The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-12-06
Letter from an Agent Of the Maine Camp
Hospital Association.

Hospital Association.
Ny dear Mrs. b. know you must have
been expecting letter from me for some
time, as yours bears date of November eth
However, as it was directed to the Agency at
Washington, did not receive it until last
Sabbath, the Goth. Mr.. Hayes came down at
that time with stores, very few, however, in
comparison with what had hoped to receive,
as knew there were many more boxes on
the road. There had been detention on the
road between Portland and Washington.
enclose the only invoices received. There
was also box from Free street and one from
Bath. On counting my treasures as I put
them away, found / had in clothing 81 WOOL
en- shirts, 4S pairs of drawers, and 46 pairs of
stockings. That was what had last Tues.
day evening. Now, the shirt barrel is nearly
empty, and would be quite so if gave to all
even that consider needy cases. have been
able to send part Of them to regiments at the
front. These demands we always aim to sup
ply first, although the men in hospitals here
are in bad condition. They cannot draw
any clothing at this place, and the hospital
clothing supplied is cotton.
Eoening. | was obliged to lay this aside
during the day on account of the many press
ing calls; among others two letters for sol
diers demanded immediate attention.
You may wonder that / do not write you
more frequently; but in looking over my list,
I find edespatched over fifty letters since
Il ~
young man has just gone out, in whom
have been much interested. he was wound
ed at Spottsylvania; taken to Fredericksburg,
where, through Mrs. SIMPSONS care, his life
was preserved. The bullet passed through
his finger, which he was holding to his mouth,
in the act of tearing cartridge with his
teeth, and then entered his mouth, driving out
aohere IL still remains, as know from actual
observation. He suffers severely with pain
and can eat nothing but the softest food. /
have promised him condensed milk as long as
we have any, and while think of 1t let me
say we have but four cans left. When was
unpacking the socks and putting them away,
he very quietly, remarked that he almost wish
ed he had pair, and on inquiry found that
he had been entirely destitute of the article
for some weeks. Where so many are desti-
tute, and the stock so limited, / have no doubt
Isometimes turn away the really deserving,
but try to discriminate wisely. A good
looking young man asked for stockings yes
terday. He said he belonged to the 32d Me-,
and was about to hand him pair, when
inquired to1what town he belonged; he could
not remember; then asked him the name of
the officer in command of his regiment. This,
too, had escaped his memory; then his cap
tain, to which he replied, Capt. Vinnescoten
Had he said Capt. Clark or Capt Smith
might have been misled, but with this name
on his lips, told him to go without his socks.
There is frequent call for Indian meal, and
we have had none for two or three weeks. 1t
would be well to have some crackers on the
way, they are in such demand, and it takes so
long to get them here. I told you if came
out should not be backward in begging, and
know if friends at home could know the es-
timation in which the Agency is held here,
they would keep replenishing the storehouse.
| We should like some canned tomatoes, and as
for the shirts, drawers, socks and mittens, the
supply cannot meet the demand, but every In
dividual case is an actual want.
must say word about our winter quar-
tiers. We are really going to stockade our
tent. The Major of the LIST Maine Heavy Ar
tillery was here yesterday, and said he should
send a detail of thirty men to the woods to
cut the logs to-day, and Capt. Thomas of the
I'd Battery and Capt. Mayo of the Sd have al
SO kindly offered their services by giving us
six teams tomorrow to draw the logs. Next
Monday morning another detail from the list
Maine are going to work on the stockade.-
They express themselves happy to aid us in
any way by which we may be made most COM
Portable, and truth to say, q tent without doors,
both ends flying open, to facilitate ingress and
| weather is SO cold that water freezes within
every night. But If our Maine men do not
get marching orders, we shall have very COM
Portable quarters, and what I think of more
than anything else is reading room, in the
front tent, where we shall have writing mate
rails aud the late papers. I have the Portland
Press mailed to me every day, and it is real
pleasure to see'how much our men enjoy sit
ting around the the table and reading the latest
home news. Will not some friends in other
parts of the State mail papers regularly, d.
rected to Maine Camp Hospital Association,
City Point Va? Also we should be glad to
receive other periodicals, If they contain such
reading matter as would be priced at home.
It would be well to send some more station
cry, for we are about out. I must close this
hastily written letter without daring to look
over it. Yours very truly,
81. EATON.