, 1863-06-25
Health of tho 4 ArIny-The Hospitals
Army vs. Civil Prucf1ce-Sanitary
Agents Supplies, how Distributed
VAe wounded-The Sick OIL BOards
Correspondence of the Chicago Tsibunc.1
CH1cKAsAw Cnoss1NG,
NrhH VfcrtHrrt1 .yf1r&a II 1894

Correspondence Of the Chicago TFibunc.1
! CH1CKAsAW CROssING.
NEAR V1cEsBUnu, June II, 1863.
! The sanitaIy Commission, so far us the army
In the field is concerned, has completed 1t:
| mission. The City of Alton has been at thf.
landing nearly scyen days, giving ample time
to do many good deeds and to thoroughly ex
anime the sanitary condition Of the army, To
| write all that We hare seen and heard, to say
nothing Of the conclusions at which VIC have
arrived, would occupy too much Of you.
spaccs and VIC will only put down the mai;l
features.
HEALTH OF TIE ARslT.
There is but small percentage Of the army
sick. This is due to several Causes: lst, good
water; I'd, more careful attention to cult.
nary matters, one OF which is good dry fence
rails for fuel; Sd, labor and excitement, two
important elements In the army; 4th, the
growing unpopularity Of doctors drugs on all
!: slight occasions, and the more clean1y con-
dition Of the men; 5th, the wedding ont Of
the weakly and aged, who should not hare
been mustered into the service; 9th, the
greater care Of the men by the officers from
To snm up, our officers and men are begin.
ming to understand camp l1e-how to take
care Of Themselves, and how to husband their
strength, instead Of throwing 1t away on some
foolish march of day that should have occu-
| pied two. We note less Of the oyerbearing
ewagger Of the officers than year ago. In
fact, officers and men arc Oh better terms,
lave become fapiliar with each other, and the
result Is, better discipline. The Captain who
"runs the machine' is held in contempt
ty his men and officers, while he
who looks after the interest Of the
men, and treats them as such, has
not only their respect but ready obedience.
It is wonderful what a change q Jearhas made
In our army. 4 disposition for hard work
and hard fighting has taken the place Of show
and :donothipgness- Wherever you find q
company or regiment with large number on
the efck list, you will be pretty sure to find
some Of the officers with the ehouldcrstrap
disease. Another years. campaign and we
will have the best army in the world, for
another year will pretty thoroughly weed out
the trash.
TIE HOSPITALS. --.
All the hospitals that we visited were In
good condition and very well supplied with
the necessaries. Tint is much better than
We anticipated. They need better supply Of
potatoes, onions, pickles, tomatoes and ale.
OF canned fruits, wines and whisky the hos.
:pital fund can supply in abundance. Less Of
those are needed than our people ut home
suppose With vegetables, we see no usc for
those more expensive luxuries, better beat-
ting the table Of the rich than the sick or
wounded. They are seldom free to the sick
at home, then why serve them to the soldier9
The truth is they are oftener found on the
table Of the hospital than on the tin plate Of
the invalid. Perhaps 1t Is just as well, for
baked potato, onion or pickle would please
him better, It should be recollected, that
large part Of those in the hospital are wound
ed and conya1escent, whose appetitesare good
and who need vegetables and q generous,
strong diet. Not the diet Of the pampered
citizen Hence, We say, serve the substantial
vegetables and let the surgeons purchase their
own wine and jellies with their own and the
hospital funds.
We know Of some surgeons who do not use
the sanitary wines and goodies, but this class
We think, can be easily numbered.
There Is no department OF the army that