The Sick and Wounded

Cairo, Ill., April 6th, 1862

Editor Burlington Hawk-Eye:

Allow me through the columns of your paper to inform the ladies of Burlington and vicinity, who are sending their hospital supplies to me, that I am in receipt of a large amount of goods from that section, which I will duly acknowledge as soon as possible.

I would also inform them that the hospital of the First Iowa Cavalry, now at Sedalia, is fully supplied, and that the wants of our sick and wounded down in Arkansas have been met, and permanent arrangements made for their future comfort, and the sick in this section are now being provided for, here and up the Tennessee river.

Eleven of our Iowa Regiments are at Pittsburg Landing, viz.: 2d, 3d, 6th, 7th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th.

Most of our regimental hospitals have been broken up and our sick quartered in miserable post hospitals, which I found destitute of almost every comfort, but I am now on my way up to Pittsburg with a very heavy lot of hospital supplies, which will in some measure meet this urgent demand, unless a battle should occur, which is considered imminent.

Our sick are suffering most for want of wholesome, nourishing food, being subsisted mainly on dry bread and coffee – the bread often times mouldy, and the coffee without cream or milk.

This state of things exist partly on account of the inefficiency and heartlessness of those having them in charge, and partly on account of their inability to procure suitable articles of food in that barren and hostile section of country.

All their edibles are shipped from Cairo and St. Louis, and very little attention is paid to securing suitable food or medicines, for the sick, and often great carelessness is manifest.

There are scores of men now in hospital who will languish and die unless some special effort is made in the way of procuring for them suitable food and attention.

Fresh butter, eggs, soda crackers, fruit, dried or canned, are all very desirable articles of food for convalescent patients.

Butter is not to be obtained at any price – fruit cannot be procured, and eggs are very scarce and have been selling at 40 cents per dozen.

I hope the ladies of your section will send me immediately a large supply of these articles. They will direct their goods to me, “Cairo, Illinois, care of Dr. Douglass,” who will forward them to me promptly, and I will give my personal attention to their distribution.

Those wishing to reach me by letter will address me, Cairo, Ill.

Respectfully yours, &c.,

Annie Wittenmyer
Cor. Sec. and Gen’l Agent S. A. S.

– Published in the Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Thursday, April 10, 1862