Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-09-10
A VIndIcatlon or Army Surgeons.
HosPITsI, 2D Div 23D ARxY Gears,
BEFORE ATLAErA. Ga,
Aug q, 1851

Edi;ers Journal
see that there has been recently quite
an attack on the Surgeons Of our army
by Correspondents tc the Cincinnati
Commercial and other papers North
Nov I Do NOT Wish 10 be understood a.
being ths champion for medical oaicsrs,
Il ara ! particularly ia thsir favor. shai
skc up the eudgel loE thea (fos none
u them know-aG ny vritissl, bu. I
think frssi iniuslies has been dsas then,
a. eiass Of officers. y asas ieE COZ
respondents II Is true that there are
among them inefficient, hardb-aried,
selfish, and brutal men, as there are in
all departments Of the army; but be
cause few officers misuse THAR men is
It Just and proaer that the whole class
Of officers shall suffer censure because
Of the misconduct Of few7 But what
| wish to speak more particularly about
is the kind OF men Who usually make
complaints Il is not the good soldier
who is always at his post when able, but
il is usually some lazy drone who is too
cowardly to fght, but skulks behind. gets
into the hospital and thinks he must
have the best Of everything that is to be
had, and IL be does not get il he abuses
the Surgeons aud all connected with the
hospital, as a set Of thieves, brutes, &c
Another class Of men who act verf
prominent part in getting up trouble
with patients. are 4 set Of 4uacks or
cross roads doctors, who come into the
army with the expectation OF getting
position in the Medical Department, but
being disappointed in this they spend
most Of their time in producing disaf
fiction among the patients, with the
regular Surgeons. .....
can sAy, eonscientiously that the
men, both sick and wounded, are aswell
treated and cared for, in the hospital Of
the ID Division, 23d Corps, as they eau
| possibly be under the circumstances 1t
Is true that they have not all the delics-
cies that they have further 10 the rear,
but still they have all that can be had 10
I this country.
The surgeons in charge of this hospi-
tai deserve much credit for the manner
| in which they have conducted il duriug
the present campaign The Operating
| staff Is composed Of Brs. Crawford,
| Woods, Brewer, and Welborn, al of
whom are good surgeons. The Ward
surgeons are all very attentive and efh-
| cieut men .-.r9
1 DR.. welborn, of the Operating staff,
il from souIhern Indiana, aud deserves
much credit for the faithful manner Ia
/ which he has performed his duties BE
| is winning for himself reputation in
this army, as q surgeon and physician,
that many older men might be proud Of
! will also state, for the satisfaction Of
the friends Of the soldiers at homs that
all the sanitary stores that reach this
hospital are properly applied Having
myself been placed 10 charge of the san
itary stores sent to this hospital, | know
that they are not used BY the surgeons
or attendants, but BY the patients who
need them hope that hereafter, when
correspondents wish to eensure any OH
cee that they will name out the guilty
party, instead Of censuring the whole
class of officers IN this department
should not have written this letter,
bat / have seen. OF lata, 80 many articles
in the papers sbusing the surgeons, and
having been myself associated with them
during the present campaign, I thought
ii nv duty, both to the surgeons and the
friends of the patients at home. to LEI
them know how the sick and wounded
in this hospital are cared for. ...
Yours, &c, CHAPLAIN.
! TNorE-The above has been delayed
! in coming, and is old, yet ought, in jus
tice, to be pubTished-Ens. JoURl