The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-04-07
Doings Of the Sanitary Commits
sion.
KENosHA April, 3, 1864,

Doings of the Sanitary Commits
sion.
KENosHA April, 3, 1864
EDITORS TELEGRAPH Previous to leav
ing home for the south l heard frequent ex-
of doubt as to the proper applica-
ton of supplies furnished by the various Sol
diers' Aid Societies to the Sanitary Commits
sion. and some even had refused to contrib
ute anything more for the relief of soldiers
in the field or hospital, for the reason that
thew did not believe that the supplies thus
contributed ever reached the soldiers, but
were appropriated by the Surgeons and oth-
GERS of the army. In my recent trip south,
in the army of the Cumberland, | made it a
part of my business to ascertain the facts as
far as possible, as to the truth or falsehood
of such reports. While at Chattanooga OBJ
tanned from the agents of the commission at
that place, statement of supplies, furnish
ed soldiers in and out of hospitals, from the
agency at that place alone The following
is a list furnished during the months of No
vember, December, January, and February
129 blankets, 172 comforters, 249 bed
ticks, 9o2 pillows, 1858 pillow slips, $50
sheets, 6,1O7 shirts, 9,437 pairs drawers, 217
dressing gowns, 80 coats, vests and pants,
8. sos towels and handkerchiefs, l, 872 pairs
socks, 81 pairs slippers IT'S pairs mittens, 18
night caps, 88 eye shades, 1862 lbs bandag-
es and rags 218 pads, 683 pin cushions, l.
7O9 cans fruit, 6, O30 cans concentrated beef
1926 cans concentrated milk, 1906 lbs
crackers, II lbs dried beef, l,090} lbs tea,
4448 lbs sugar, POLL lbs dried fruit 1853
bushels green fruit 3764 lbs groceries, A.
500 lbs Goldfish, 70 lbs cheese, 1922 lbs but
ter, 2, AIT bottles wine and spirits, 152 gal
Ions apple butter, 2,709t gallons pickles,
597 gallons sour crout, 1884 bushel pota-
toes 1922 bushels onions, 1861 gallons ale
and CIDER 968 books and pamphlets, 20 OF
lime juice 681 gallons vinegar, 268t dozen
fresh lemons, So arm sings, 6 cans oysters,
16 lbs white fish, barrel crockery, barrel
sundries, 10 pair. shoes, AZ bottles medi-
cine, % bushels mixed vegetables, l dozen
knives and forks dozen tin plates, can
dlesticks
In addition to the above there were twen-
ty wagon loads of stores distributed imme-
diately after the battle of Chickamauga, OF
which no account was taken. All the above
it will be borne in mind were issued from the
single agency of Chattanooga
would say further that l do not remem-
Der of visiting single hospital during my
absence. (and l believe visited every one
on the route from Louisville to Chattanooga,
that did not see in every one, more or less
sanitary stores furnished by the commits.
sion.
In addition to the labor and duties of the
Commission at Chattanooga, they are super
intending the cultivation of $50 acres of land
in the neighborhood in garden vegetables,
employing from % to 80 men, all of whom
except a practical gardener, who superin.
tends and directs the labor are men in the
service, convalescent or transferred to the in'
valid corps. They occupy the premises IN
der an order from the military department
here and all persons, soldiers or civilians are
prohibited from truspassing upon, or in any
manner interfering with said premises. An
other order authorizes the Commission to
impress all farming and garden tools found
upon the premises of any one and not in ac-
| tual use by the owners. Also another order
to detail any number of men in the invalid
corps to work upon said land. There is also
/ turned over for the commission, twenty-four
horses twenty seven plows, together with
the requisite number of shovels spades &c,
! for the cultivation of the garden. They had
when left, % men as permanent detail
In addition to the garden of 80 acres, the
commission also occupy under a like order a
vineyard of fifty thousand vines covering
forty-tw acres of land. The grapes are Of
the Catawba variety and competent judg-
es estimate the yield, the present season, at
five hundred thousand pounds. | am thus
particular in describing the operations ofthe
agency in this place for the two fold reason
of showing not only what the commission are
doing, but the favor shown them by the mil
itary authorities, who are on and i'll the field
with them, and know and appreciate the
good they are doing,
The same is true i'll every place; where
an agency of the commission is established.
[ know from my own observation, that the
efforts of the U. S. Sanitary Commission are
duly appreciated, and most cordially second
ed by the military authorities iii the field,
and they of all others have the best oppor-
tunty of judging Of its usefulness and eff
cheney. | have heard many officers and men
say, that they had not the least doubt that
thousands of lives had been saved by the eff
forts of that commission, in timely supplies
of clothing and articles of vegetable diet, not
furnished by the government. The agency
at Nashville, a day or two before left, were
in receipt of several barrels of picked pota-
toes. This is an article but recently come
into use in the army, but the opinion is gen
eral with the medical profession, SO far as
have heard the subject mentioned by them,
that there can be no better material for the
prevention of scurvy, chronic diarrh@a or
any scorbutic disease. would therefore
recommend that the several aid societies
procure and put up all they can no danger
of getting too many. The manner of pre-