The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-10-27

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lheir country. In all over 100000 men
entered the service as volunteers;
only a few of them ever reached for
eign soil, the great majority of them
never left the United States they
were in camp in various sections Of
the Union, right in their own country,
surrounded by friends, where there
was no enemy, where there were rail-
roads, and where everything that is
necessary for the health or the COM
fort OF man, when he is well or when
he is SICK could easily and quickly be
furnished, and yet in every one Of |
these camps they found themselves |
the victims of neglect and incompe- |
tency.
"There is not time to give the ex-
perience of those who were we'll and |
were forced to go hungry, and / can
only glance at the treatment of the
sick.
Recently the Chicago Tribune pub
! lished an abstract of report made to
the surgeon general Of the army by
one of the most prominent surgeons
in this country, relating to the hos
pitsl at Camp Thomas, Chickamauga.
First, in a hospital having more
than 500 patients there was for weeks
only one drug clerk on duty at a time.
Oftentimes prescriptions written at s
in the morning were not filled till late
in the evening, and the men lay there
all that time, neglected and suffering.
Second, there was an utter absence
Of everything necessary for the care
of the sick
Third, at no time was there suf-
ficient tent room to make the sick at
all comfortable, for they had to be
crowded together, like sardines in a
box, with heads against the tents
Fourth the cots were so crowded
that there was no room to stand be-
tween them, and the physicians and
nurses were obliged to reach the men
from the foot of the cot
not Sufficient Cots.
"Fifth, at no time were there suf-
fcient cots to furnish each man with
, a comfortable bed
every hour Of the day and every
day men were obliged to lie either on
the ground or on the litter on which
they were brought to the hospital
Men we're often obliged to remain in
the dirty camp clothing for hours, and
in some instances longer than days,
for the want OF anything to cover
them with except their blankets
p "a staff officer on the ground sup
) plements the above with still further
= details. First, a man of the Fifth
= Missouri sick with the measles, was
! permitted to lie on the ground without
proper attention till he died Second,
'one man had died and his body was
, permitted to remain for nearly sc
hours in close proximity to the sick
-, Third, another man had been neg
lected and had lain in filth so long that
:, he became fly-blown and his body was
covered with maGgots for hours be-
fore death came to his relief Fourth
that during the rainy season there
q were no floors in the hospital tents
\ and that sick soldiers were compelled
p to stand with bare feet upon the damp
n ground while their beds were being
q changed
@ "Fifthi that disinfectants were, for
many weeks, not to be had at all, or In
q such limited quantities as to be al,
!. most useless, Sixth, that owing tc
= the frightful condition of the hospitals
7 hundreds Of sick soldiers remained or
duty in the ranks until they fell by the
: waysde uncorscious.' Seventh, thai
nearly all the proper remedies and del
! icacies for the sick were furnished fol
: many weeks by the Red Cross society
q and by private subscriptions Eighth
4 that frequently the physicians II
r charge sent their prescriptions to the
II drug stores at Lytle and Chattanooga
g because the most ordinary and usefu
Il drug could not be had at the division
y hospital This staff officer then closes
O by saying that just as soon as the mill
n tary embargo is removed from the lip!
Of the officers and soldiers facts more
terrible than any yet mentioned viii
g, be brought to the attention Of tn,
y, world.
\ This, my friends, all relates to tn,
Il condition of one camp, not in the enc
= mys country, but in the heart of on
own country and within reach of ever!
;. thing that the markets of Americi
could supply.
LET me add that from every othe
;, camp comes the same chapter of neg
~ lect, starvation and consequent sick
ness, suffering and death.
4, Chapters of Neglect aud Want.
- Thousands have been unneCessaTil,
d forced into premature graves, and ten
n of thousands have their health perma
ID nently broken and are mere wrecks o
ID a former manhood, while the brav
l. men who are returning from Cub
al after winning a glorious victory tell
story of neglect, starvation and suffer
m ing that chills ones blood.
t. Reflect for a moment, my friends
N upon these conditions. First, there /
10 the scene Of great people patrioticall
1t bringing to the altars of their countr
l. their best blood, men and treasure Il
If profusion, all of the glory of the re
10 public.
ID "Then comes the scene Of chief ex
1t ecutive placing the lives Of severa
D. hundred thousand soldiers, and eve
l. the glory of our country in the hand
3 of inexperienced and utterly incom
a petent young men, who were appointe
to positions of trust as a matter of fay
le oritlsm to please wealthy or inhuen
" tial friends.