At a meeting of citizens of Scott county, at the Le Claire Hall, April 26th, 1862, Hiram Price, Esq. in the chair, to take into consideration the expediency of establishing a hospital for sick and wounded soldiers at Davenport, a correspondence between the hospital committee of the Scott Co. Relief Association and the commandant at Cairo, Brig. Gen. Strong, and Dr. Wright, the Medical Director of the Western Department, at St. Louis, was laid before the meeting. The following are the letters:
HEADQUATERS U. S. FORCES,
CAIRO, Ill., April 20, 1862.
MESSRS. IRA M. GIFFORD AND CHARLES E. PUTNAM, Davenport, Iowa:
Gents – I am in receipt of your favor of the 17th containing the humane proposition of the citizens of [Davenport] in reference to hospitals in your place for sick and wounded soldiers. I have by this mail, enclosed your communication to Col. J. Kelton, Asst. Adjt. Gen., St. Louis, recommending early action thereon and prompt advice to you of the same.
Very resp’y your obt. Servt.,
W. K. STRONG, Brig. Gen. Comg.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Medical Director’s Office, St. Louis, April 20.
IRA M. GIFFORD AND CHAS. E. PUTNAM, Committee, &c.:
Gentlemen – I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 17th inst., and to state that the objection to your proposition to establish and organize a hospital at Davenport, is involved in the fact that your town is too remote from the theater of war. It is very important that wounded men should find a resting place at the earliest possible moment after the battle. If it were practicable, hospitals ought to be established in the immediate vicinity of the battle field; but, inasmuch as this cannot be done in many instances, it is deemed most proper to select such places as are accessible by water and nearest to the scene of action. If, unfortunately, our brave men shall continue to be disabled before the enemy in such numbers as to make it necessary to establish hospitals on the river above, the patriotic offer of the Scott Co. Relief Society will not be forgotten or disregarded.
Very respy. Your obt. Servt.,
J. J. B. WRIGHT,
Surgeon U. S. A., Medical Director, &c.
On motion, the committee was continued and requested to report at a subsequent meeting.
On Motion of Mr. Collins, as amended by Mr. French it was
Resolved, By the citizens of Scott county, in public meeting assembled, that the Governor of this state be and is hereby requested to procure steamboat accommodation to convey the wounded and sick soldiers from the battle field when and as often as it shall be necessary to do so, to such place ore places has have been or shall be provided for their reception.
A long debate occurred on this resolution in which Messrs. Collins, Putnam, Challen, Davis, Brockett and others took part. Afterwards the meeting adjourned until 7 1-2 o’clock in the evening.
In the evening meeting reassembled, a much larger number being present than in the afternoon.
Mr. Davies moved that six persons be added to the committee appointed by the executive committee on the subject of a hospital, and that said committee memorialize Gen. Strong and others in authority for power to establish a government hospital in this place. Agreed to. Messrs. H. N. Powers, Jas. Challen, John W. Thompson, J. Saunders, Elisha Mack, and James T. Lane, were named by the chairman as such additional persons.
After a prolonged debate on the subject of a hospital, in which Messrs. Collins, Putnam & Challen and others participated, the meeting adjourned, subject to the call of the President.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, April 28, 1862, p. 1
HEADQUATERS U. S. FORCES,
CAIRO, Ill., April 20, 1862.
MESSRS. IRA M. GIFFORD AND CHARLES E. PUTNAM, Davenport, Iowa:
Gents – I am in receipt of your favor of the 17th containing the humane proposition of the citizens of [Davenport] in reference to hospitals in your place for sick and wounded soldiers. I have by this mail, enclosed your communication to Col. J. Kelton, Asst. Adjt. Gen., St. Louis, recommending early action thereon and prompt advice to you of the same.
Very resp’y your obt. Servt.,
W. K. STRONG, Brig. Gen. Comg.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Medical Director’s Office, St. Louis, April 20.
IRA M. GIFFORD AND CHAS. E. PUTNAM, Committee, &c.:
Gentlemen – I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 17th inst., and to state that the objection to your proposition to establish and organize a hospital at Davenport, is involved in the fact that your town is too remote from the theater of war. It is very important that wounded men should find a resting place at the earliest possible moment after the battle. If it were practicable, hospitals ought to be established in the immediate vicinity of the battle field; but, inasmuch as this cannot be done in many instances, it is deemed most proper to select such places as are accessible by water and nearest to the scene of action. If, unfortunately, our brave men shall continue to be disabled before the enemy in such numbers as to make it necessary to establish hospitals on the river above, the patriotic offer of the Scott Co. Relief Society will not be forgotten or disregarded.
Very respy. Your obt. Servt.,
J. J. B. WRIGHT,
Surgeon U. S. A., Medical Director, &c.
On motion, the committee was continued and requested to report at a subsequent meeting.
On Motion of Mr. Collins, as amended by Mr. French it was
Resolved, By the citizens of Scott county, in public meeting assembled, that the Governor of this state be and is hereby requested to procure steamboat accommodation to convey the wounded and sick soldiers from the battle field when and as often as it shall be necessary to do so, to such place ore places has have been or shall be provided for their reception.
A long debate occurred on this resolution in which Messrs. Collins, Putnam, Challen, Davis, Brockett and others took part. Afterwards the meeting adjourned until 7 1-2 o’clock in the evening.
In the evening meeting reassembled, a much larger number being present than in the afternoon.
Mr. Davies moved that six persons be added to the committee appointed by the executive committee on the subject of a hospital, and that said committee memorialize Gen. Strong and others in authority for power to establish a government hospital in this place. Agreed to. Messrs. H. N. Powers, Jas. Challen, John W. Thompson, J. Saunders, Elisha Mack, and James T. Lane, were named by the chairman as such additional persons.
After a prolonged debate on the subject of a hospital, in which Messrs. Collins, Putnam & Challen and others participated, the meeting adjourned, subject to the call of the President.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, April 28, 1862, p. 1
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