Quiner Scrapbooks: Correspondence of the Wisconsin Volunteers, 1861-1865, Volume 2

              .Descrix'tion. of an. Axxixy Ho«i>ital.
pinioa St. HosprrxL, Alsxajidbia, Va., AprU 80, '6a.
When I last wrote I did not expect my next letter wonld be from the hospital, but here I am and here I have been for nearly a month com
batting with my old enemy, the ague, who first :of our war machine may movo slowly, any one met me on tho plains of tho far West, and not  with half au eye fan see thut America has done
being satisfied with the results of our former ecoounters, he has dug up the hatchet and con-.i fronted me on tho war p^th of Virginia. As people in general have a i. 'rror of army hospi¬ tals, and uot entirely without reasons either, a brief description of the one in which I am im¬ prisoned, our treatment, fare, &o., may not be aninteresting to the readers of the Pataiot. The building is a thrco story, brick, dwelling
iriuu 10 neip mm by saying he meant the re¬ serves that were not .taken into tho battle; but it would uot do; however, he has kept a more civil tongue since then. It seems as though people in general, nnd the English in particu¬ lar, nro blinder than bats,for though somo parts
more ,.in ono short year, In oonslrncling war imfllementa, in improving arms nnd artillery, and in rovolutionizliigand improving tho world than hU other Rations together have done fs^r the last fifty years. England failed to get poases- sioftof New Ori cans,wilh all her boasted power, and yot the Yankee nation capture it with bul little loss. Napoleon is pointed at ns an active general—a general that would have crushed this
honse, formerly owned by one of tho F. F.'V'a,-rebellion in half the time thai our generals can, bnt as he evacuated anpl moved South in\r- i^ut they do not lake into consideration the faets der to take a stranger position Uncle Samue that he was put at the head of the first military took possession and io is now occupied by aboui nation of his timo, aud that ho rose like a cloud 80 of his disabled nephews. This building, to- of smoke thnt the gathering winds sweep away gether  with ono on tho  opposite  side of tht in a moment.
street, about the same size, and evacuated about j^jm to return to the hospital. \Ve have good the sauae time, comprise what is known ae bods, which is a luxury after Jieing a ycur Prince Street Hospital. without any.    We do nbt exactly live on the fat |
The present occupants aro men from every of the laud, but still we have no reason to corn- state in the North, and from almost every na- plain. Full diet consists In a cup of coffee and tion of the earth. In the the 1st ward, where ^ slice of bread for breakfast; a oun of soup, a I tent,  we have a great variety.     The  ward piece of boiled beef, nnd a slice of bread for
comprises two rooms,—a double parlor in by¬ gone days and the best finished rooms in tbo house, and is arranged for tbe accommodation of 16 porsons, 14 patients and two attendants In the first room there is a Qorman from Wer- temberg, another, an old man of 68 years, from Baden, a Frenchman, a Dutchman, two New
dinner; a cnp of tea, or cofFoe, os the case may bo, witll a slice of bread for supper.' Those who are quite sick and want olher things to eat can havo them. Oysters, broiled beef, toast, milk, ham, and bacon, with now and then a po- tatoe are given to those who oannot oat full diet. We  cunnot leavo tho house without a pass
Yorkers, a Vermolnerj and a Sucker.    In this -from the Doctor, only to go into the back jard,
room are two  attendants, one a Miohigander, ^ Uttlo square pen set out with fruit trees and
and the other a nativejof Norway, but for a long rose bushes, and walled in with brick so high
time a resident of MassachuseltS) a native of that ve cannot eeo over the wall.    Itiialovcly
Wisconsin, another American but so siok that place, but too small for one who has been used
Ihave  not tried to learn his native stato, a to traversing tho boundless fields of thu West.
Hibernian, a llan, a Prussian, and myself—a l havo been out twico on a pass oince my sojourn
Blue Noso.
Of oourse wo have some long debates with regard to the knowledge, skill, and enterprise displayed by different nations in war and in peaoe, for, though Irish, French and German alike think that America is a good country, they eaob claim for their country the honor of mak¬ ing America what it is. The Hibernian had had some very exalted opinions of his country and countrymen when he first oame here, claiming—as Irishmen do—that tho Irish are (he meu that are doiug the fighting iu the pres¬ ent war, that the brave 6»th did all the fighting that was done at Bull Run, and the like; but he was vory soon obliged to givo up those opin¬ ions as erroneous er at least to desist from ex¬ pressing them in public for the Badger boy took htm in hand, and although Pat, like his oountry- men in general, ia witty and very tonguey, he found he was no matoh for tho Westerner and for that reason dried up. He has not said a word in praise of hie oountry^ hia regiment, nor bisb GeneralB,not even the great Duke of Wel- Ubgton for the last three days. The other no-/ iionalitiee meet with but little belter success, bat not being used to viotory they do not take defeat so much to heart, "and though vanquish¬ ed they will argue still."
Besides the residents of our ward we have a very frequent visiter in the person of an Eng¬ lishman—a rare thing in our army. Ue is a friend of ono of the attendants, and oomes into talk about the war; to curse the slow progress et MoCUUau before Yorktown; to spit oat his ¦plteu against Amerioa and American institu- tttms; In short to display his John Ballism in the thousand and one ways so well known hy most of his countrymen. Tho other night he went Bo far as to say that our army, although large, did not amount to muoh, nnd for proof,i made tho assertion that regimeut after regiment, run like sheep, without .'"^ng a gun, ntthe bat¬ tle of Boll Run.    1 politely informed Sir John'
j that it was a downright mistake, and that ill
I he knew when he was well off he would do wel\ I to keep snch expressions to taimsolf.    Uis friend
hia favor until he was unlucky enoogh to get the ill will of most of the men of his regiracat then I took hie part, for I think ho had not jus'- tice dono him. He could have done better on the 2l8t of tluly, and so could many others. But that Is all past, and I am glad lo bay (hat we have no officers in eur regiment now,except onr medical men, who tell us to take olf our hats, and if we are not in the hunior, we kcip them on. But thero are ofiicers and doctors who think themselves gM's.and thatrother men aro but tools to do their bidding.
If the doctor comes -into our ward tw.^ntv times a day, we must all stand np and tnkc oil our hate, if wo have them on. A Qcrman told mo he never had lo do it in' the old coantry save to the priest. Alas! that we, here in America, a republic, fighting for libeVty when we are able to fight, should be compelled t^itass thro' an ordeal more degrading than deepot.? even demand of their impressed soldiers. I never saw authority for such doings in th^ reg¬ ulations, and'what is moro I do not beliore it is there, but thero should be a law against it. Are we, the volunteers, of lSGl,Uoga that wmhould do this thing? I would it wero not so. It is no part of republioanism. There is nothing tbat wiH«cut so deeply into the heart of a fioe man as to be told "Takeoff your hat; sir."
Tho' the doctors tbat directly havo chnrRe of this hospital are very kind,the old doctor ot .ill, Who oomes nround once a week to Inspect the hospital, is as crabbed and gruff as a bull-doi?, Ue camo in tho other day, looked around, unJ romarkod in a very l*iud, rough tone, "Well, Doctor, I think it's time you wore getting rid of somo of theso men." Tho doctor told himol Iho different patients and their situations.   He
Eointe.l to a cavalry man who had a fra.iiured ip, "What of that," says tho Doctor Cbief, t'oant he ride a horse?" Another had nn ague cake in his side. Tho repljr was, "I've teen men out west whoso spleen was as big as* washlub, but that didn't disqualify them frwi duty." It's his way, and we think nothing of ii My regiment is in McDowell's corps, some¬ where near Fredericksburg, when liistl beard of them. I expect to join il soon. Tho nnt few weeks will bo full of stirring events
y Th« *« Belle City Rlful.^/
in this pluoe.
The Doctors that have this hospital in chargo are very kind and attentive to the sick. One of them speak French nnd German as readily as he does English, and has no trouble in hold¬ ing conversation wilh most of his patients.— Thcy do not givo much medicine, a very com¬ mendable qualification for a Ur. for, though the ._ . X a . I , . .,. 1 sickest will bo apt to die. the well one will not ^^">«»R <-*»»" ^'»« fi"*^ ''"¦»''«^' «« ^he de- bo killed.    There has been but ono death hore fence  of our gloriou.s  old  flag   were the
sinoo I oamo. .... ,    . .   yo""g noon from Racina County that formel
Tho most disagreeable thing connected with ,,    ., ^ ,,     _..     _.„     „   a.,   . , • ,-
hospitals, and the most humbling, nay I will »¦>'«" Bello City Rifles." Tlioir palnolis... say degrading ordeal that soldiers havo to pass '"^s been equalled only by thoir bravery.— through incur army, is being compelled to take Never yet has it been said of one of tt.em off our hats to officers and Doctors.    "Take ofl ^^^^^ ,^„ ^^^ ^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^ ^^.^. j   ,,,,^
your hat, sir," was aboul the first words ad- , , .
dressed to me by an officer after enlisting, and ''««" o""* pleasure from time to time to no- that loo beforo I was sworn in. I came out lice through our columns the individual iet.« from Sun Prairie to Madison, put roy name on of bravery and heroism of our boys, and wo tho roll, and went into oamp, but after remain- .j,i ,^ j„., ,k„ ..\. • > . . ing about a week I asked for a furlough, not »'^<1 <;<>-<Jay tbe subjoiaod slatoment concin- wishing lo commenoB a soldiers lifo in real mg the sou of our old fiirnd Thomas Ora- oornest until it should beoome necessary. Col. iia.m of Yorkville in this County. Coon referred mo to Lieut. Col. Peck and I ^^^^ ^ q colk says: '• I have pleasure entered the apartment not dreaming that I had .     ,^. ,     ^   .   •      x ..
lost my freedom, not dreaming that I was a '" stating a fe^. facts in relation to a prais- slavo and the man beforo mo my master.— worthy deed performed by Thomas Giiaiiav, Imagine my surprise then whon these words Co. F, 2d Wis. Uegt., as thej wore told mc fell on my wondering ear, "Tako ofl your hat, ,,y Lieut. -Ruggles. Quartermaster of the At first I thought he oould not mean me; why I^og'ment. At the time thc rebels inaao =» I had been among.Indians, Negroes and white- roid on our wagon trains in the vicinity .f men, Ihad stood beforo the groat and the wise, (""attlett's Station, Graham was detaolie.l in but never till then had 1 been ordered to take ^ teamster wilh the train. The attack cmno off my hat.    But I saw that he meant me, and ,   ,, , „   ,
with as good grace as possible I pulled off my /I"'to unexpectedly, and some of the t.vuu- hat, but I bit my lips lill they wero ready to etei-s fled. Not so young Graham, but like bleed, and in my heart I cursed shoulder straps ^ true soldier he stood by the team plnci'
dozen furloughs were no compensation. Hut sholtered by the Quartormaster s horse, an for the name of backing out, 1 would not have during the melee a robel cavalry man oauijh enlisted In the Second Regimont, for 1 was not ^j ,,t „f 1,;^ ^„^ ^^^^ ^1,^^^ ^^^Q^^ ^^ ,,)„, bound; howover 1 stuck to it, but Lieut. Col. , ....     .,    , »l ..   u w      , , •        r^
Peck I always disliked, and never said much in ^'Ib-'g the horse that sheltered him.    Gr.
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