The Sanitary Commission of the United States Army : a succinct narrative of its works and purposes.

Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Sanitary Commission of the United States Army : a succinct narrative of its works and purposes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The rugged steeps of the Cumberland Mountains, and the ob- structed transportation of their over-crowded and rocky roads, did not keep back those sanitary trains. The first train, however, after the battle, comprising seventeen wagon-loads of “ sanitary stores ” for the wounded, was mercilessly destroy- ed by rebel raiders in a mountain pass.* Ten loads had previously reached the sufferers at Chattanooga; and thus writes Dr. Andrews, another Sanitary Inspector: ******** These stores constituted almost the entire dependence of * The Relief Agent at the temporary <34pot of “sanitary stores,” at Stevenson, Ala., soon after the battle, thns mentions the wants and the means of succor at that station: ************ “ Large supplies of vegetables were obtained from the garden at Murfrfesboro’, including potatoes, sweet-potatoes, tomatoes, etc., in abundance, and such other articles as were required from the Sanitary Rooms. “Receiving word from Dr. Andrew at Chattanooga, who was in temporary charge of the general work in the department, to report at that place, I rode through from Bridgeport on the 3d by the courier route expecting to find our rooms full of stores. But they were entirely empty, our men were living on hard tack, bacon, and coffee which could be purchased only a few rations at a time of the commissary; horses and men all on short rations, and hard tack fast becoming a luxury. A train of about 400 wagons had been destroyed on the second, and with it, our seventeen wagons and all other trains temporarily stopped. About this time, the last of our wounded were sent in from the rebel hands and were in want of all things. Some of them were without shirts, a few without any cloth- ing whatever, the most fortunate with torn clothing, begrimmed with dirt and clotted with blood. I purchased at the only army clothing store in town a few shirts (all I could obtain) and gave them to the most needy. Upon the 6th, I re- ceived notice that eight wagon loads of stores were on the way, and on the 7th, procured an order for twenty wagons more to report at our rooms in Stevenson to bring forward stores. “ The work of procuring transportation, I found beset with many and unlooked- for difficulties. The loss of a large traiu and the interruption of communication had produced some confusion; the army was short of all supplies, and the res- ponsible officers of every department were clamorous for transportation. At the same time, it was evident, that the wounded men left here, numbering about 1,400, must be saved, if at all, bv feeding them, and they must have something better than army rations. The sick also, of whom there are many, not an unusual number, stand in almost equal need of better articles of diet. By engaging to ship for the present only articles of diet for the sick and wounded, I have secured a traiu of forty wagons to be run constantly under our supervision in bringing stores from Stevenson, as long as the necessity shall exist, or until river or railroad communi- cation is opened.” • *#***#*•*#