The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-04-19

Invitation OF w IL. HannamaH, bsq-s
President of the Board of Managers
of the Indiana Soldiers Home, your
correspondent visited that insti-
tuition, which is located at Knights
town Springs-formerly a water cure
establishment of some celebrity-one
and half miles from K nightstown Sta
ton, on the Columbus and Indianapo-
lis Central Rrailroad. Thetown is in
Henry County, but the Springs are in
Rush, half mile from the dividing
line between the two Counties.
Drs Wishard, the FSuperintendent,
was not at home, but his amfable Ia
dy and Mr.. McCune, the Steward, re-
ceived me with kindness and cordial
ty, and offered every facility for "a
critical inspection sof the Home and
the domestic life Of its inmates. c SCI E I
The grounds consist off fiffyefour
acres, agreeably diversified by groves
and fields, the former affording de-
lightful shade, and the latter serving
the more practical purposes OF. ! vege-
table gardening { On%ohe side Of the
road. near the house. is "a spring of
excellent water, sufficiently produc-
tiveste supply the wants aofoa small
town. On the opposite side, Id a
ravine near the proposed site of lfthe
permanent building, which is to be
erected during the summer, is min
eral spring said to possess valuable
medicinal qualities. The water is
slightly impregnated with sulphur,
but not to such an extent as to give it
disagreeable taste.
The buildings now In use are in
sufficient in sAe and announcement in
Arrangement, but afford comfortable
quarters to- the seventy-fve inmates
now domiciled there. Any consider
able accession to their number is out
of the Question till the main building
shall be. ready for occupancy. The
largest number who have ever claimed
the shelter of this Institution at any
one time was eighty-two, which was
quite as manysas could be accommo-
dated ~ .1ass7s s0A2z - hest
The inmates are of all ages, from boy
hood to white haired old age. Some !
of the latter have established their
claim to the nations gratitude, not i
only by the honorable part they bore !
in the late rebellion, but by prior SER
vice in the Mexican war. There are
notsso many Z empty sleeves and va
cant tFoWsers legs" as one would Iex-E
pect to see. In Home for disabled
SoldiersanIsM Many of these men s owe
their disability TO diseases resulting
from the hardships, privations and
exposures incident to army fifeAdis-
eases as fatal to health, happiness and
self maintenance as the loss Of limbs,
and more to be dreaded, because they
do not furnish so ready and palpable |
a passport ito public sympathy. I
conversed freely with number of the
soldiers from different sections of the
States and oendeavored to ascertain
their views as to the management of
the Home. heard no word of COM
plaintfrom anyone They sspoke of
the officers as. kind and obliging;"
said they had all the privileges and |
lndulgences that could be expected. y
They appeared cheerfulan contented. |
A small library-which ought to be
greatly enlarged by agratuitous contri
butions-and a number of newspa-
pers gratuitiously furnished by the
publishers, seemed to be held in high
esteem as the principal source of mem
tai recreation. In the pafior l no.
ticed an elegant piano forte. which
was presented to the Home by Miss
Lizzie Gray, of Noblesyilles having
been drawn by her at gift concert
In making tour of the grounds |
and buildings, in company with an
other visitor, we entered the dining
hall as the bugle sounded the supper
call. 1.-The boys came in and took
their places in quiet and gentleman
ly manner that might serve as model
for the guests of many of our fash
ionable hotels and boarding houses.
Each sat in perfect silence until all
were seated, when a gray haired vete-
ran, IN simple and appropriate Ian
guage, craved the divine blessing. At
its conclusion the meal proceeded
with perfect decorum and due regard
for she amenities Of social life. There
was. nothing to remind one of the
Wild, boisterous, hungry haste of q
crowd of soldiers around steaming
potefilled with the foraged products
of hen roost; but everything was
suggestiverof the proprietiess of a weff-4
ordered family. AS this Is aspuDlic
Institution, and one in which the neo-
pie Of this States are supposed to feel
some interest, there can be no i'm
propriety in giving snch details as
would be quite out of place
were / writing of a private es-
Enlistment. The bill of fare on this
occasion consisted of white bread, of
superior quality, butter, molasses,
stewed apples and tea without milk
or sugar. Not very sumptuous
meal, buffer this the officers cahnot
be held Irresponsible. An act of, the
General Assembly allows the con-