alleviate all the suffering 10 his
power, but what could he do with ten thousand
men. There were half Dozen or more, doc
tors 10 camp, but they seldom visited their pa
tents; their patients had to visit them. At nine
IN the morning the surgeons call is beat and who
ever wished to, could fall in with the crowd and
60 to the dispensary and there wait his turn to 90
IN. This might not be ill noon. When at last
he aimed aa audience with his medical adviser
his story must be brief, and his prescription is
made out without much thought There was
way for men unable to attend the surgeons call
to get medical attendance, but it involved so much
clrcumlocutlon that but few ever found it ont. A
sick acquaintance OF nine tried his utmost to get
medlcal rehei but he tried in vain. He sent to
the head surgeon who referred him to the officer
Of the daY hnt that f;oo- ....0 - - A.. ha