Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-05-11

Scenes at VjcAs5a1y-A7rl0al of Wisconsin
V5ssasde3-Feeli,ag about the Fort ftAo1o H0S-
sacre.
The following is letter from Mrs e. A. T.
HARVEY, State Agent for Wisconsin at leks-
burg, describing the scene Oh board the hos
pital steamer Chenarego, which arrived at
yicksburg April 2lst, bearing the wounded
from the Red River expedition.
SOLDIERS HOME, VICKsBURG
Miss, April 9th, 1s64.}
Gov. J. t. LEWIS. Madison, Wis.
Dear Sir You have doubtless before this
received news from the Red River expedi-
ton.
On Thursday last the U. 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, Esd 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, 29th 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 left the field.
On this boat they were all comfortable
We sent about forty from hospitals here to
hospitals further North.
From this boat I went on hoard the Gle
mango 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 CT the
boat was filled With negroes almost naked, of
every age, from babies 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 to get through
this mass of human life, to the fainting, fam
ishing 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, yeu can do moth
q ing. These men have had no care since
they were wounded it is terrible, come
g away. They viii 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 viii
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-
biers, 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, a
most excellent nurse, Miss Wiswall, that |
could dress wounds equal TO any surgeon. |
asked permission of the surgeon in charge |
of the boat, to come board and go TO |
work. 1t was given very gratefully, and we |
did 90 TO work.
The day was very warm The men were |
near burning up with fe,er from their /
wounds, or fainting from loss of blood. Gold |
water was brought Us, and we gave them |
lemonade and wine first. Their faces and |
hands were bathed and wiped with clean |
towels.
l then opened cans of peaches, and gave /
each man a cracker and peach. The peaches |
were excellent Oh, that the ones who sent /
them could have seen the grateful, fearful I
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 1 am
permitted to be the almoner of their bounty.
While l was doing this, Miss WiswaI 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 /
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, ave knew you would |
come" Poor fellows; they wished help |
from every body. We are living surrounded |
by horrors and / fear TIE "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 viii take 30
more prisoners, and there is death TO the reb |
q in every black mans eye. They are STILL |
but terrible. They aeiH tight
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 |
own. He said to one of our officers, q 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 ana my brethren
and die man and free man Dress de |
Lord, massa.n 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. 4. 2. HARVEY,
State Agent.
A wag rose from his bed on the S1st of