SANITARY COMMISSION, U«S. Yi^sUro iej^r. NO. 96. THE COMMISSION i:.ANITARY U. S. VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI, During the War of the REBELLioi^, 1861--1866. - PINAL REPORT OF DR. J. S. JSTEWBERPtY, SecretaryWesternDepartment. CLEVELAND: ^ FAIRBANKS,BENEDICT & CO.,PRINTERS,HERALD OFFICE. 18 71- c Cleveland, O., September 1, 1866. Rev. H. W. BELLOWS, D.D., President United States Sanitary Commission: Deae Sir—Ihavethe honorto transmit herewith myfinal Report, as Secretary of the Western Department of the United States Sanitary Commission, inwhich I have given abrief summary of the operations of the Sanitary Commission in the Valley of the Mississippi during the War of the Rebellion. With great respect, Tour obedient servant, NEWBERRY, J. S. Secretary Western Depai-tment U. S. Sanitary Commission. PREFATORY NOTE, The delay which has occurred in the appearance of this Report seems to require a word of explanation. The Report was written in 1866, and was ready for publication at the date of the accompanying letter to Dr. Bellows. At that time, however, a general history of the work of the Sanitary Commission was in the course of preparation by Dr. H. A. Warriner, and much of my material was in his hands. "When it came back to me, I was too busy or too much on the wing to be able to devote the necessary time to the printing of it. I have continued to be equally occupied to the present: and the Report would not now see the light, had not a friend—who was a most efficient co-laborer in the work here described—kindly offered to assume the duty of seeing it through the press. Owing to the serious and prolonged illness of Dr. Warriner—the fruit of his labors and exposure at Memphis and Vicksburg—the publication of his general history of the Sanitarj^ Commission, later and more detailed than Mr. Stille's, is indefinitely postponed. The story which fills the succeeding pages may therefore acquire some interest and value beyond its very moderate intrinsic merits from the probability that it will never be told in the better way of which the rare qualifications of Dr. Warriner gave assurance. J. S. N. Cleveland, O., June 1, 1871. CONTENTS. PART I HISTOEICAL SUMMAEY. CHAPTER I. EvBNTSOF1861.—IntroductionoftheSanitaryCommissionintotheMississippi yalley. Its Organization. Field Work in 1861. Report of Dr. Read. Reviewof theTear 17—26 CHAPTER II. EvENiS OF 1862.—The Spring Campaign. Eort Donelson. The Wounded. Battle of PittsburgLanding. The Hospital Boats. A Generous Rivalry. Dr.\Iui-ray'sLetter. AGoodWorkwelldone. AChangeof Base. Occu- paticriof Western Kentucky and West Tennessee. ReportofDr.Warri- ner. WestVirginiain1862. Kansasin1862. Enlistmentof Nurses. The Campaign in Kentucky. The Commission at PerrjTille. Among the Wounded. Soup Making. Distributing Stores. Needless Suffering. Where -.he Fault Lies. A Remedy Suggested. Establishment of the Louisville Office. The Hospital Directorj*. Expansion of our Work. HospitalVisitors. HospitalCars. CanvassingAgents. SupplySteamer.. 2T—74 CHAPTER III. Eventsof1863.-aYearof Victory. Battle of Murfreesboro. Testimonials. Military Mo^^ments. Scurvy Arrested. Actionof theOhio Legislature. The Vicksbuig Campaign. Milliken's Bend. Haines' Bluff. Affairs at Helena. DowitheMississippi. L'ptheYazoo. TheSteamer"Dunleith." MoreTestimon^ls, TheSanitaryBepoi-ter. Reviewof1863. TheAutumn Campaign. Miltarj-Changes. Wayside Relief. Battleof Chickamauga. Sanitary SupplyTrains. At Bridgeport. Battle of Chattanooga. Our ChattanoogaAgency, LookoutMountainandMissionRidge. "Blessthe SanitaryCommission." LodgesandFeedingStations. CentralKentucky and East Tenness^ in 1863. The Knoxville Agency. Loyalty of East Tennessee. SanitairFairs. ATwiceBlessedCharity 7;5—147 CHAPTER IV. Eventsof1864.—TheArmyinGeorgia. EffectiveWork. HospitalGardenat Chattanooga. Survey st the Field. Increased Efficiency. Refugees in Kansas. Natureof Supflies. SpecialRelief Work. EastTennessee. The Fall Campaign. The Mf^ch to the Sea. To Savannah with Sherman. Battlesof FranklinandNJ^hville. TheWoundedatFranklin. ATimely Supply. LoyalWomenof Wanklin. AnIncident .148—178 — 10 SANITARY COMMISSION WESTERN DEPARTMENT. CHAPTER V. Eventsof1865.—LastDaysof theWar. Relief of Union PrisonersatVicks- burg. Feeding StationatVicksburg. Union Prisoners at Cahawba,Ala. Department of the Cumberland in 1865. The Army of the Tennessee at Louisville. Letterof GeneralMeigs. Acknowledgments 179—194 PART II. THE SUPPLY DEPARTMENT. CHAPTER I, Intkoduction.—Organization of the Department of Material Supplies. The First Wants. Value of Voluntary Co-operation. Prompt Organization. Cash Value of Supplies. Favors of Transportation. Supply Table. Report of Stores Distributed .-197—217 CHAPTER II. Chicago Bkamch—North-WesternSanitaryCommission 318—329 CHAPTER III. ^IiLWAUKEK Branch—WisconsinSoldiers'AidSociety 330—338 CHAPTER IV. Iowa Branch—Iowa SanitaryCommission 339—341 CHAPTER V. MicnTCAN linANCM DetroitSoldiers'AidSociety.. 34^—249 CHAPTER VI. CiiKVEi.ANl) Branch—Soldiers' Aid Society of Nortliern Ohio. ...250—366 CHAPTER VII. Cor,UMnrs HwANOf .267—369 CIIAPTE It VIII. CiNcrNNATi Mkanch 370—284 CHAPTER IX. Hi'FFAi,o HiiANCii (Jciicrai Aid Society fortlieArmy.. 285—289 CHAPT K R X. !»iTTS»ri{fii{ JJkancii Pitlshinrli Sanitary('omriiitt<e 290—298 CONTENTS. 11 CHAPTER XI. — Kentucky Branch—LouisvilleSanitaryCommission - 399—310 CHAPTER XII. New Albany Branch - .311—313 CHAPTER XIII. HospitalGardens --- - 314—323 CHAPTER XIV. Manufacture of Concentrated Beef 333—335 P A R T III. SPECIAL RELIEF DEPARTMENT. CHAPTER I. Introduction.—OriginandOrganizationoftheDepartmentofSpecialRelief. FirstSpecialRelief Service. Relief Duties .-i. .^31-336 CHAPTER II. Soldiers' Home—Cleveland!,O -,337—353 CHAPTER III. Soldiers' Home—Columbus,O. -.353—356 CHAPTER IV. Soldiers' Home—Cincinnati, O 357—360 CHAPTER V. Soldiers' Home—Louisville,Ky... -361—368 CHAPTER VI. Soldiers' Home—Nashville, Tenn - 369—378 CHAPTER VII. Soldiers' Home—CampNelson,Ky -...- 379—386 CHAPTER VIII. Soldiers' Home—Cairo,111 - 38i)—395 CHAPTER IX. — SoLDiijRS'Lodge—Memphis,Tenn 39(»~40<i .. — 12 SANITARY COMMISSION WESTERN DEPARTMENT. CHAPTER X. SoLDiEKS' Home—Paducah,Ky 404—406 CHAPTER XI. Soldiers' Ho>rE—Detroit,Mich. .-. 407—413 CHAPTER XII. Soldiers' Rest—Bufifalo.N.Y ...414—418 CHAPTER XIII. Soldiers' Home—NewAlbany,Ind. 419—421 CHAPTER X Y I Soldiers' Home—Jeflfersonville,Ind 422—425 CHAPTER XY. The Hospital Directory 428—445 CHAPTER XYI. Hospital Visitors 446—478 CHAPTER XY 11 Hospital Cars 474—48;^ CHAPTER X^^III. Hospital Transports 484—493 CHAPTER XIX. Feeding Stations 494—502 CHAPTER XX. Pensio.n and Claim Agency ...503—510 CHAPTER XXI. The Employment Agency 511—517 CHAPTER XXII. COLOHKI) HKCIU-ITS AM) ItKFIMW.KS ,518—536 PART IV. FINANCIAL REPORT. FlUAKClAL Ukport. Sumniaryi>f Casli ExiKMidiftires .541—54;?