Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-05-12
Letter frCm Mrs. Harvey.

HARVEY, State Agent for Wisconsin at Vicks
burg, describing the scene on board the Hos
pital steamer O,enango, which arrived at
Ficksburg April 2lst, bearing the wounded
from the Red River expedition.
SOLDIERS HOME, VIcKsBURG
Miss, April oath, l864|
Gov. J. 7. LEWIS, Madison, Wis.
Dear Sir You have doubtless before this
received news from the Red River expedi,
ton.
On Thursday last the Z. S. Sanitary Com
mission Hospital boat arrived here from be-
low, with sick and wounded. On board |
found some of our soldiers from the 23d and
29th regiments. Nathan Ellis wounded in the
arm, from Co. D, 23d regiment, said that six
from their regiment were killed, thirty-four
wounded and forty missing; could give me
no names.
Sidney Smith from Co. b, 29tn regiment,
could give me no information concerning that
regiment, as he was wounded in the beginning
OF the battle, and was brought away before
the regiment lett the field.
On this boat they were all comfortable
We sent about forty from hospitals here to
hospitals further North
From this boat | went on hoard the CHE
na,tg0 which came in about two hours later
directly from Red River
The sights that met my eyes at every step
beggar description; the lower part of the
boat was filled with negroes almost naked, of
every age, from babies a few hours old, to
old gray haired men and women | say filed
just like flies in and about a sugar bowl: it
was almost impossible for me to get through
this mass of human life, to the fainting fam
lshlng and dying ones above. The cabin, the
gunwales, and the hurricane deck were all
covered with our soldiers some dead, some
dying, all suffering for care. One after anoth-
er surgeons and officers that / met said,
" Mrs. Harvey come away, you can do moth
ing. These men have had no care since
they were wounded it is terrible come
away. They will be put into hospitals here
"and cared for as soon as possible"
asked if they had no supplies no stimu-
lants. Nothing nothing. One of the
nurses said Oh, Mrs. Harvey if you will
ONLY bring us some sponges, and small sy-
ringes to dress wounds, and some lint too"
FASTENED away, and soon returned with
everything they needed-shirts drawers,
socks, lemons, sugar, wines, canned peaches,
jellies, nice fresh crackers, pitchers, tum-
blers, wash basins, sponges, soap, towels,
handkerchiefs, cloths, lint and syringes;
these last bought, as they had none at the
commission rooms. Last, but not least
most excellent nurse, Miss WiswalI that
could dress wounds equal to any surgeon l
asked permission of the surgeon in charge
of the boat, to come on board and 90 TO
work. 1t was given very gratefully, and we
did go to work.
The day was very warm. The men were
near burning up with fever from their
wounds, or fainting from loss Of blood Cold
water was brought US, and we gave them
lemonade and wine first. Their faces and
hands were bathcd and wiped with clean
towels.
| then opened cans of peaches, and gave
each man cracker and peach. The peaches
were excellent. Oh, that the ones who sent
them could have seen the grateful, fearful
eyes of the sons, brothers, fathers and hus-
bands, as | saw them that day, and heard
the fervent "God bless you !" as did. How
grateful | was, and am every day, that I am
permitted to be the almoner of their bounty.
While l was doing this, Miss Wiswall was
dressing wounds. We labored until evening,
when the ambulances came to receive them
and take them to hospitals.
| know there were many Wisconsin men
on board, but | could not ask for them; this
you will think strange, but you would not if
you were with me. If you ask for men from
any State it makes hearts so sad, that you
do not ask for that often, having done it a
few times. You will stop it for humanity's
sake.
Many of them knew me, and said to me as
| passed by them, owe knew you would
come" Poor fellows; they wished help
from every body. We are living surrounded
by horrors, and l fear the "reign of terror
to us is fast approaching. Since the Fort
Pillow tragedy our colored troops and their
officers are waiting in breathless anxiety the
action of Government.
The papers do not furnish half the horrors
of the Fort Pillow affair. Our officers of
negro regiments declare they will take no
more prisoners, and there is death to the reb-
cl in every black mans eye. They are still,
but terrible They acW fight.
One poor fellow (black) from Red River
had one arm shot off and the other shattered
When the boat arrived here his arm had NOR
tilted, yet was alive with other life than his
own. He said to one of our officers, If you
think, massa, | shall die, | do wish to see my
wife and children in Memphis once more"
When told that it was doubtful if he lived,
he said, "Bress de Lord | have done my
duty fighting for my country and my brethren
and die a man and free man Dress de
Lord, massa." He has been taken to Mem
phis, his arm amputated, and it is thought he
viii live. The negroes know what they are
doing.
c. A. P HARVEY,
State Agent.
A wag rose from his bed on the 5lst of
last August, and exclaimed "ThiS is the
last rose of summer" Shocking
Before you commit suicide take a cold
bath-what people term despair is very often
dirt.
=" Didn't you say sir, that this horse
would not shy before the fire of an enemy ?"
No more he won't-it isn't till after the fire
he SHES"
An Irishman was challenged to fight a
duel, but declined on the plea that he did not
wish to lave his old mother an orphan"
A hardshell Baptist preacher, in dis
coursing about Daniel in the lions den, said ::
And there he sot all night long, looking at
the show for nothing, and it didn't cost him
nary cent y
Among the Orientals, corpulency is con-
sidered beauty as well as a mark of rank.
w hen any one is thin and spare it is believed
he has not enough to eat, and therefore must
be nobody.
a grave discussion is going on among
the English doctors as to the use of alcoholic
stimulants in case of fevers, such as typhoids
1t IS reported that large per centage of
the sick so treated usually die of the treat
ment.
= Some burglars, upon entering a house,
blew out the lights, and tied the occupants
in Iiffarapt rartS of tba NOON, a.. e II