Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-05-25

Out at sea, Feb'y 9Th, 1865.
'Tis hard TO keep up your spirits
While holding your supper down;
Or be laughed at for not walking steady,
While the vessel is ''bobbin around"
IT'S hard to be forced to disclose
Each separate bite of your dinner,
With friends laughing loud at your woes,
Poor sea-sick, vomiting sinner.
IT'S hard to be turned inside out,
And labor so hard to project
The food you have relished so much
Der stairway, cabin and deck.
'Tis hard, when your stomach is fussing,
And feels as if torn into shreds,
For some one to give you a cussing
For wasting your daily bread.
'Tis hard to cast up such accounts
Contrary to all calculation,
Striving in vain to suTmount
Your upheaving, wild demonstrations.
IT'S hard to be tumbled about
To suit the ships unruly motions,
Or to find yourself likely to float,
The effect Of crockery commotion.
IT'S hard to be laughed at for grieving,
And reproached with what you have done
Or to find that your suddenly leaving
Is a signal for de-spltting fun.
'Iis hard that your woes find no echo
With those whose stomachs behave,
To be left to fight your own battle,
With none to succor or save.
Tis hard to look in the basin,
Or cen on the victual- stained deck,
Where sadly you scattered your ration,
Dreadfully wrenchng your neck.
'Tis hard way Of serving the country
q
Let us pray that we neer may be called on
10 Counter march" back by this way.
The General did not devote much time
personally to the Division until it ar
rived at Newberne, when he took it in
hand, and ran it in wonderful style
First it was moved outside Of the city
limits some three miles, then fatigue par
ties were sent out into the pine woods
to chop logs for huts, while a few teams
were obtained from the Quartermaster S
Department in town. to haul them to-
gethcr, which played out in a few days,
and the men had to make beasts of them
selves, pack logs upon their shoulders
sometimes for half mile, build their
huts, and that on half rations, while
there was plenty in town. Before the
huts were half finished, the men were
moved into them, with instructions to
finish them as rapidly as possible, as they
could not draw any clothing until they
had. The Quartermaster OF one brigade
procured a quantity of clothing to issue
to his men soon after their arrival, but
Gen. Meagher rode over, forbid it being
issued, and caused guard to be placed
over it to enforce his order, and for
nearly two weeks it remained piled up
in its boxes, at the brigade headquarters
while the men were suffering for want
of it. In my special report to the brig
ade inspector, [ used the following Ian
guage in respect to this matter =
"Men come to me daily without blankets,
shirts, drawers or socks, whom | cannot
supply, and who are suffering from severe
colds, sore eyes, and other ailments; for
want of the clothing, which they under
stand, is withheld from them by authorita-
tive interference There has been consid-
erably suffering for want ofregular, prompt
ana full issues Of rations, but at present,
the clamors from this cause are somewhat
remitted."
In my regular report to the Adjutant
/ Generals Office for the month Of Febru-
ary, in speaking of the Sanitary condi-
tion Of the brigade, [ found it necessary
to say =
''Ihere has been great deal of suffering
endured by the men on account Of losing
their knapsacks, blankets, great-coats, &c,
while travelling, by accidents and thefts,
not being able to replace them. During
the past few weeks and especially since our
arrival in this camp, I have been called Oh
daily for articles Of clothing Of all descrip-
tons, by destitute soldiers, which | have
been enabled thanks to the Christian and
Sanitary Commissions-to relieve to con
siderable extent, as will be seen from the
following list of articles issued by me -
76 shirts; 85 socks; ID pair Of drawers
SO pairs of gloves and mittens; ~ towels !;
4S handkerchiefs 81 cans milk 70 cans
fruit; % pounds tea 2 tubs of apple but
ter; 10 pounds dried apples; 2 barrels and
10 pounds ofcrackers; 18 barrels ofkrout;
3 kegs Of pickles barrel Of onions;
pound Of sewing thread, and papers Of
needles. Yet I have not relieved all who
were in need, as more than a dozen have
called on me for blankets, shoes, and other
necessary articles Of apparel, who have
been compelled to endure the changes Of
the season since their arrival here, without
having shelter or bedding sufficient to pro-
tect them from its inclemences. whereby
several Of them have become sick. and ali
have suffered severlv, and I am forced to
believe, quite unnecessarily, as ] am credi-
blv informed, there has been good supply
Of clothing and blankets in the city for
some time past, and available at any mo-
nent for the men. There IS a strong un-
dercurrent ofdissatisfaction Of setting against
those parties suspected Of naliciously or
/ capriciouely Withholding clothing and ra-
tons from them"
/ [To BE CONTINUED.
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