Year: 1863




FRIEND Bliss Having been silent for
a long time now, AMI having an idea it
would be of vital Importance to YOU and
| the citizens of Iowa County generally to
know something Of the final disposition of
| the Bloody 3ith Wis Infantry, | have
deemed it not out of place to address you
short letter upon tIdt most import mt
| subject


As an Introduction to this most impor-
tant subject, | will commence bv telling
you that the soldiers of the 34th are in
| good spirits and full of clee over the re-
| ceipt of a dispatch this afternoon from the
| War Dep t. saying that the 34th had to
| serve out their full term of nine months
and no mistake; that Is TO say to be dis
! charged on the 18th of the present month.
and what "a a natural consequence fol-
; lows -, that we have got to pull up stakes
| here and start for Wisconsin by Monday
next, the 10th inst some of the bows are
disposed to grumble little for the reason
| they say that we will have no more roll
calls, nor no one to give us passes when
we want to 90 any where, nor no one to
give grub out of Uncle sam s Provision
Box, where ii don't cost us anything; but
think they will all soon be reconciled to
| their lot, by Monday Morning at any rate.
But | have written enough of such as the
foregoing The amount of it is we start
for Wis. the 10th inst, to be mustered out
of the service on, or as near the 18th of
| the present month as possible, and | do
not know OF one member of the Saith, but


what is glad of it, and is anxious TO get
home TO his friends and family


Everything in this vicinity is as auie,
as possible. Chamer with his whole force


has left Coldwater and gone South 1t is


supposed he has gone to Join Gen John
| ston, consequently our pickets are not
of late roubled with rebel euerrillas fir
ing upon them.


The health of the troops here at this
time, is nothing to brag o at this season
of the year. Ague and diarrhma among


the soldiers is very common, and is of
much severer nature than the same dis
ease up North


see in all the Wis. papers lists of the
sick and wounded soldiers in the hospi>


tails Of this place, and it has very often
occurred to my mind that those up North
who have friends in the hospitals here,
land hear of it,) must feel more or less
uneasy thinking that their father. son or
brother, as the case may be, are not prop
erly cared for But can set their minds
ut rest upon that score, for have had oc.
casion to visit some of the hospitals here
lately, and | can assure YOU that all the
care and attention that can be given 10 n


sick person is given TO the soldiers in the
hospitals Everything that heart can wish
or think of is at their command careful
and attentive walters are plenty, eatabies
and luxuries In abundance and good
skillful Doctor to prescribe for them and
everything kept neat and clean but |


Il.


I wish | could. If our rec. mental hospi-


tails we're conducted little more upon the


princinle of our Post Ho-pittls. we wouId


not lose so many OF our brave soldiers as


We do. bv sickness.


A soldier when he first gets sick is rst


sent to his Regimental hospital, and the


trouble is, he is kept there in dirt aud filth


and half cared for and attended to until


he is considered beyond recovery, before
he is sent to the post hospital, hence the


reason So many die in the post hospitals,
according to the number that die in the


regimental hospitals They always take
particular painS to send them off to the


post hospitals Just before they die. and
after 1t j. too late for Skilifni physician


and good attendants 20 DO the patient any
good


Havin- Spokel ~ the treatment sick
soldiers in the hos pitils &c, 1t brings to
my mind another subject connected with
the sick and wounded soldiers of the Ar
nv of which | wish to notice briefly
namely, the Sanitary Department The
people OF the North that are friendly to
the soldiers of the army. 20 to work and
contribute largely in Injuries. clothing
and other necessaries for the benefit of


the sick and needy oldiers in the field
| These contributions ~ through a regular


routine of what is called Sanitary Agents
for distrihution and those contributing |


suppose feel contented and satisfied that


they at least have done something to allie


viate the sufferings Of some of the support
ers of the country But | tell YOU pos


itiyeiy that hose that it Is intended for.
never receive the one hundredth part of
/ it, if anv at all The plain unvarnished
( truth of the matter is that the confidence
placed in the sanitary agents is badly


abused by them, and the stores are used
r. themselves aud their particular friends