The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-09-21

SIR would most respectfully call YOU
attention to the very bad sanitary condi
tion OF the second division, as we'll as th
whole hospital, to the Immense quantity &
filth accumulating in the streets, and {
the flthiness of tents, snd to the fact tha
1t cannot be otherwise until we sre fur
nished with means with which TO work
that patients are lying on the Rrount
without beds or blankets, and also that Ia
ratlons are not of the proper kind, and no
issue in proper quantities.
Hoping that proper steps may be taker
TO remedy these defects,
am your obediet servant,
A. THoRHBURG,
Assistant Surgeon.
To r. a. Stevenson, Surgeon in eAarg,
q s. a. -- .=-r -l-
Witness had made several similar re-
ports to DR.. White. He frequently saw
prisoners have pants made out Of what
nttie bed clothing they could get. During
the Administration Of DR.. White but few
vegetables, and these in small quantities,
were issued. Witness knew there wss an
order from the War Department. placing
prison hospitals on the same footing with
Confederate hospitals. Hospital funds
could have been drawn and il would have
supplied the hospital with vegetables. The
naaa1 iseIlaA MAS unsiftad and vary coarse.
Under the administration of DR.. Steven.
son it wss very difficult to procure
medicints, and when the reduisitions were
ma 1e it was long before they were filed
and perhaps the medicines not furnished
at all The mortality was great. The
witness attributed 1t TO the want Of proper
diet crowding of men in small space and
the lack of shelter and fuel. The worst
cases were brought from the stock sde to the
hospital. There would be from forty to
sixty deaths per day and these places would
be filed with sick from the stockade, and
deaths frequently occurred in the stocksde.
Some died who had never received medical
attention. Persons waiting In thestocksde
for medical attention would die before car
ried to the hospital. The witness was here
shown the hospital regular register, and he
stated that he recognized the book
IS being the hospital book. He saw no
marks to indicate that it had been tampered
with except some pencil marks which ne
supposed 10 be check marks
The book was here offered in evidence by
Colonel Ohipmsn. It is the record OF the
hospital at Andersonville..
Frederick III. Jayne, clerk to the Com.
mission, testified that he had prepared the
exhibit of the number Of deaths IRON the
books. In doing this he had made the
check marks referred to BY the witness,
DR.. Thomberg resumed. The number
returned TO the stocksde from the hospit-
ais was very small Many who got well
were detailed as nurses, or on duty outside
the stockade. Had frequently seen men
brought out of the stockade, and no one
knew what became of them. One hslf of
those who died could have been saved had
proper diet and accommodations been fur.
nished. In August FIVE or six buildings
were erected in the northwest corner of
the stocksde. In the beginning of this
year nine were erected in the south part.
Witness knew nothing of the capacity of
the sheds or how many persons they would
hold. Many of the prisoners built shelters
with boughs, old blankets or anything they
could get. There was frost and some ice
during the winter. In the emacistsd con-
dition of the prisoners, the weather was
cold enough to freeze them to death
During the summer of 1864 in the hottest
weather the thermometer, stood 95 or 100
in the shade. In the summer Of 1865 it
was much WAIpaE-.. -.1a9 Oauou aEvanTiOn
to the name OF o. Gernly, lo6th Pennsyl'
vsnia regiment, on the register, who was
frozen to death during the winter Of 1864.
By Mr.. Baker-Witness thought the
building erected in the stoekade, by order
of Wmz, was the property Of the hospital
and in charge OF DR.. White. frequently
prisoners would be sick when they arrived.
Witness never treated person who had
received a gunshot wound inside the
stocksde. Saw q mans leg amputAted
who had been shot ty the guard but for
what he did not know. He had frequently
seen men brought out of the stOckade
with wounds on them; they were dead.
He saw some who had their skulls broke
and he had treated one or two who had
been wounded in the stockade BY their
comrades In the early part of June he
had treated 500 patients day. He never
was interfered With by Wirz, who, the
witne thought, showed a disposition for
the surgeons to do all they could for the
patients. Large quantities OF vegetables
we're entered on the hospital books as
bought, but were never brought TO che
hospital. The vegetables were bought with
the hospital fund, and there must have
been fraud committed. The amount OF
hospital funds allowed by the government,
had it been drawn, would have been enough
tos1pply ali necessary things to the hospital.
The hospital fund should have been
drawn from the eommissary. The witness
stated that if it had been his duty and he
had been furnished money he could have
bought vegetables of all kinds that veg
etable diet required for the hospital When
eggs, butter, Chickens Sc, that woul0
have been suitable for the sick sometimes.
They got wheat bread, that is such as
could be obtained in the fall of 1854. Sew
eral priests were permitted to visit the
place and see the prisoners. They gave
the prisoners money, and sent in
to them q large lot OF -four, which was
baked in bakery and distributed to the
prisoners. There was an order forbiddlng
any person going into the hospitals with
out q pass from Wirz. Citizens were not
allowed to trade with the prisoners. Wit
ness received some blankets for his division,
which had been sent by the United States
Sanitary Commission. The rules were
more strict while Winder was at Ander-
sonville than afterwards.
By the Court-Hcspitsl clothing was Is
sued in piles. After buildings had been put
up witness had heard of men being
treafei who received gunshot wounds IL
the stockade. False entries were made II
the hospital books, because the Surgeon
could draw more medicine and hospita
/