The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-09-03
MAINE TROOPS IN THE KEBELL1oN.

| is monotonous tragedy.
MAINE TROOPS IN THE REBELLION.
Adjutant General Hodsdon, in his re-
port for 1861, set forth sat some length
what he considered the duties of an officer.
1t is necessary to quote only portion Of
his enumeration of official activities. He
said:
"There should be careful inspection
of the clothing and equipments issued by
the Quartermaster, to SEQ that they be cor
rect in kind aud quantity, and an exact
charge made thereof to each Individual;
an examination of rations to see that
they are wholesome and sufficient; su-
pervision of the cooking that 1t be done
with neatness, skill and economy; that the
food is served with as much regularity as
is consistent with the exigenoies of the
service, that the washing and
mending of garments and the personal
cleanliness of the men is enforced; that
the straw or other material for beds is
frequently changed and the bedding often
aired and washed; that the tents or huts
and the grounds about them are kept
neat; that the offal of the camp is daily
removed; that the location of the sinks is
favorable; that injurious liquors and
eaGaDleS arc eXcluQeQ
and many things besides. That his
ideas were not carried into execution by
all those to whom they were addressed is
pretty well shown by the figures of his
later reports.
Without any reference to the rights and
| wrongs of the soldiers of this war it may
be well to note few points to be found in
the series of General Hodsdon's reports
from 1851 to 1866. In the very first vol
ume it appears that sickness was not
always due to change of climate or remote
camp grounds.
The First Maine Regiment completed
its organization on the 2Sth of April, 1861 /,
but it could not leave the state until juno
on account of sickness. At one time IL
had 100 men in hospital, tho ugh but one
died before 1t left its camp in Westbrook
for Washington. Here was a regiment,
not a thousand miles away, but right at
home and under the medical care con.
stantly of one of the ablest physicians in
the state, unable to move on account of
sickness. DIR. Alonzo Garcelon of Lewis.
ton was in charge of its hospital.
In his report for the year ending Deem
Der 81, 1865, General Hodsdon said that
the people of the state had always con-
tributed generously in answer to the calls
for help of the United States Sanitary
Commission. In the fall of 1868 an appeal
was made for vegetables for the army.
The Rev. Horatio Stebbins and Mr..
George r. Davis of this city, the latter
being the states agent for receiving and
forwarding goods, signed this appeal.
Potatoes, onions, cabbages turnips and
apples were called for. In few days a
brig was chartered and loaded with 1875
barrels-of potatoes, 2l7 barrels of apples,
1872 barrels Of turnips and cabbages, IA of
dried apples and two casks of picked cab
bage, This cargo was sent to New Or
leans and 300 barrels more were received
too late for shipment by that vessel.
During the year 1862 sixty-two tons net
weight of hospital stores were forwarded
through this state agency and in ten
months of 1868 forty-seven tons more.
This went partly to Maine regiments in
the field, partly to the Maine regiment at
Washington and partly to the United
States Sanitary Commission which was
doing the work the Red Cross and similar
societies have undertaken to do this yea r.
In 1863 the State, apart from all its
other military expenditures. devoted Sl3,
100 to TIE sick and wounded soldiers who
were suppose to be cared for not only by
the general government and oil the COM
prehensive charitable organizations but
by priv ate benefactions.
In 1854 General Fl odsdon estimated the
voluntary contributions of the people OF
the state for the relief of the soldiers
amounted to $500, 600 for that year alone.
To one regiment alone 1000 barrels OF
vegetables were shipped. Ia that year
the government established hospital at
Portsmouth, not far from Newport, r. l.
and among those sent there were l79 sick
and wounded Maine soldiers, seven of
whom died in the first month they were
there. By request of Senator William
Pitt Fessenden, to W HON frequent COM
plants were made state agent Davis Wis.
tied this place and found grave reasons
for the reflections cast upon the hospital.
He says, ''tho great amount of suffering
was from neglect of officers who had
charge Of the hospital, not from any want