Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-07-14
u. S. Sanitary Commission.


it's editor, who has been for near two months
with the sick and wounde of the army Of
the Potomac. If any one of our readers
entertained doubt Of the benefits and
blessings Of the Commission, we think
they will lay them all aside after reading
the following letter from Mr.. JUDD's able
|pen, giving his own individual experience
of its practical workings Read it and do
your duty to the sick and suffering on the
battlefield, who are hourly laying down
their lives for their countrys honor and
salvation The remembrance Of past noble
deeds and actions done our tellowmen in
need come home to our minds in after life,
telling us our lives have not been spent
wholly in vain. They speak soothingly to
US, reminding us that we haze done unto
others as we would that they should do
unto u.s." If this divine Injunction was
carried out fully in its spirit, there would
be no need of Sanitary Commissions, for
there would be no wars causing bloodshed
and suffering. But read the letter for your
selves, and read it thoughtfully for it comes
home to each individual one of us all:
At Belle Plain large force of men, in al
ternate Squads, were occupied night and
day, from May 10 to May 25, in feeding the
men with coffee, milk punch to the fainting,
soft bread and crackers, medicines, and
many drlicacies-in giving clothing, crut-
ches, arm slings, blankats, etc-n dress
ing wounds, in cheering the desponding, in
conversing with the dying, in writing let
ters for those unable to write themselves, in
receiving and forwarding letters, parcels,
etc.-in short, in every way in which they
could comfort the living-and in burying
those. who died when they were on their
way home. The aOork done at that point
alone, thousand times repaid. all the, ,great
and small Sanitary Fairs eoer held, and all
the home efforts eoer put forth. t.'''A s#
At the same time, 80 four-horse wagons
were engaged in hauling supplies to the
army, and especially to Fredericksburg,
where the same kind Of work was going on,
but on a still larger scale, if possible. Cen
trail distributing stores were established, and
the city was districted off, and squads of
''relief men" assigned to each district. (The
agents Of the Commission accompanying the
army are called the "Relief Corps" and those
at the rear with the wounded are termed
the Auxiliary Relief Corps" These latter
consist partly of regularly employed men,
who are previously trained to the work of
dressing wounds, preparing for the sick,
ETC., but more largely of rolunteers, who
give their time and best energies freely, but
who work entirely subject to the regular
Auxiliary Corps. " +aa e4. - .e.rr.H
These companies with temporary cap
tains to direct, went from house to house
ir their several beats, and commenced their
good work. Though numbering over l50,
there was an average of nearly fifty for
each one to look after. Those skilled in
that branch, assisted in dressing wounds
others carried arouud and dispensed pre-
pared foods, and drinks, ETC., from the San
itary stores. The memory Of the hours and
days occupied in this will never dim That
clean, nice flannel shirt, made perhaps by
your hands, gentle reader, or at least bought
with your money or work, and put in place
of blood or dirt soled one, by the hand
that writes this, perhaps com forted son,
or brother, or relative Of the maker herself
| see pair of bare feet of a noble man
stretched upon the floor, unable to raise
himself up; hasten to put upon them a
pair of home-knit socks. Who knit them?
Perhaps the one that reads this. Some
body knit them for somebody's son-and
that is enongh Never shall | forget one
pair given A mark on them indicated the
knitter's name. The soldi er. took them in
his hands, looked them over and over again
then kissed them, hugged them to his
bosom, and turning upon his side, wept
could not stay there, to ask what were his
thoughts. These hands of mine are hal
lowed by the hundreds Of pairs of socks,
the shirts, the drawers, the arm sings, the
pillows, the ring cushions, the slippers, ETC.,
etc, that they have been permitted to give
to such men during five weeks past. And
every hand that has helped to make these
things, or helped by work, or dimes, or dol
lars to buy them, is nobler hand therefor
wish | could give thousandth part of
the items. have said nothing of the tens
of thousands of cups Of good coffee, pre-
pared with pure milk brought condensed in
cans, and sweetened with good sugar, of
other thousands OF cups of tea, of milk
punch when stimulants were most needed,
of farina, of beef or chicken broth, which
modern invention enables us to carry fresh
to the field. Imagine at least hundred
persons constantly preparing and bearing
| these things to our sick and wounded brave
men, far from home and home comforts and
care, and again with me thank God that it
was put into the hearts of the people, to
work in fairs and at home for our soldiers,
and that you and have been privileged to
bear some part in this noble enterprize of
this or any other age Let US keep on do
ing. We are in the midst of the mightiest
struggle the world has ever seen. For SO
days an almost inceasant battle has gone
on, and the end is not yet But I must
hasten
At PoIt Royal, Va, the same work was
repeated for three days and nights. The
Sanitary Commission steamer, loaded down
with stores and with relief men," were
on hand two hours before the first wounded
man arrived, and we fed and cared for al