Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-04-04
SOLDIERS AID SOCIETY.

Two carloads of goods have been sent
from our rooms the past week, but the de-
tailed exhibit of this shipment is deferred
in favor. DR.. Reads official report of the
distribution of stores among the hospitals
of Nashville and MurfreesbOrO' As the
paper is very long, and we are unwilling
to omit any of its interesting detail, we
devote to it our entire space this week, and
shall continue it in our nextissue.
We hope the officers of our contributing
societies will read this report aloud at their
next meetings, for it is but just that our
jealous colabOrers and generous donors
should be advised Of the use to which
their gifts are put, and of the results at
tained by their distribution. Through the
hands Of Dr. Read and his assistants a
very large part of the donations of this
society have been distributed among the
hospitals of the Southwest, and surely no
one can read the following record of the
faithful, earnest and very laborious duties
Of this much valued and veteran Sanitary
Agent and Inspector, without feeling that
the invalid ever finds in him a kind and
sympathizing friezd, and that the stores
committed to his care will be dispensed
with all the prOmptness, good judgment
and prudence that could be desired by
those who are labOring to prepare comforts
for our needy soldiers:
REPORT OF DR. A. N. READ, INSPECTOR U. s.
SANITARY COMMISSION, ON HOSPITALS OF
NASHVILLE AND MURFREEsBoRo'.
DR.. J. s. NEwBERRY, Secretary Western
Department o. s. Sanitsry Commission =
Dear Sir: Upon visiting the hospitals at
Nashville some three weeks previous to the
battle at Murfreesboro', 1 was informed by
Major-General Rosecrans that a battle
might be expected soon, and that our
stores might then be greatly needed. Act
ing upon this information I returned to
Louisville and succeeded in sending for
ward large supply Of stores, which hap
PLY reached Nashville Just before the in
terruption of railroad communication.
Soon after we also loaded a large supply
upon boats which left Louisville just as we
received the first news of the battle. This
being accomplished, as you know, with
great difficulty, I left Louisville for the
purpose Of aiding personally in the relief
of the wounded, starting at 4 o'clock P. NJ.
on Saturday, January Sd, in company with
Mr. Howard We drove until II o'clock,
rested ourselves and horses until o'clock
in the morning, then drove in a drenching
rain to Elizsbethtown for breakfast. At
ter breakfast we drove to Upton Station,
where we found a construction train, and
from the employees of the road procured a
hsnd-car to take US to umfordsville, some
IS miles distant As our horses were
completely jaded out we took this as the
only means Of conveyance, but it was
manned by five Irishmen who carried too
much steam to work, and we were COM
PEELED to work the car ourselves; push it
along as we best could, and part of the
time to walk ahead, reching Mumfords-
vile at o'clock P. NJ, and finding the train
for Nashville had left at IL o'clock in the
morning. There being no practicable
means of conveyance Immediately availa-
bic, 1 employed the time in visiting the
hospitals at Mumfordsville. The first,
| found in charge of DR.. John E. Fowler,
Assistant Surgeon of the l05th o. Y. T.,
and containing thirty-seven sick with the
exception of three or four, all of the 105th
regiment. They occupied the upper room
Of church; had eighteen bed sacks, not
filled with straw, (but was told they were
to be soon), and ten (10) blankets in ad-
dition to those carried by the men. For
diet they had soft bread, beef, beans and a
little syrup. In the main body of the
church we're one hundred and six patients,
fourteen very sick. I found in the hos
pital at Woodsonville ffty-nine sick in
better condition than the above, but des-
| titute Of most of the articles necessary for
their comfort.
Taking a platform car about dark for
Bowling Green we reached that place five
minutes after the train had left for Nash
vile. 1t left without US, although Gen
ersl Fry had telegraphed asking it to re-
main that we might 60 on. Compelled to
remain here over night, DR.. Wood, State
| Agent from Indiana, overlook US with
nineteen volunteer surgeons. I notified
DR.. Wood that our stores would be distri-
buted to all alike, and asked him to inform
the surgeons of that fact.
| Starting in the morning, we reached
Nashville by rail during the day, the train
having been detained on the road TO pro-
cure wood and have it sawed. Immedi-
ately upon my arrival reported to DR..
| Thurston, and learned from him that most
of the wounded had been brought to Nash
vile, where there were eighty-ive hun
dred sick and wounded in hospital, there
being also about fifteen hundred in Muir
freesbOro'. He stated that the most urgent
demand was for bed sacks; that he was
having them made as fast as possible, and
/ could turn out one thousand in a week,
but at the end of the week some two
| thousand would be wanted. telegraphed
you of this want. 1 found that our agent
Mr.. C. Atwater had gone to the front with
stores, taking the first train that was al
lowed to leave; and I turned my atten-
tion to procuring transportation to send
| forward further supplies from our stock on
hand here. The Quartermaster informed
me that no trains were allowed to 20
forward without an escort, and he could
not tell me when one could be sent. En-
deavoring to procure transportation Of pri-
vate individuals, and at the livery stables
l found that none could be OBJ tanned unless
I deposited the value of the teams and
wagons at the owners apprisal, and paid
at the rate Of $3.50 per day for horse and
buggy, and corresponding rates for haul
ing goods. Just at night found one man
who, with one team, would take out twelve
persons for sixty dollars, and engaged his
services, notifying the Indiana surgeons
that I would take them out.
Having thus far obtained no trsnsporta-
ton for stores, called on General Mitch
ell, Post Commsndant informed him Of
our wants and the difficulties il the way
meeting them; that all owners Of teams re-
fused to 60, alleging the dangers from
guerrillas as their excuse, and suggested
10 him that there were in the city plenty
of horses owned by rebels, who were driv-