Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-06-03
THE CITY.
THE WOUNDED.
Ohio Wounded mt Frcdericksburg-
The Sanitary Commission and Its
Management.

Mr. F. Il. Wallace, of Cleveland, one of
the agents sent to the Virginia front by
Governor Brough to look after Ohio SOL
diers wounded i'm the recent battles in that
Department, has made a lengthy report to
the Governor, the tenor of which is not
Sanitary Commission, by which the stores
for the wounded are distributed. From
his interesting report we make an extract
or two for the information of our readers,
to show that the Sanitary business is, in n
measure, regulated by the same red tape
arrangements which prevail in almost ev-
cry department of the Government, to the
injury of the soldier. In speaking of the
reception extended to State agents by the
paid officers of the Commission, Mr.. Wal
lace says:
"Persons duly accredited by the Cover
nor of Ohio, and the Governors of other
States, were not permitted, by those in
charge of sanitary stores, TO receive arti-
c'es from cup of coffee to pair ofcotton
stockings, and bestow the same upon those
whom they had specially come to seek and
aid, and who composed a small portion of
the great multitude of the distressed; but
it was insisted that to help dispense the
peoples bounties such special State agents
must go through the formality of an appli-
cation to some imaginary headquarters for
an 'order," which application would prob
ably be fruitless, for the reason that persons
appointed by Governors of States on such
missions OF mercy and relief, seem to be
deemed and treated as "outsders." Gen
Nf tt,,s,t ian ,t,,tn
ally Jared no better in their similar appli-
cations, and sometimes thought they were
treated by sanitary agents with, if posi-
bic, cooler Indifference than the agents of
the State. In short, it seemed to me the
State agents, sent in some respects to aid
the Sanitary Organization in its great labor
OF dispensing bandages, clean shirts, and
hot coffee, were treated always as instru-
ders, and sometimes as though they were
agents and delegates from the enemy.
Looking out as well as we could first for
those wounded belonging to Ohio regi-
ments, believe something from our little
stores were actually furnished to agents of
the Sanitary Commission, some of whom
had the GOODNESS to ask such favors, after we
~ had been referred to headquarters for an
''order."
Mr.. Wallace shows that there is lament
able want of order and system in the man
agement of the Sanitary, by reason of
the lack of good sense and want of general
business capacity by some of the dispens-
ing agents of the Sanitary stores, the spe-
cial benefits of the institution have been
lost, and consequently the good intentions
of the people have been unavailing, and
their hopes and expectations of the highest
good resulting therefrom, have in many in
stances been disappointed.
In conclusion he says that the only remc-
dy for the evils complained of is, in his
judgment, the substitution of practical,
sensible business men for some of the un-
wise and impracticable persons who are
employed by the Sanitary Commission, at
good salaries, as dispensing agents in the
hospital and in the field. rt..'