Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-06-09
From the Philadelphia Isquiccr-
The Sanitary Commission and Our
.r WOuuded

Almost everybody, nowadays. isss
stock holder in the United States Santa
~ Commission. and being so feels desir-
Gus to know how the capital of which he
or she furnished part Is used. Those
who helped to collect a million in New
York and six hundred thousand dollars in
Brooklyn. not to speak of the other sums
gathered in Boston and elsewhere during
the past winter. are curious to know if
these dollars are really benefting our
wounded brethren, and whether the relief
and comfort given is in proportion to the
libcrality Of the public.
This desire is reasonable, and we have
taken some pains to secure, from anthem
tic and independent sources, the informa-
tion required to satisfy it. The particu-
lars which we print below are the SUBJ
stance Of reports made to US by several
gentlemen. not officially come cted with
the Sanitary Commission. who have visit
ed Washington, Belle Plain and Freder-
icksburg. and have seen there what is done
by the Commission.
1t is known that there is. at Washing
ton, Central Depot Of the Sanitary Com
mission. AT this place. there was, before
Grant crossed the Rapidan, coprs of fifty
trained and skilled men, used to the care
of the wounded, experienced in cooking,
handling the wounded and in all the SER
vices which position in the field suggests
for making the helpless comfortable
This is the field corps; its members are
paid and are under military discipline
They form nucleus around which is gath
cred larger corps of volunteer attendants
and agents. ladies and gentlemen who
serve at their own expense, and who come
only at the call of the Commission. At
the Central Depot, of course, large sup
plies of suitable clothing and food are
stored.
Two items, thirty tousand wooden shirts
and q ton of condensed milk. will give the
reader some idea of the extent of these
stores, while the following items picked
hastily and at random from an inventory
now before us, will show the great variety
of articles needed: Hay. for bedding;
oakum, for wounds; stockings, shirts.
drawers. chip hats. pillows for the head
and for stumps of limbs; slings of various
sizes. paper, envelops, pencils. sponges,
ring pads, for wounds; towels. brooms,
buckets, bed-pans, crutches, drinking cups,
tents. bed ticks. oranges and lemons,
spoons, soft bread. oatmeal, corn-starch,
farina, dishes of different kinds, shoes,
slippers, beefstcak, blackberry cordial.
canned fruits and vegetables, dried fruits,
pickeled onions and cabbage, lanterns.
candles. soap, canes and fans. We have
selected from the long list only part of
the articles such part as is most sugges
tive of the various wants of the helpless
and msimed sufferers.
II will be remembered that the first
news from the army arrived Ia Washing
ton on Sunday night. 1t was there re-
ported the wounded were on their way to
Alexandra by the way ofCulpepper. A
corps of men were Immediately sent to AL
exandria with sandwiches. coffee. punch,
farna, and such other food as could at
once be given to the men as they came up
in the cars.
They waited there all night, but none
came 1t was then thought that the
wounded would come into fredericksburg.
On Monday morning steamer of one
hundred and forty tons was loaded with
supplies, and barge with horses and
wagons, aud these vessels were kept in
readiness to start off, at a moments no.
tice. down the river. Finally they were
started off for Belle Plain, where sixty
agents OF the Commission arrived on
Tuesday evening.
There was at this point no convenience
for landing, except crib dock hastily
constructed by the Quartermasters De-
partment. There are no houses, nor any
convenience whatever.
Tents we're Immediately set up, stores
landed. and proper places prepared
for the wounded, who began to come in
at this time; some in wagons, others on
foot.
A convenient spot vas chosen on the
road by which the men arrived, and here,
coffee, sandwiches, punch and other restor-
atives. were given at once to all who came
in. This relieved their first necessities
Other agents were sent out with haversacks
and canteens, upon the road. to help those
who were tagging behind from WEAKNESS:
to give cracker to one. swallow of
brandy to another. lemon to another,
and the news that succor was at hand to
all. This labor was continued throughout
the night.
On Wednesday morning between forty
and fifty wagons loaded with supplies were
sent off to fredericksburg, ten miles away
with corps of agents and assistants. who
had to walk the whole distance, the wagon
being full. At Fredericksburg were found
seven four-horse teams. with fourteen OF
the Commission field corps, who had ac-
companied the army with supplies across
the Rapidsn.
The town was full Of wounded. The
wagons were unloaded and the houses Ia
ken possession Of The place was at once
laid off into districts. A certain number
of assistants were assigned to each dis
tIict. and the whole corps, now consisting
of one hundred AMI fifty men. went to
work placing the wounded and supplying
them with clothing. pillows. beds. food
and other necessaries as they were required
The men lie on the floor in hundreds oil
buildings.
Eight tons of hay were sent down to
make them beds. The worst cases were
first looked after; and our iuformants