Year: 1862

| what spunky Woman Did.


The Washington correspondent o


the New York Independent give
the following account Of q great re
form accomplished In one OF the hos
pitals at that city, by q New Englsuc
woman:


An interesting case has come Il
my knowledge withis a day or two,
where a New England woman, alone
and friend less, achieved a great re
form in one OF our hospitals. The
Surgeon having charge OF this par.
ticular hospital was brute, treating
the men in his charge, the visitors
and indeed the Surgeons beneath him
with coutemptous cruelty. Having
political influence, it was not an
easy matter to remove him, though
there were hundred acts ol HE, any
one Of which would or should be
considered sufficient cause for his
instant dismissal from the service.
But every one beneath him was
afraid to take the fret step, for fear
the brutal man would turn upon the
person beginning the complaint and
with his position and influence
crush the complaint.


One day a New England woman
came to the hospital to see her sick
500. She soon met the Ohiei Sur.
geon, and was treated with coarse
violence. II he could have his way
he said, he would not permit a wo.
IN to come near the hospital. 1t
was in vain that che urged that she
had not seen her boy for long months
and that he was now very i'll and
perhaps dying Tho monster con-
tinued to reviIe her, but he dare not
reiuse admittance to zee her SON.
She soon found the Surgeon in i'm.
mediate attendance upon her boy,
and told him Of the treatment she
had received from the Chief Sur
geon. Ile replied that he was not
at all surprised-the Chief Surgeon
treated everybody brutally. "Why
then do you eubmit to such crne
outragel' wss the tpirited wonan's
question. 81 suppose, we are all o.
us afraid to make the complaint
against him!" was the reply. Tn.
woman found that her son was incn.
rably i'll and was the proper subject
of discharge. TIE Assistant Sur
geon so informed her.


She sought the Chief Surgeon and
asked him to make report to the
Surgeon General upon the condition
Of her son. He refused with an
oath. New England grit in wo-
mans heart took fire. "You stand
there and jecr at sorrow. You use
language toward me that beast
would be ashamed OF. Pu. let ms
iell you that, poor and friendless as
| am. am more powerful than you,
aud will not leave Washington until
| have exposed your brutality y
She was as good as her word. She
went at once to Secretary Stanton
He referred her to the Surgeon Gen
eral, with a request that he would
look carefully into the case, and il
the facts warranted her assertions.
that he would make out rigid Justice
10 tho Hospital Surgeon. TIE first
act OF the Surgeon General, was to
order the Surgeon in charge to make
a report upon the case OF the wo
mans son.


The report was returned the very
next day, and it's language wac in
solent in the extreme. The Surge n
WAS angry at the woman's' inter
ference. This is enough" said the
Surgeon General. "A man who
will send me such report is cap'.
BILE of all you charge against him. -
| will not take tho trouble to exam
inc the case. He shalt be dismissed
the servic,!" That very night ss
the Chief Surgeon OF blank hospital
sat with bis assistants around him
indulging in his usual bluster, a
pleasant faced gentleman appeared
q, the door and inquired for Surgeon
-, in charge of the hospital -
That person was speedily pointed out
to him. IL am directed to hand this
to you by the Surgeon General,
said the stranger. The Surgeon
opened it and found that it ordered
him to hand over the hospital and
supplies to the bearer, who would
take charge of them, and TO conclude
dismissed the brutal Surgeon from
the service. The New England