The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-10-09

supplied with the full army rations,
which is by far the best furnished to
any army in America or Europe; but
when it is compelled to operate away
/ from such a base, and Is dependent on
/ its own train of wagons, the command
/ ing officer must exercise a wise discre-
/ ton in the selection of his stores. In
my opinion there is no better food for
man than beef cattle driven on the hoof,
/ issued literally, with salt, bacon, and
bread. Coffee has also become almost
indispensable, though many substitutes
were found for it, such as Indian corn,
roasted, ground, and boiled as coffee; the
sweet potato, and the seed of the okra
plant prepared in the same way. All
these were used by the people of the
South, who for many years could pro-
cure no coffee, but / noticed that the
women always begged of us some real
coffee, which seems to satisfy natural
yearning or craving more powerful than
can be accounted for on the theory of
habit. Therefore l would always advise
that the coffee and sugar rations be car
ried along, even at the expense of bread,
for which there are many substitutes.
OF these, Indian corn is the best and
most abundant Parched in a frying
pan, it is excellent food, or if ground, or
pounded and boiled with meat of any
sort, it makes a most nutritious meal.
The potato, both Irish and sweet, forms
an excellent substitute for bread, and at
Savannah we found the rice also suita-
bic, both for men and animals. For the
former it should be cleaned of its husk
IN hominy block, easily prepared out
of log, and sifted with a coarse corn
bag; but for horses it should be fed in
the straw. During the Atlanta cam
paign we were supplied by our regular
commissaries with all sorts of patent
compounds, such as dessicated vegeta-
bles, and concentrated milk, meat, bis
cult, and sausages, but somehow the men
preferred the simpler and more familiar
forms of food, and usually styled these
"desecrated vegetables and consecrated
milk" We were also supplied literally
with lime juice, sauerkraut and pickles
as an antitode to scurvy, and now re-
call the extreme anxiety of my medical
director, DIR. Kittoe, about the scurvy
which he reported at one time as spread
ing and imperilling the army. This oc-
Cured at a crisis about Kennesaw,
when the railroad was taxed to its ut
most to provide the necessary ammuni-
ton, food and forage, and could not pos
sibly bring us an adequate supply of
potatoes and cabbage, the usual antis-
corbutics, when providentiallyt the black
berries ripened and proved an admirable
antidote, and 1 have known the skir-
mish line without orders to fight re-
spectacle battle for the possession of
SOME old fields that were full of black
berries. Soon thereafter the green corn
and roasting ear came into season, and l
heard no more of scurvy. Our country
abounds with plants that can be utilized
for the prevention of scurvy. Besides
the above, the persimmon, the sassafras
root and bud, the wild mustard, turnip
tops, and the dandelion cooked as greens,
and decoction of the ordinary pine
| leaf
SANITARY COMMISSIONS.
For the more delicate and costly ar
! Il g. ~ - 1oI1 ,-o1SoI
Iy on the agents of the sanitary commits
sions. do not wish to doubt the value
of these organizations that gained so
much applause during our civil war, for
no one can question the motive of these
charitable and generous people; but to
be honest 1 must record an opinion that
the sanitary commission should limit its
operations to the hospitals at the rear
and should never appear at the 'front.'
They were generally local in feeling and
aimed to furnish their personal friends
and neighbors with better class of food
than the Government supplied, and the
consequence was that one regiment of g
brigade would receive potatoes and fruit
which would be denied another regi.
ment close by. Jealousy would be the
inevitable result, and in an army al
parts should be equal; there should be
no F'partiality, favor or affection" The
Government should supply all essential
wants, and in the hospitals to the real
will be found abundant opportunitie:
for the exercise of all possible charity
and generosity. During the war l sew
eral times gained the ill-will of the
agents of the sanitary commission be-
cause l forbade their coming to the from
unless they consented to distribute theil
stores equally among all, regardless o
the parties who had contributed them
WAR IN EUROPE AND AMERICA.
Very few of the battles in which
have participated were fought as des
cribed in the European text books, viz.
in great masses, in perfect order, ma
nevering by corps, divisions and bri
gades. We we're generally in a wooded
country, and though our lines were de
ployed according to the tactics, the mel
generally fought in strong skirmisl
lines, taking every advantage of TIL
shape of ground and Of cover. We wer
generally the assailants, and in wooded
and broken countries the defensive
had a posive advantage over us, for the.
were always ready, had cover and al
ways knew the ground to their imme
diate front, whereas we, the assailants
had to grope our way over unknowl
ground and generally found a cleare
field or prepared entanglements tha
> held us for time under close an
withering fire. Rarely did the opposin
lines in compact order come into actua
contact, but when, as at Peachtree cree
and at Atlanta, the lines did becom
commingled, the men fought individual
ly in every possible style, more frequent
ly with muskets clubbed, than with tn
bayonet, and in some instances the me
olinched lilo Uraeflara and want tn III