The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-09-08
Three Weeks in the Soldiers Home,
a b ~ IiCkSburg, Miss. lar7fs
BY MRS. FRANCES D. GAGE
INTRODUCTORY.

T. Do not think, good folks, when you pick
up this paper, that you are to have ro-
finance, beginning with love at first sight, a
terrible wound. almost death scene IN the
middle, and a climax Of signs and a mirac-
tuious restoration to life, ambrosia and we'd
ding at the end; for if you do. you will lay
lit down in utter disappointment a ..
Is Young men with fofty' or marble
tbrows," Swallowed by flowing masses o.
Isilken brown hair, and lustrous eyes, fash
Ting out the light Of patriotic fire. and al
THAT sort of thing, are reserved for move
visions, at the end of which comes in five
dollars a column, and exeunt oaaaeS."
Isl What / wish to do is to give you a little
Just a'little, insight into what is doing away
here at the Southwest i'll this military de
lpartment, with a fragment OF the charities
which you are sending out day by day, fol
| lhe benefit Of your soldier boys. 10
III a million of times is the question asked
Isl wonder if the soldier will get this p anc
! a million Of times has echo given back only
The contcmptuous answer-''ge this?' anC
the questioners, with large heartedness
such as no other people ever knew, have sale
| rwhat, if he does not what, if but half
4 third, or even tythe; my own soul il
I niade richer by the gift, and [ can spare
I aud so L will give, and God's.blessing, ane
] tlle blessings Of .'them that are ready to per
ish,"' viii fall upon every one r..-,.r
i'll, ARRIVAL HELL AND MANAGEMENT
| FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
4 Suburban, Jaeae %, l864.--I walked VI
| a, &c, HoorS+aY,C that Ipg
| into the entrance hall that runs through the
| three story building on the corner Of Locust
| and First East streets, now used by the
| Government, and Sanitary Commissions
as a Soldiers Home. -.... .....
was met at the threshhoId by three la
dies, who gave me a cordial welcome on the
introduction (by letter. Of James e. 4eatlnan
President of the Western Sanitary Com
mission, under whose auspices this Home
was established.
| found the house spIendidIy located for
the purpose designed; rooms large, vel
| Ventilated, airy, sweet and clean. Its beds
llumnerous and III perfect order. The detail.
ed4asistlnts doing their part chcertully anc
falbtuIiy, aud the servants Gall coiored
prompt attentive and polite. ea ..'--e'-
t Bnt.tIleie were no sick, no feeble Oh
! wouodgii ones v1no soldiers -only here and
4 there u sti agGlcr--a great force OF helpers
I aid no one to hclp-so 1t seemed.
| Jane rs. Laura swept the floors and halls
/ bef5r0 breakfast, while Matilda filled the
pitchers with fresh water from a splendid
cistern at the door. r.,.- ...-...... ........
ffenry. detailed soldier, was at his post
| as head in the cook room, with Tennessee to
help; Uncle John and Bob set the soldiers
table, while Cynthie and Maria attended tC
! all matters that came and went be ,Ween.-
| Little Harry and Leonard Scrubb-L the well
curb and cleaned the brick pavements
Those are the household boys, while
Marsh, detailed soldier takes care Of the
| horses and drives the ambulance.
James and John are watchmen; Mr.. Nc
| Donald keeps the books, and MIR. nj. n MANN
is superintendent
Of the three ladies, one Mrs. P. former
matron, is gone up the river one Miss Hat
tie Wiswell, sick and off duty and the third
Mrs Gov. Harvey, of Wisconsin, was man
aging for the time. -...a d.
Oh! how pleasant that first Sunday
Bouquets of flowers gave their fragrance;
hooking birds sung their merry trilis =
Duff Green's cows and calves, and chickens
made farm yard music, close by, and the
green trees, washed in the last spring show
ers robbed the burning sun Of its hot fierce
ness and rendered life toll 9rdble even with
the excessive heat <'
A few dropped into tea. mostly reverendS
and shoulder straps. 5s ..
''tIa la" said to myself, SO this is the
way the money goes"
Mr. Mann was as cool and quiet as the
centre seed of a cucumber. Why shouldn't
he be, with palace to live in, nothing to
do, and kept at the public expense on Il good
salary--so much for first impressions; and
Mrs. il, how sweet and childlike she
was, floating about in her white wrapper,
dealing out raspberry vinegar and ice-water
to sick Hattie, and some OF her half falnting
guests, for don't you know III such hot
weather as this, most everybody has
''niisery.')
III. HOT NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. NURSING
ADJUSTMENTS
Jane 81. Oh how hot it was the morn
ing wind with scorching breath, Mrs. P :
had gone the day before, and the boat that
took her away brought load of refugees
poor trash" some folks call th EN-. Mr..
Mann was off on his work of mercy to get
them into the Refugees Home, (you North
erners have not forgotten them.) Mrs.
Brooks, the matron, and Mr. Nesbett, the
manager, were off too, and hundred came
into their family; men v omen and chill
dren, sick, weary, starved and naked. Miss
Chapman, the refugee teacher had to add
another nurse to her 'lnain'' stock as an
additional force of juveniles forced their
way into her school room from the new re-
cIuits of clippers and clay eaters"
There was a call from Reg.-, and
the ambulance came to the door, and in
bounded Mrs. II, with her arms full
Of sanitary. Here sick soldier, there one,
and each got something One with sore
! eyes, eight months useless, stood looking
wishfully at the earth; widowed mother
at home, prayed that he might not go blind
III the coming heat and dust of August; an
other year sick, just out Of the hospital
! turned out by an inhuman surgeon. ''EIe
will die in week if kept here" said the
I Captain. .Ir .urras
HE shall go home, said Mrs. II. with a
vim, eve can't afford to have him die"
The surgeon, the colonel, the medical di-
rector were visited. slump into the anIbu-
I any, wy % Sdltt d CAiOSlJ hOibehh . fOACS-
! We took them home nursed them week.
They are both up North on a furlough to-
day.
June 28.-Only those two in the sick
nom and only now and then soldier be-
l0w. Oh fe, twenty and one around all
the time TO wait on them. How Laura
scrubs, and Matilda sweeps and laughs, and
there is Mr. Mann actually playing chess
With Mrs. H., and Hattie is rafting dice
With James, and Tennessee and Cynthie are
telling yarns and making their own garments
On the doorstep OF the kitchen. aT7 st-
But there comes an orderly with q requi-
Stion; away 80 the chess; out comes the
cans bottles, bandages and clothes; away
We go to the reginental hospital Of --
Wisconsin. s'rhings are all right; those
windows must be cleared; bring in certain