American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-06-29
Our ursunering1geroes.

heartlly commend IL 10 our readers, and
urge that the boys and girls oapur Rural
Districts employ all their esun moments
in compliance with the suggestions there
in set forth Do not fail to improve the
time, while the different kinds of berries
are in season Labor diligently and in
cessantly for the purpose of furnishing
our sick and wounded herscs with the deli
casies of life you can do much toward
alleviating the sufTerings of tho sick and
wounded soldiers, and thus cheer their
hearts amid all their suserings aud trials.
There is not patriotic fathers or
mothers, there is sscarcely loyal heart, in
all this wide land, to which these ques-
tions do not frequently present themselves
-" How fare our brave boys whom Reb
ell bullets have stricken down but not be-
reft of life Are they comfortably lodg-
ed aud tended, fed and every way provid-
ed or do they languish on beds of need
less suffering, dying from want and ex-
posure while we. enjoy shelter and com
fortY What can we do to alleviate their
anguish 7" And it is the simple duty of
all, not merely TO hope and pray but to
work and spare for their benefit.
We spent part of last Tuesday at the
" Campbell Hospital" in the northern
outskirt of Washington City, under the
charges of DR., Shepherd Of our State,
ably seconded by Chaplain Gaylord of
Ohio. or course, we saw very sad and
touching spectacles, and there were some
features that we thought susceptible of
improvement; but the general aspect was
better than we had expected There was
an abundance of fresh, wholesome air
there was no lack of capable and willing
attendance while the supply Of food wrrs
better than we had hoped TO Gpdl t.
NourshHg soups, well-madec toast, fresh
vegetables, dolAettc puddings Ne, are
hero abandantly supplied; and, what
strstolk us as best of all, there was limit
ed but judcious bill Of fare, from which
every patient can select and order meal
to his taste WE saw many a bedriddeh
sufferer taking his ample dinner Of boil
ed chicken and dipped toast; auf~while
this ought not TO be remarkable, We prob
ably enjoyed it at least equally with the
eaters. An ample and good hbrary--ey-
cry book free gift to the disabled, and
thereby moro endeared children of the
Republic well-stockcd rcadiug-room---
a handsome hower.garden-a little print
ing Office aud bindery worked by invalid
soldiers-convcniencies for writing and
dispatching letters combined with pur-
cr and lresher breezos than can be enjoy.
ed in any city, make this spacious hospit.
al quite endurable, though it was not To-
Gated in a grove as it might have been
and as every hospital should be wherever
possible. Under such circumstances, We
were not surprised to learn that of the
$500 patients received since Grant cross
ed the Rapidan, but 100 have died and
Notwithstanding many amputations, it i
believed that but few more lives are il
danger. With a coarserdiet and harshe
treatment, we have no doubt the mortali
ty would have been doubled.
We greatly apprehend that al our hos
pitals are not so well managed and pro
vided as this, though we were assured tha
no particle of the comforts and delicacic
here enjoyed arc derived from the SAM
tary or the Christian Commission Bu
we write to impress on loyal, humane per
= sons living near any military hospital th
duty of personal sol citude and inauir,
as to its management and the needs am
treatment of Estimates Isl or is it no
true that some hospitals are managed will
an eye rather to the pecuniary profit 0
the superintendent than the comfort an,
recovery of the sufferers? Is it the fac
that wounded men arc sometimes fed per
sistently on salt meats and mush and mo
lasscs, when their physical condition alb
solutely requiresa very different regimen
Are our wounded boys amply supplie
with the fruits of the season and,
r not, who will promptly make the needfu
arrangements to remedy the oversight
Thousands of them suffer from dyscnteri
affections for which fresh, ripe blaekber
ries are Natures antidote; and there
: not truo-heartcd boy or girl in the lam
who would not rejoice over the priyilcg
of picking for a dry, or several days, q
his or her humble contribution towor
the relief of our wounded braves. Bu
'eye,y fruit is wholesome in its season, an
every hospital should overflow with th
best, a free-will Offering from the loya
heart to the outstretched arm Of the Ma
ton Fathers and mothers in every State
speak to your children on this point, an
let us have not only fruit contributed fo
present use, but barrels of the choices
dried and otherwise preserved for usenez
Winter Your languishing sons ma
thus be solaced and aided to recover or j
not, somebody's sons certainly will
Do not let the season pass without th
amplest provision for the future as we'll q
the present needs of our suffering he
roes "
The Public Debt.
The following timely and most exeel