Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-02-18
Horrors of the War.
uev sick md wounded SoIdieSs Are
Treated.
r,.m the st. Louis Democrat, Feb. 4.

having LETT lousg's FONT on the 2th
nit. She came in charge OF DR.. Elmer
Nichols, Second Assistant Surgeon llsh
Illinois Regiment, to whose SOC medi.
cal care were committed three hundred
and ,wen.y.eight pat'entF, OF whom
re have died III the passage to
this CITY. DR.. Nichols statement IN
explanation of this extraordinary NOR
tai,, i. substantially a, follows
Ga the 9Th Of January, at ioang's
Point. bs WAS instructed by DIR. Nc
MILAN, Medical Director of the army Of
tho Mississippi, 70 take charge OF the
steamer J. &. SwoD, with lead OF sick
% dlers, 10 be .ctt n Acmphis. The
instructions were hy order Of zen. Mc,
Clernand. DR.. Nichols went on board
and lound the boat only partially clean
ed and prepared for the reception OF tho
patients. On the 18th the reginental
Surgeon. began hurryng on board The
sick, vi hout furnishing hits OF Their
names, regiments, or diseases Of their
sufferers. DR.. Nichols reported the
fact, bu, could got 10 ichef. fndlng
himself to be the only medical man on
beard. he applied for assistants, aud
two were detailed 10 accompany Inn,
but one Of them was found too nnwell
for service, and the other was arrested
and detained for charges preferred by
his Colonel. DR.. Nichols again applied
for help but could get none Three
hundred and twenty sick were piled on
board, some Of them dying. Two eN-
pred within ton minutes after beng
placed on deck. No provisions were
put on board TIL the night OF the 10Th,
when some Of the pat'etts had been
without nourishnent tor t1enty-toar
hours, and some for ,wen,y-elght hours
No fresh me was furnished until the
boat reached Memphis, on the 30ih.
No medicines were received I'll the
night Of the 10th, and then only very
inadequate supply, and ! ! pstents ex-
pred between 3 i. NJ. OF the 18th
and : A. Al. Of the 26ih.
The delay in getting medicines seems
to have been caused by "red tape The
Medical Surveyor wss With difficulty
iouud, and then, when found, had 10 cnt
down the doctors requsi,ion before II
could be regularly approved.
The boat left on the 9th with a2s
sick on board. Only few medical as
sistan,s could he found to aid the doc
tor 10 getting the necessary list OF the
patents. Before this work could be
doae, one man died whose name or re-
gimcn. could not be learned.
i1At Memphis the unexpected order
was received TO proceed 10 ~. LOUIS
\ Further provisions and medicines were
got and t e boat started. TIE chsnge
Of climate and the severe cold proved
fatal to mary who might have lived hcc
they been lett at Memphis.
immediately upon her arrissl at Tho
wharf, the J. &. Swon was ordered to
Jefferson Barracks and At once proceed
ed tl,ither to put off her ps,i, MIS- there
She returned yesterday morning, bring
i,g up eighteen corpses for interment
Correspondence OF thc NtlnclnDhti llihcr4
MEMPHIS, Jan. &c.
-Four thousand soldiers have died il
the hospltals a, Helena since last An
gust, and more than that will expire il
the next six months unless some grea
reform be made.
The hospitsls are fearful TO behold
and horrible TO imagine. They ar
grossly mismauaged, and nine ont Of ten
who enter them arc certain to die. Tb
Surgeons who have charge OF the isstl
tutlons say they cannot help the state I
affairs, which they acknowledge TO b
wretched and shameful that their hand
are tied; that they have sought to es
tabllsh reforms, but that all their effort
have been vain.
Many of our soldiers brought from
transports have died here like dogs i
he street, while our officers have oC
cuped the best houses in the town a
their quarters.
Disease is in the atmosphere, an
the presence OF death is at,ested b
thousands OF graves, filed by brave me
murdered by neglect, lost 10 the Re
pubic through the stupidity and care
iessness Of unworthy and hcartlcss Off
c ais.
No one knows how many thousand
Of soldiers of the Union have been sac
riiiced hy medical blunderers, or lhrt
useless forms. Their graves are in a
most every STATE; but their deep wrong
are yet unknown. Indeed, II they wor
such is their enormity, they would nc
be believed.
How often have been panied TO tn
heart to observe our poor fellow throw
'ick. sinking, wretched, perishing, t,
the roadside or into the bitches, and LEI
there to die as il they were worse tina
: reptiles.
What gloomy picture might b
painted OF the soldiers woes and wrongs
so gloomy that the tesrs Of wome
would blot it out, and the rage Of me