The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-07-30
rHECOURIER ANDDRJTWr

puDllehes the unfavorable comment
OF other papers with zeal that close
ly resembles the fervor with whicl
the Copperhead press abused an,
maligned the men who fought ou
battles during the war-not except
ing Gen. Rosecrans himself. Th
Conrier's statement is an ex part
one, giving no part Of DR.. Woods
letter, and evidently intending to d.
that gentleman injustice. DR.. Wood
is well and favorably known here, b!
men of all parties, having lived tn
greater part of his life in this county
His standing as a gentleman, sol
dier,and aphysician, are well known
and the ungenerous and uncalled fo
attack of the Courier will only recoi
upon its author. We give the lettel
as taken from the Blade, verbatim
and ask for it the careful perusal o
unprejudiced men of all parties ano
sects:
For the Blade.l
A REMNISCENCE OF THE wAR--How
GEN. ROsECRANs TOOK CARE OF THE
WOUNDED AT CHICAMAUGA.
EDITORS BLADE:-On the 10th and
goth days of September, 1868, we
fought the terrible battle of Chicamau
ga. Actually driven from the field
and saved from ruin only by the hero
ism of General Thomas and his gal
lapt command, we fell back to Chatta
nooga, carrying with us all that oul
ambulances and wagons of all kinds
could hold of the wounded of the
two days. fierce rain of minnie bullets
shot and shell.
On that fatal field we left great
numbers of the more severely wound
ed, consignlng them to the tender
mercies of the wicked rebels, because
we had not means of transportation,
or because their wounds would not
admit of their being transported.
All this shattered army fell back to
the little city, or, more properly, vii
lage of Chattanooga. In about ten
days ambulances were sent out, and
all that remained of our wounded
comrades were brought within our
lines and cared for to the best of our
ability. Their wounds were in a fear
ful condition for need OF care, being
filthy, and vast majority of them
filled with maggots. With those who
were brought in at first, and this new
supply of our more terribly wounded
men, our places of s4elter were fear
fully overtilled. All public buildings,
Protestant churches, private dwellings,
as well as the hospital tents of the
army, were filed to overfowing.-
The writer of this was on duty in the
Rebel Hospital buildings, as surgeon,
where long rows of their wounded
lay, there beng no means of heating
the building in those damp, chilly DAYS
and colder nights, and neither doors
nor windows shut out either cold or
storm. Added to this fearful condi
tiop, We had almost nothing to eat,
the best rations that these poor fel,
lows could be furnished being the
common dry bareback and salt pork.
with coffee. this being a type Of the
general condition of the whole. At
his time happening to visit the St.
Peters Church building, / found post
ID on the door of the church, and
copied into my pass book, the follow :
ng suggestive official order:
Department Of the Cumberland.
OFFICE Provost MARSHAL GENERAL,
CHATTANOOGA, TENN, Oct. TO- 1858. /
A safeguard is hereby granted to Rev. Father
!, Nellis for the st. Peters Catholic Church
,uilding. Of Chattanooga. including all rock
ences, stable, timber, and everything pertain
Ali oficers and soldiers are commanded to
aspect this safeguard, the penalty for the yio-
alton of which Is death.
By command OF
Maj. Gen. RosEcRANs.
Lieut.. Col. and Provost Marshal General.
While every other building in the
Ticinity was occupied-business hou-
es, dwelling houses and Protestant
one church with every
hing pertaining thereto was kept in
-iolate, and that too with thousands
# men dying for want of the shelter
is roof and walls would bave afford
d. 1 leave soldiers and their friends
o draw their own conclusions.
j. T. Woops, NJ d.,
No. IL Gradolph Block, Toledo.
Tuly 9, 1858.
Now, Col. McMahan, raom we
ave every reason to believe was a
,ood soldier and entitled to as much
in this matter as DR..
Woods, does not attempt to contro-
ert q single sentence Of the above
etter. His charge that army sur
,eons were guilty of converting del
cacies belonging to our sick and
rounded soldiers to their own use,
nay be, and we fear, in many instan-
es, is true; but that does not apply |
o DR.. Woods, in the least, whom he
ssures US was an excellent surgeon
nd a gentleman.
If the apologists for Gen. Rose
rams can show that no such order
7as issued, twill certainly be good
nd sufficient rejoinder. Or, in de-
ault of this, let them show, if they
an, (which we very much doubt)
lat there was a sufficient reason for
Ie promulgation of the order above
ritten. Such an order was calcula.
d to excite indignation among sol :
ers, coming from any General, on /
half of any church, and we are Q
uch mistaken in DR.. Woods, if the q
ct that the Church in question be- \
nged to any particular sect had !
ything 70 do in rousing his indig- !
tion. Blu. we did not write this
ticle to argue as to the righteous .
IS or wrong of the order as much 7
to say that the abuse heaped upon ii
:. Woods has been wrong-vilely p
'ong-and that the Coarier,in copy II
3 and garbling 1t, has shown the =
me spirit that characterized that q
per and party during the war, when e:
, Il,,a Iir