Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-07-07
The Christian Commission.
Interesting Letter from a Northern
Ohio DeIegnte--ExPerience i'm Wash
ingtOn Hospitals.
WAsHrNaroN. Lnlv ]. 1864.

tails of this city, and become acclimatet
and somewhat accustomed to the work
before proceeding to the severe duties o
the front The brethren composing oul
company were assigned to different hospi
tals-myself to the Mount Pleasant Hospi
tai, about two miles distant. Two of oul
delegates were already there, but the hos
pital is large and the force still Inadequate
A train of ambulances had just arrived
with four hundred more wounded from tht
front when went up to the hospital fol
my first afternoons labor. After report.
ing to the officers of the hospital, I soon
found myself at work With haversack
of papers, books, &C., enter the first Of a
row Of tents at the left, and the spectacle
before me is enough to unnerve one unini-
tiated But there is work to be done, and
begin. Fully one half of the men in
this tent are of the four hundred just ar
rived from the front. The surgeons and
nurses in the farther end of the tent are
still engaged in washing and dressing
their wounds. These this way have al
ready been cleaned, and though you won
der that they can be cheerful with such
ugly holes through sheir hands, and feet,
and arms, and shoulders, and legs,
and lungs, and even, in two cases, square
through the head, yet they tell you that
fharr fool rather I1a % rrroo+ 5s 41r
relief from the tumbling about in ambul-
ances and boats on their way from the
battlefield here. A few are groaning with
excessive pain, but the majority are in a
mood to talk, and enter readily into con-
versation the moment l approach. My
badge proclaims me a delegate of the
Christian Commission. They all tell me
they saw some of our men at City Point
that they were working awful hard for
the soldiers there; though the press was so
great they barely got sight of them.
They all love to eulogize the Christian
Commission.
In the course of the afternoon I am able
to pass through a half-dozen tents, con
versing with nearly every one, and fur
nishing them reading. met with moth
ing but encouragement at every step. AT
the rear end of one of the tents was
young Pennsylvania, who had been
watching my approach. "These are my
treasures" he said, holding up Testa-
ment and an ambrotype, as 1 sat down by
his bed (Which do you value most high
ly?' I asked, as 1 opened the latter, and
beheld the miniature Of a fne-looking
girl. "0h, that is first always pointing
to the Testament. A noble young fellow
was this; strong, muscular intellectual
forehead, firm eye and mouth. He had
been in the nine months service at
the beginning of the rebellion, and
when Lee invaded his Pennsylvania
home in the summer of 1862, he determin-
ed ''tOat 'em.again, and reenlisted for three
years. He had been wounded several
times, and the other day received a severe
fall upon his back across a log, in a charge
before Petersburg, which brought him here.
You cannot imagine how glad these boys
are to talk with some one who will enter
into their case, and sympathize with them
in those things in which they are most in
terested. This Pennsylvania could hard
" let me go, but called me back to tell me
s0r1aetlai1Ig, utter I had passed to the next
man.
n ultlC 4uElAlcE Ollg ullu DON from
Cleveland, a member of the noble Eighth
Ohio, who fell on the top of the enenys
works, on the morning of Haneock's ia
nous charge, when so many prisoners and
guns were taken from the rebels. This
was after his term of service had expired
When he learned 1 was from Northern
Ohio, he seemed especially delighted, and
his sociability was all the more enthusias-
tic aWhen I ssas- Ai4szI-,F-i.@lssa- mt III
to the rebel works, but didn't think any
thing about my wound, as 1 lay there and
saw our men turning the rebel guns upon
them, and saw our infantry boys practice
artillery; and tell you, they did pretty well
for beginners. Oh, sir, it was glorious; l |
felt so good" This poor fellow has the |
most frightful looking leg 1 ever
saw, but his mental resolution is
wonderful. On handing him some |
religious reading, asked if he was sup
piled with a testament. "Oh, yes; / |
haven't been without that for a minute"
1t was getting dark, and 1 was on the
point of leaving one tent unfinished, when |
saw the full, large eyes of a fine looking
boy in the corner fixed on me with a look |
that could not mistake. / sat down by |
his side. "Are you one of the Christian /
men p "Yesn - al have
been wanting to see one of you men so bad
The other day one of your men came to
me at City Point, just after 1 was wound
ed, and it seemed as though never anything
lid me so much good" And with this he
went on and told his story. He had never
thought SO much about religion till he came
INTO the army, though he had the best
christian father and mother in the world,
md brothers and sisters all members of the
,hurch but himself. You'll Join their
number when YOU go back won't you27
. hope 1 shall, feel very differently now;
enjoy reading my testament so much
ately, it is more interesting every day; it
seems so GOO" so he continued, his
ace radiant with smiles, telling me of his
lister that died when he was last at home;
# the song he sang at her request
" her dying bed; of the promise
le made her before her spirit fed, to be a
good soldier, and never swear, OF touch
ards, tobacco, or rum; of her promise
o be near him as a guardian
nigel in every temptation and
,eril--e and" he added, F." it has seemed
%. I have never been tempted without
linking of her, and feeling that she was
lear me, and that has been enough tokeep
me-" Further on he exclaimed, Oh, it
loes me 80 much good to see you pleasant
ooking men Of tho Christian Commission;
nd to talk with you; you are so kind
t seems so much like home" Thus, for
learly an hour, sat by this boys side,
While his full heart unburdened itself into
ny ear. He was so glad to talk about re-
igion, that he forgot to mention his
Wounds which 1 found, on inquiry, was
'ad one in the foot As l handed him ,
ONE reading matter, he urged me to see
lin frequently.
I anticipate much pleasure and profit
4 the week during our stay here. The
for religion are heftnr fhnn |