Reports on the operations of the inspectors and relief agents of the Sanitary Commission after the battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862 / by J.H. Douglas and C.W. Brink.

  • Douglas, John Hancock, 1824-1892.
Date:
1863
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports on the operations of the inspectors and relief agents of the Sanitary Commission after the battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862 / by J.H. Douglas and C.W. Brink. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    exhausted from the unusual demands made upon him on account of the severity of the weather. Fortunately we were enabled to supplement his stores, and to answer his calls upon us from the reserve of 1,800 blankets, and over 900 quilts which we had sent forward. Many of these were employed in covering the wounded during the period of their transportation by car and steamboat from the field hospitals to the general hospitals at Washington. It is with a deep feeling of gratitude that I have also to re- port that the last sad office could be paid to the dead, with an approach to the ceremonies of civil life, through the stores placed by us at the disposal of the surgeons of the hospitals. The comfort of the wounded, and the result of the treatment of their wounds, were materially affected by the change of cloth- ing provided by us. We had been able to get up to our field station 5,642 woolen shirts, 4,439 pairs woolen drawers, 4,269 pairs socks, and over 2,500 towels, among other articles. These were liberally distributed wherever the surgeons of hospitals indicated that there was a need. Certain articles of hospital furniture of which there was a comparatively greater want than of anything else, were freely obtained by all surgeons at our station. Stimulants, I am happy to say, were in great abun- dance among the Purveyor's stores, so that the calls upon us were few. The same was generally true of food, and positively so of all kinds of medicinal articles which at other battles have been furnished by us. Nothing of the kind was asked for. In the article of food alone, we issued in one week, solely to hospi- tals, 16 barrels of dried fruit, 10 boxes of soda biscuit, 6 barrels of crackers, nearly 1,000 pounds of concentrated milk. The beef-stock we had brought up, was, I am again happy to say, not needed, there being a bountiful provision among the hos- pital stores, and fresh beef at command at all times, and in any quantity.