Report on the condition of the troops, and the operations of the Sanitary Commission in the Valley of the Mississippi, for the three months ending November 30th, 1861 / by J.S. Newberry.

  • Newberry, J. S. (John Strong), 1822-1892.
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the condition of the troops, and the operations of the Sanitary Commission in the Valley of the Mississippi, for the three months ending November 30th, 1861 / by J.S. Newberry. 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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    bility of material. The exceptions to which I have referred are regiments which at the date of Dec. 1st were not yet supplied with overcoats, or which had only very inferior blankets. The instances of this kind which have come under my observation, or have been reported by our inspectors, are fortunately few; but few as they are, they exhibit such incompetence or inhumanity on the part of those in authority as should make them the objects of universal execration. ' Some of the regiments in my field of operation have been pro- vided with the India rubber overcoat, but I believe it has added little to the comfort of the soldier, and has been generally con- demned. The India rubber blanket, on the other hand, has been as generally approved. , Passing over the evils' consequent upon the neglect or incompe- tence of officers—unfortunately not unknown, nor unfrequent in any division of any army—I am compelled to speak of the forced marches made by some of our troops in the West as a most fruitful source of disease, and one of the most potent influences which have operated to increase the percentage of sickness and mortality to which I have already referred as matter of grave concern. Without raising the question of military necessity, the obvious consequence of such severe and unusual duty cannot be ignored; and I think I am safe in saying that the disproportionate number of sick reported in the Valley of the Kanawha—173 to a regiment—and the still greater percentage in Eastern Kentucky, are the legitimate and necessary consequence of the hardships incident to the forced marches made by the divisions in these districts. I cannot refrain from also enumerating among the causes gener- ally affecting the health and efficiency of the troops, the unfortu- nate relation which exists between the sutlers and men in many regiments; by which they are not only permitted, but often induced, to expend their earnings for food and drinks in such a way as to injure both health and morals. It would seem that there was a call for more stringent measures prohibiting the sale in camp of articles destructive to health or productive of demoralization. I have failed to perceive any good reason why the sutler should be permitted to collect his dues at the pay table; or why, unless more rigidly restricted in his functions, he should be protected from competition, and be raised above the common chances of trade.