CINCINNATI, March 4, 1862.
EDITOR OF GAZETTE: I know not whether any other member of our committee has written you anything of the details of our work, and as this is the lonely moment of leisure I have had since our arrival at Cairo, I will endeavor to give you a few items, which you can make use of as you deem best. The names of the killed and wounded have been reported by telegraph, and therefore it is not necessary for me to report them here.
The committee, after many and vexatious delays, arrived in Cairo at 7 o’clock p.m. on the Friday following their departure, and immediately commenced work to carry out the object of their mission; and although the rain poured down and the mud was inexpressibly deep, yet the committee kept on until they obtained some reliable information of the gallant Iowa 2d, and more particularly of the companies B and C, of our own town. We finally found the headquarters of our pleasant friend, Quarter-master D. B. Sears, who had taken under his special care young Morrison, of Co. C, from whom we obtained the particulars of our first dispatch, and the probable whereabouts of our wounded soldiers. We then had the good fortune to meet Dr. Truesdale of Rock Island, who introduced us to R. Bowman, regiment surgeon from the same town, (who, by the way, has since been promoted to brigade surgeon,) and to his kindness we are indebted for comfortable lodgings, provided for us in the hospital under his charge. The following morning we went abord the steamer Hazel Dell, which arrived during the night with a large number of wounded, among whom was Geo. Hall; and from him we obtained additional particulars, which formed the substance of our second dispatch. Here too was an opportunity for us to do some work, as there was no persons aboard to dress the wounds of these gallant defenders of the Union. Dr. Maxwell, L. J. Conter and myself, together with Dr. White of Iowa City, immediately went to work, and while the balance of our committee were ashore and perfecting plans for future operations, we dressed the wounds, and thereby relieved the suffering to a great degree of 83 of our brave boys, all of whom appeared cheerful and bore their sufferings without a murmur.
We now found it impossible to get passes to enable us to reach our wounded at Mound City, Paducah and other points, unless we enlisted in the service as volunteer surgeons and nurses, and placing ourselves exclusively under the direction and control of the military authorities, which we immediately did, not knowing where we would be ordered to. But after a delay of an hour or so we received our orders to proceed. – Drs. Maxwell and McCarn to report themselves at Paducah, and Gifford, Linderman, Center and myself to report to Surgeon Franklin at Mound City hospital. Here the committee became divided, having to take different boats to reach the two points.
We arrived at Mound City about 8 p.m., delivered our papers to Dr. Franklin, who received us very cordially, saying that he was glad to see us, that there was plenty of work for us to do, and ordered supper and lodgings to be prepared for us; and also ordered us to report to him at 7 o’clock in the morning, and he would assign us to duty. After receiving our instructions, we went in and through the hospital, which contained from 800 to 1,000 wounded soldiers. Here indeed can be seen the dark side of war, a reality of suffering which no pen can describe or tongue tell, and yet these noble men bear it all with a heroism that is hardly imaginable. Occasionally we found one whose sufferings were so intense that he would implore his attendants to put an end to his life as the only relief to him. We soon found all of our Iowa boys that had been sent to this point, and were much gratified to find that all from Cos. B and C were in a condition promising ultimate recovery. H. B. Doolittle is the most seriously wounded, being shot in the lower part of the abdomen, though the left shoulder and through the calf of the leg. – He seemed to be getting along very well until Monday morning, when erysipelas set in, and he was removed to a ward in the hospital set aside for these cases. As this was a very unfavorable place for him, by the advice of Dr. Maxwell, who had now joined us here, we obtained a private room and immediately removed him thither, when he commenced improving immediately. As all the rest of our boys are getting along well, I will not stop to particularize their cases, but proceed with the details of our work. We did not confine our labors to the Iowa boys, but when we saw them properly cared for, assisted others were most needed, working early and late in assisting to dress wounds, at which Mr. Center proved himself equal to the task, and up to Tuesday morning Mr. Center and myself had dressed or assisted in dressing the wounds of 180 sufferers. Tuesday morning orders were received from headquarters to remove 500 of the wounded by boat to Cincinnati. This order entailed more work on us, but we succeeded in getting all of Cos. B and C that were here, and some others of the Iowa 2d to the number of 16, on board of one boat and in comfortable quarters; and then, through the kindness of Dr. Dunning, post surgeon, secured the appointment of Dr. Maxwell as first assistant surgeon, and myself as ward master on the boat, which gave us a position that enabled us to do all that could be done for our Iowa boys. Through proper exertions we also procured permission for Mrs. J. C. Magill, who formerly lived in Davenport and who was hear rendering invaluable service, to go with us on the boat in the capacity of matron, and in this we were very fortunate, as the accommodations of the boat for preparing food for so many were very limited. But for her exertions the men would have suffered with hunger, and the particular interest she took in the boys of the 2d Iowa entitle her to the thanks or some more valuable testimonial from our citizens.
We arrived at Cincinnati at 12 o’clock Sunday, and by means of the ample arrangement of the sanitary committee of this place, in two hours, had our whole charge transferred to the hospital, which is a mile from the landing. Our boys are now very comfortably, and I may say pleasantly situated. The building in which they are is divided into small rooms, capable of accommodating from five to twelve patients, and well ventilated, thereby avoiding that sickening and polluted atmosphere which always exists in large hospitals, with large rooms filled with patients. On my visit to the boys to-day I found them all in the best of spirits, anxious to get well and return to their regiment, to again pay their compliments to the secesh, who, by the way, express themselves unable to return them in so pointed a manner. We are enjoying the hospitalities of Mr. Doolittle, brother of our gallant color bearer, while here.
I regret to have to inform you that Dr. Maxwell is quite sick from exposure and over exertion, in performing his duties on our trip up the river; but is better to-day, and will probably be able to get out to-morrow or next day. I was quite exhausted myself, but a day’s rest has sufficiently restored me to enable me to perform my duties.
I must now go back to Paducah, to report the work of our committee there. Drs. Maxwell and McCarn reported themselves to Gen. Sherman, who is a very gentlemanly person, giving them every attention, and who gave them permission to visit all the hospitals and labor where most needed. – They found quite a number of Iowa boys, some who had been sick for some time, and were out of money or means of any kind to help themselves with, and to whom they gave immediate assistance. Dr. Maxwell was assigned to duty on board a steamer loaded with the wounded and ordered to Mound City. On the passage down he had some very important duties to perform, in the way of surgery. On arriving at Mound City the hospital was so full that no more patients could be received, and the boat proceeded to Cairo for further orders, but the Doctor stopped at Mound City as instructed.
The day we left for this place, Mr. Gifford and Dr. McCarn started for Fort Donelson, and as to what they have accomplished I know not, as I have not heard from them since; but I have no doubt they will be able to make a good report. Judge Linderman and Mr. Center we left at Mound City with H. B. Doolittle.
It is a very happy and to our boys a very fortunate affair that our citizens took such an interest in their welfare, for without the aid of volunteer surgeons and nurses, not only from Davenport but various other points, many of our soldiers would have suffered and died from want of care. I do not mean by this any disrespect of inefficiency to our army surgeons, for in most cases they are unceasing in their labors to alleviate the suffering of our soldiers, but Government had made no adequate preparations for an emergency like this, and although it seemed as though the labor that has been performed by the ladies in all the various localities, in preparing bandages, &c., was labor thrown away; yet the last two weeks has proven quite the contrary, for all has been used, and more too, and it is now very difficult to procure adequate supplies for the wants of the different hospitals. When we left Mound City there was not a bandage or hospital supplies of any kind that could be spared, and we had to go back to Cairo, to get what we had for the trip, which was a very short allowance. – There is much more to be said on this subject, but time will not permit, but I would say to the ladies, keep on preparing and furnishing these hospital supplies, and your labors will be rewarded in the comfort which is thereby given to the wounded soldiers.
L. C. BURWELL.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, March 8, 1862, p. 2
