Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-12-24
Sanitary work 10 the southwest.
soLprrss' How, vicksburg, Nov. q


Hoa j.. r., Lec;s, Governor of WiscogsiT.:!
DEAR SRI have the pleasure TO inform,
| you that the sanitary condition of our sol
| diers in this department is daily improving
| There are several reasons for this-the air
has been purified by frost, many of the fee
| bic convalescents have been furloughed or
sent to northern hospitals, and the perma-
| nently disabled are being discharged from
the army.
The united and untiring efforts OF the San
4 itary and Christian Commissions have brought
and are scattering with a liberal hand, ply
| steal. mental, moral and religious comforts
among our brave men in camp, field and hos
pital The weary, disheartened, discouraged
soldier, without descriptive roll, money or
friends, away from his regiment, has learned
| to look up for aid to these commissions as he
\ does to his God for breath, and expects it as
freely Thanks to the noble generosity of
our people, he is never disappointed, when
| his voice can reach them or any of their
l agents.
| We shall soon be very much in need of
WOODEN shirts and drawers, comforts and
quilts. As the cold weather advances we see
| the great necessity of these articles. The
| damp atmosphere here produces deathlike
chiIliness, which demands flannel quite as
much as our piercing Northern cold, some
times think great deal more. hope our
| friends at home will remember this when
they are making up their boxes of precious
| things TO send US. Within the past few cold
DAYS we have given flannel wrappings to
many a weak convalescent, that must other
wise have suffered.
Men furloughed from the hospital where
they have been during the summer, have
often no means of getting necessary clothing,
except through the commissioners. Clothed
/ as thew are in their summer blouses and cot
| ton, they would soon Eicken again, be re-
turned TO hospital, or perish going home.
| These men we make comfortable, and see
what you and our Northern friends do not see,
their fearful, grateful faces. and hear their
| fervent "God bless YOU"
Our regiments at Little Rock, Pine Bluff,
Duval's Bluff and Paducah are in much bet
| ter condition than when they went up the
river. Large quantities of sanitary goods
heve been sent there, and had they received
them all they would now be abundantly sup
plid, but unfortunately the United States
Sanitary boat Danlieh was sunk, and about
two-thirds of her cargo was total loss, also
| barge loaded with fifteen hundred packages
| from the Western Commission, and all lost.
Notwithstanding these disasters, many goods
| have reached them, and more are being sent.
There are agents there to distribute them.
These facts learned from DR.. Woodward, the
Sanitary Inspector of this department.
intended to visit Wisconsin regiments at
these different points, but DR.. Woodward
| thought l could do more good at this place
and vicinity, as there was no State Agent
here.
There are two Sanitary depots here, and
their obliging and gentlemanly agents enable
me to do a great deal more than could 9TH
erwise.
While believe no Wisconsin soldier has
asked aid of me in vain, and they in this vi
| cinity all know where to find me, yet the
| same is true of soldiers from New York,
Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, and every and any SOL
| der of the United States army. Our boys
| in blue are alike dear to me. God bless
them ALL No State can claim them exclu-
sively, but they are alike the pride of every
one. " State rights are not recognized by
sanitary agents any more than they are by
| the country.
The only Wisconsin regiment at present at
| Vicksburg is the I'd Wisconsin cavalry, and
| they are now out on a scout. The surgeon
informed me that he had only ~ at sick call,
that $50 were mounted and $50 went out to
guard the pontoon train a better report OF
| the regiment than we have had before in a
year. The regiment is thriving under the
efficient and energetic command of Major
Dale, gentleman whom hear very highly
| spoken Of
From Memphis | hear very favorable re-
ports we hove but few men in hospital there.
The 4th cavalry are at Baton Rouge. We
have sent the sanitary goods recently.
Unless hear of some place on the river
where can do more good than / can here, /
shall not leave this place at present
My health is not as good as it was last win
ter; get tired with less reason for it than |
used to.
Have we an agent at Nashville a?
Enclosed 1 send you a list of the goods
| which have distributed this month. These
have been issued mostly to individuals by
my own hands. In addition, have received
two boxes nobly filed, from Shopiere and
Clinton Junction, Wisconsin, which / have
also distributed
Much alarm is felt at Memphis, anticipating
an attack there from rebel forces. Major
Gen Dana is in command here. He is hated
by cotton spectators, but / am happy to say
| equally by rebel sympathizers. Some of his
recent actions and orders, think, will at
least stamp him loyal
If you have any commands for me, | shall
| gladly receive them.
Yours respectfully,
G.. A. p. HARVEY, State Agent