United States Sanitary Commission bulletin.

Date:
1866
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: United States Sanitary Commission bulletin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    Perry, and Maryland Heights, have been visited at stated terms by Messrs. Hiram Schisler and John C. Stranahan, and such wants as were discovered were freely sup- plied from the storehouse at Frederick. This storehouse will be closed in a few days, as the necessity for its continuation has ceased. During the twelve*- months of its existence it has disbursed many thou- sands of dollars worth of stores to the wounded of the battles of South Mountain and Antietam, and to the needy and sick of the army within a circle of 30 miles ra- dius, since the occurrence of these memo- rable battles. Its mission has, however, been closed, and I hope the changing for- tunes of war will not necessitate its re-es- tablishment. The soldiers have had abund- ant cause to bless the beneficence of the loyal people, who enabled the Commission to furnish it so abundantly, that all wants of the army, as fast as they have been made known, have been supplied. Norfolk and Vicinity.—On the 5th of August I ordered Mr. James Gall, Jr., to proceed to Norfolk and take charge of our relief work in that Department. He has faithfully performed the duties of Relief Agent since that date, acquiring much credit for himself and the Commission by his indefatigable labors. His Eepprts, eight in number, furnished this office weekly, will show how faithfully and with what good results he has labored. (See Documents 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.) The sick-rate at Norfolk having increased to 30 per cent., I deemed it important to direct the attention of the Acting Surgeon- General to this important fact. He imme- diately had a medical inspection made of the Department, and adopted measures to obviate, as far as possible, the causes of disease. Although the sick-rate increased to between 40 and 50 per cent., still I have the happiness now to state that this rate is diminishing. We have issued largely to all the hospitals and regiments in the De- partment, having been able to keep up the supplies through the propeller Elizabeth, placed under our orders by the Q. M. De- partment. These supplies have included large quantities of antiscorbutics and the other articles comprised on our supply list. The arrival of negro troops in this De- partment, and the existence of camps of contrabands, some in Government employ and others only receiving Government sup- port, demanded instructions as regards the policy of the Commission in this respect. I ordered Mr. Gall to furnish to troops (without reference to color) our supplies on requisitions of medical officers, and to aid moderately sufferers in employ of Quar- termasters and Commissaries; but also that beyond these two classes of persons, in my opinion, [the supplies of the Com- mission could not be extended. As this has been the -policy of the Commission in the past, so far as I understand it, I presume my action will be approved, as regards the department of Norfolk. It has, at least, given satisfaction thus far. Mr. Gall has done essential service to us by his efforts to effect the release of our officers who were in the hands of the Con- federates. The Report of Dr. Douglas on the battles of Gettysburg contained a full account of the seizure of these. officers. Efforts were made to obtain their release, through petitions from Confederate sur- geons in our lines, addressed to Gen. Rob- ert Lee, private letters from citizens of the District of Columbia to their friends in Richmond, and a direct communication from myself (dated Aug. 28, 1863) to Rob- ert Ould, Esq., Confederate Commissioner for the Exchange of Prisoners. To these efforts must be added the valuable services of Gen. Meredith, the U. S. Commission- er. Mr. Gall aided in all these, and final- ly, on the 22d ult., the trivial technicalities on which these officers were retained being removed, they were delivered to Gen. Mer- edith, and once more breathed loyal air. Mr. Alfred Brengle has, however, still been retained by the Confederate Government, under plea that he was seized because he had conveyed stores to a beleaguered post. Newbern, North Carolina.—Dr. J. M. Page, Sanitary Inspector, assisted by Mr. Page as Storekeeper, has charge of this District. No letters or Reports have been received from there during my term of ser- vice, excepting regular transmissions of accounts of stock and lists of sick and wounde'd for the Directory.
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