The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-02-03
FEBRUARY 3, 1865.
CORRESPONDENCE.
WASHINGTON D. c., Jan. a. l8.

WASHINGTON D. c., Jan. q, 1852
FRIEND BUTLER: Tomorrow hope to leave
for the front, and so before go will send you
few fragments making up o Heterogeneous
letter containing items Of interest to me, and,
as hope, not without some interest to your
readers.
In former letter spoke Of our diet. To.
day few words In regard to the amount OF
some articles used. and the manner OF cooking,
may not be out Of place. or one OF the two de
ming rooms, I can speak from personal knowl
edoe. As one enters this at the end door, three
long rows Of tables extending ~ the other end
are before him. The simplicity OF the cdrs
used. at once attracts his attention. Before
him stretch out long rows Of tin plates. long
rows OF tin dippers, and In tho middle Of these
tables are long rows Of mugs and bottles con.
tanning condiments and huge piles OF bread.
Nearly 400 plates are set, BY the side OF every
one OF which are . knife aad fork, and In every
one q small piece Of meat or small tish, or
little. .''blue Dip" or spoonful OF molasses, or
some stewed apple. Some 275 loaves OF bread
two Id. ioaves- are daily used. In the rear
OF the dining. room Is tho cook-room. Two
huge csldrons are set In which beef and pork
are boiled, and soup made, while several large
tanks are required for making tea and conee, OF
which 60 gals. Of each are required for daily
use. Near by Is the bakery. This contains two
large ovens, 8 by 10 n. In which from 7co TO
800 ioaves are baked at each baking. Nine bar
rels Of -four are used at baking three max
ing "batch," and three "batches" baking.
The Aour Is sifted, and kneaded by hand. Hon,
malt and potato yeast is used, which commeno-
es TO work as soon as the -four Is kneaded. The
kind old baker was very communicative and
boasted Of his bread, which is truly white and
nice. He advocates kneading by hand instead
of machine. .kneading. and regards tho above-
mentioned yeast as far superior to all chemi
cal preparations, (which are dead until the
dough Is put into the oven THIS bakery sup
plies the whole Hospital. From those employ.
ed In the special diet.room, learned that iav
are on extra diet. This consists OF roast beef,
steak, potatoes, eggs, toast, bread and butter,
crackers, mush and milk &c.-articles OF food
noursh,ng to the sick.
A few blacks, contrabands, are employed
about the Hospital. | have been pleased 10
hear some Of them answer the questions asked
them. Two boys, especially, have noticed.
They are IL or IA years Of age, should judge.
though they cannot tell. They tell me one OF
the soldiers is teaching them to read and spell
Both Of them ran away from their owners,
partly on account Of the ill.treatment they re.
ceived. They prefer freedom to slavery, for
now thew cet their food, and "clo'cs and more
over" for they "git money" for their work,
and have enough to buy their :clo'cs and more
over" or course they have but little Idea OF
liberty, but their experience as slaves and free
boys must have some weight. when given With
out fear or compulsiOn.
There Is one subject Of which I will speak,
not pleasant perhaps, and yet from which We
cannot wholly turn our thoughts. refer 70
the death and burial Of soldiers. People have
m erroneous idea Of this. They do not make
any distinction between death on the Held and
= l. ..l k;vL all hu rio baltV
and careless. Far from 1t. Every burial Is
conducted decently, and proper care Is taken
that the resting place Of every deceased soldier
may be known. Whenever man dies record,
In triplicate, Is made OF his death, In which are
stated oil facts necessary for identifying the
man,-his name, rank, regiment. company, age,
conjugal condition, nativity. place Of residence
and date Of death. with the disease. One copy
Is retained at the Hospital, one sent to the Ad-
jutant Generals Office, and third to the Sex.
ton Of the Cemetery. An inventory VI his et.
feots. in duplicate, Ia taken, one copy Of which
the officer OF the day keeps, the other the Gen.
eral Wsrdmaster, who takes charge OF every
thing belonging to the soldier, until he hnd,
out where to send the effects, or they are called
for by the friends or relatives OF the deceased.
AT the hour designated, SERVICES are held in the
Chapel, from which IN ambulance conveys the
remains to the Cemetery. A plain pine coftin,
furnished by government, Is placed IN the am;
bulance and covered with the "Stars and
Stripes" and an escort accompanies the re.
maincs to the Hospital lines. At present oil
are buried on Lees farm In Virginia. II seems
fit that his land should be made resting place
for our soldiers-somewhat like retribution
upon him for deserting the flag he had sworn
TO defend, and rebelling against the govern.
ment that had educated and honored him
It Was my privilege few days ago, to visit
the Soldiers Cemetery, about two miles north
Of this Hospital, and could but notice how
we'll and neatly arranged everything Is about
It. The Cemetery Is an irregular plat OF ground
containing two acres, should think, and sur
rounded by substantial whte-washed fenoe.
Over the entrance is On arch in which are cut
these words, .r
"HERE SLEEP THE PATRIOT DEAD"
around which evergreen Is neatly entwined.
Near BY Is o pretty little building used as an
office. Through the Cemetery runs one prin
chile walk, from which others extend right and
left between the graves. The heads ut the
graves lie towards the North, aud are regular.
ly plsced side BY side In rows. At the head OF
every grave Is plain wooden head.board paint
ed white, upon which are painted the number
Of the grave, name, rank, regiment and CON-
pany OF the soldier. and date Of his deccase.
A record OF these burials being kept, It 10 IN
easy matter to ind the grave of any soldier
known to have died In Hospital here. All the
difference noticed in the graves, was, few
had marble grave. stones erected by comrads ~
tributes OF respect, or friends a. tokens Of love
and affection. Upon the first one Of these to
which my attention was attracted, read the
following inscriptions:
- Weston Burgess
OF Maine,
Died Aug. Is. 1851,
Aged "a yrs. and 8 mos.
"a loyal citizen and faithful soldier, who
gave his oil, himself. TO his country"
As entered the Cemetery, this thought
came into my mind; tho majority buried here
are moro dcceutly inferred, and have Q more
pleasant resting. place than they would have
had, II they had died among dear friends at
home. Another thought, - sat In our pleas
ant summer.houses (f those pleasant resting
places may be % calledJ erected there. and
looked over 90 many giaves, (there are o3l6)
was this, there Is no distinction in the grave,
for here lie buried, men from oil parts Of the
Union. friend aud foe alike, the same care be.
ing taken Of rebels grave ss OF ono OF our
own soldiers. Irving's words were suggested
and Il may not DO inappropriate to quote them.
aOh the 0rnye l-the grave - Lt huries ev.