The Portland daily press., 1864-03-14
COMMUNICATIONS.
Letter from the Hospital.
BRANDY STATION, FEB. 10, 1864.

BRANDY STATION, FEB. 10, 1864.
TO the Editor Of the Press:
/ send TO you the following letter from
Mrs. Mayhem, nurse of the Maine Camp Hos
pital Association, in order that our many
friends may know how gratefully their dono-
nations are received by those for whom they
are sent-the sick soldiers. Z.
My dear Mrs. E.:
/ seize a few leisure moments to announce
the arrival of your box. The things were in
excellent order, and the collection SO valua-
BILE! am intending to visit the 10th Me. to-
day, and shall carry some of those nice cakes
with me, and you know better than the rest of
the ladies who contributed them, how accept
able they will be to the soldier boys. / have
not visited this regiment since they have been
\ at Mitchelfs Station, as the distance is four
teen miles, and must change cars at Culpep-
per-. You know something of the difficulties
attending the transportation of goods in the
army. Mr.. Hayes is going, SO take the OPP
portunity TO 60 with him. This is the only
Regiment have not seen recently.
Thursday, Is. l did not have time to fin
ish my letter before went to Mitchelps sta
ton. On Tuesday, packed quantity Of
goods to take with me, consisting of flannel
shirts, drawers and stockings; caps, handkei.
pickles, cider, dried apples, crackers, butter.
smoked fish, canned salmon, corn, corn-meal,
oatmeal, corn starch, cough candy, cayenne
pepper, cookies, cocoa and tea, all of which
were thankfully received. | also carried two
bed-comiorters, which l found very servicea-
BILE on the way, as it was extremely cold, and
We rode in big car which was open on both
sides.
1t was late when we arrived, did not see the
sick men until the next day. Passed the
night in house near the regiment Found
ten men sick in the hospital, two very sick
with tyI hold fever. Sixty were off duty in
quarters, some quite sick, Others slightly so.
Taking the ginger-snaps, some handkerchefs,
towels, cough candy and reading matter, we
made our visit first to the hospital, then from
tent to tent, these visits are always made un-
der direction of the surgeon) until we had
seen all, distributing as we went With the
gingerbread they were particularly grati6ed
At first, as soldiers aim ost universally do, they
would decline, saying, 20, no, you will find
some who need it more than do" insis-
ted on each one taking some, they would say,
80, this does seem like home" Q
The hospital is well arranged, and no efforts
spared to make them comfortable. The men
in this as in all other regiments have built
them nice houses this winter, but the wind in
this terribly cold weather finds its way into
them, and the poor fellows have hard work to
keep warm.
Last week visited the I'd corps hospital:
here we found many sick, and one hundred
wounded at the late reconnaissance many of
them fatally SO; one from the 18th Me- / also
visited last week the 3D., 4th, and 18th regi-
ments and the cavalry; beside sending sup
plies to other regiments where they were
. sick. This was my first visit to the cavalry
since they have been in winter quarters
They are twenty miles distant and there is
no direct conveyance from this place to their
camp. / had an opportunity to send them
word, if they would send an ambulance 10
meet me at the cars, would visit them: SO
packing quantity of such things as thought
would be acceptable in boxes, bags and bas-
kets, took the cars to Warrenton Junction.
Soon the carriage drove up attended by an
escort OF twelve mounted cavalry men to take
me to camp. The carriage was an army
wagon without cover, and with board laid
across 1t for a seat. We reached there while
at dinner. Said DIR. T. "you have come in
good time for we need nearly everything
He told me there were ten sick in Brigade
Hospital at Warrenton and fifty lin quarters
He received the things | carried with many
expressions OF thankfnness
The DR.. and Steward had been talking that
day of taking up collection to purchase
some butter for some men sick with small pox
They We're very glad to find that / had some.
In fact, everything had with me seemed to
meet want. Among the goods Mr.. Hayes
brought me two weeks since, was one box
from 5. Wakefield marked on the invoice for
the San. Com. / wrote to them for instruc-
tlons in regard TO it. and received Yesterday
pleasant note stating they were glad it had
fallen into my hands, and telling me by all
means TO use the things. / received half
barrel from Rockland. Very truly,
X. L. Mayhew.