The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-01-13
IFor the Pressl
CAMP NEAR EDWARDS FERRY, Md,
JAN B. 1863

IFor the Press.l
CAMP NEAR EDWARDS FERRY, MD,
JAN s. 1868.
In recent number of the Press, your cor
respondent who assumes the name of "Subal-
tern" made certain statements respecting the
hospital of the Twenty-third Maine regiment,
which would naturally be construed as finding
fault with its management.
Now we know that the hospital is an insti-
tuition, concerning the management of which
our friends at home are deeply anxious, and
the person who makes such statements with
out some real foundation, is guilty, not only of
unjustly slandering those who have charge of
the hospital, but also of causing unnecessary
anxiety to the friends of the sick ones at
home.
There was time when the regiment first
went into camp near Lock Fl, when from en-
posure to the severe storm which we encoun-
tered on the march from Washington, many of
our men fell suddenly sick, before the hospital
could be properly arranged, when it was of ne
cessity inadequate to the wants of the regi-
ment, and the blame fell where it should not
on the surgeon. But very soon as soon as
possible, the hospital was got into proper
working order, and since that time, those who
have had the best opportunities of judging,
have been entirely satisfied with its manage
ment and the little prejudice which existed
at first, has nearly if not entirely worn away
OF the ability of DIR. SWEET, and his skill as a
physician aud surgeon, need not speak, for
l.,
daton, but it is the opinion of all those who
are familiar with his management of the hos
pital, that he is the hardest working man in
the regiment.
know we have had considerable sickness
in the regiment; so has there been in
each of the regiments composing this brig
ade certainly, aside from the measles which
we have had and they have not, as little in ours
as neither, and as few fatal cases. But if there
hadbeen thesame amount of sickness in each of
the companies, as there has been in Company
b, in which "Subaltern" is an officer, unless
we had been provided with more canvas, he
certainly would have been justified in saying
that the hospital was inadequate to the wants
of the regiment.
OF the twenty-one deaths which have oc-
CURED in our regiment since we left Capitol
Hill, on the 18th of October, eleven of them
have been in Co. B, and yet that company was
made up of as healthy, robust men, as any in
abe regiment will not at present state the
cause of the large percent of deaths in that
company as compared with the rest of the
regiment, but it is well known here but do
protest against the injustice of an officers un-
dertaking to screen himself by casting reflec-
lions upon an innocent person. The amount
of sickness in Co. b has been about in proper
ton to the number of deaths. At one time it
numbered but nineteen for duty, out of an
hundred which came into camp, and if we are
to believe ''Subaltern" in subsequent letter,
his Captain resigned on account Of sickness,
though that is piece of news TO us here. |
will close by admonishing "Subaltern" to be a
little more careful of his statements in future,
since there may be those in the regiment who
have facilities for Judging OF the things of
which he writes, equal 20 his own, and who
attend 10 their own legitimate dnties besides.
GUS.