The National tribune., 1902-08-28

| humanity as well as common sense, came
around and kindly inquired into my stu
| alton. To him told my story and request
| ed him to find an Army Surgeon if posi-
| BILE, and assist me in getting into hos
| pital, which he readily consented to do,
| and leaving me, soon returned with Sur
geon. The Doctor said l was certainly
fit subject for the hospital, and when
the old gentleman insisted upon it, he
wrote me a certificate to that effect. Then
the old man asked: "Now, Doctor, will
you send an ambulance and take this man
to the hospital?' But the Surgeon had
some excuse-there was no ambulance at
his command just then, but after while
he would see to it. Then the old gentle
man said in tone of Impotence, II see,
Doctor, that it is not your intention to at
tend to this matter promptly as it de-
serves, SO l will attend to it myself
Their turning to me he said: "1'll send
my grandson around with carriage af-
ter you in q few minutes" did not learn
the old mans name, and never saw him
again, but within 10 minutes the boy
came with the carriage, and l rode like a
laird up to stewards Mansion" situated
on hill, probably two miles from the de-
pot, and was then being occupied and
used for a hospital.
On reporting at Stewards Mansion the
Surgeon in charge was at first inclined to
refuse me admittance, saying that the hos
pital was already full; but when / told
him in plain words that as a United
States soldier l was entitled to care and
medical treatment, and would not leave
that hospital until was able for duty and
properly discharged from it as soldier
room and allowed me to stay.
l remained in that hospital something
over three months, during which time l
had several ups and downs. II aeemed
an easy matter to get down, but not so
easy to get up, for the convalescent table
at Stewards Mansion would not pus a man
on his feet as quickly as at Alexandria,
for here we had seats upon which to sit
at table. This hospital, SO far as con-
valescents were concerned, was great
improvement over those where / had for
merly sojourned. The bread was cut into
respectable slices and placed upon the ia
BILE in dishes, and every soldier was al
lowed to eat as much as he pleased. We
had coffee for breakfast and dinner and
tea for supper. The pressed-vegetable
soup and diet of worms had no place in
Stewards Mansion Hospital. We usually
had a potato and small piece of meat for
dinner in addition to our bread and cof
fee, and during one whole week we had
butter for supper, not in lavish quantity,
but enough to spread one slice of bread,
and if used with economy it could be
made to veneer two slices. 1t was along
in December that this butter experiment
was tried, which was brought about from
the fact that the ladies Of Baltimore
living in the vicinity Of Stewards Man
sion had requested the hospital authori-
ties to allow them to furnish the inmates
thereof with q Christmas dinner, and in
order to learn whether or not the soldiers
could endure thus to be pampered, butter
was ordered served once a day until its
effect on the health of the soldiers was as
certained. After using butter for supper
every day for whole week without any
serious injury to the health of the con-
valesccnts, the ladies were authorized to
proceed in their preparations for an old
time Christmas dinner for the inmates Of
the hospital.
l have every reason to believe that the
value Of a soldiers daily ration at Stew
arts Mansion Hospital did not exceed 10
cents, but it was such ali improvement on
what l had previously experienced that,
comparatively, it seemed little short of a
paradise. / have no means of knowing
what it cost the Government per soldier,
but presume the Government paid enough
to insure at least army rationS for the in
mates of hospitals. The rations actually
furnished fell far short Of camp or field
ratiOns, and some greedy contractor made
handsome profit off the stomachs of
Uncle Sans soldiers in every one of these
hospital deals. While at Stewards Man
sion l accidentally got a peep into kind
of store-room in connection with the hos
pital, where canned goods, contributed by
the people for the use and benefit of the
soldiers, Were stored. There was wagon
loads of it-enough to furnish the table
at every meal with some delicacy, but
nothing of the kind ever found its way to
| the convalescent table. AS the Medical
Director of Alexandria said, such trash
would make the soldiers SICK and out of
regard for the health of the dear soldier,
the medical fraternity and their hangers
on in the various hospitals disposed of
| that trash themselves.
Shortly after taking up quarters at
Stewards Mansion / wrote home for mon
ey, and as soon as l was able to get out,
l went every day to a restaurant and in
dulged in an extra meal or dish of Oys-
| tiers, which seemed not to throw me into
| commissions any more than the butter did
when served for supper.
When Christmas arrived the ladies Of
Baltimore had their dinner in readiness,
and such dinner! There was roast beef,