OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Ohio in the Civil War Pt 10 *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 November 5, 1999 *********************************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio Diaries of S. J. Kelly Plains Dealer Know Your Ohio by Darlene E. Kelley *********************************************************************** Ohio women in the Civil War ---Part 10 Letter to home-- Cleveland, Ohio Aug 15, 1863. Family-- At the close of this busy and weansome day, I have time for only a word before the mail closes. We have had our hearts and our hands full in the last twenty-four hours, and many of our ladies have had their first sights of the dreadful war. Yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock, the long expected regiment ( 4 Massachusetts ) arrived. There were nearly a hundred sick, and all in a very worn condition. The preparations so long made proved ample, and after two hours' merciful work among the hospital cars, and a full feast set out for the well, the ladies had the satisfaction of sending the brave boys on their way in a much better condition than that in which they came to us. Another regiment was telegraphed to be here in two hours from the departure of the first, and you may imagine the commotion into which the wole town was thrown; messengers sent everywhere to notify the housekeepers, and to hasten their gifts, and such excitement and hurry of preparation at the depot! Cleveland people, you know, are equal to any good work, and so, at 8 o'clock,w hen the 28th Maine came in, there was an abundant meal spread for them, and a fully organized committee of ladies to attend the sick. The hospital cars, five in number, were crowded with bad cases. All our ladies were down there and worked like heroines. At 10 o'clock at night we left the depot, only to go home to make fresh arrangements to meet a third regiment, at 5 o'clock this morning. The last regiment, the 47th Massachusetts, has occupied us all the morning of this beautiful Sabbath, and our hearts have been sorely tried by the dreadful state in which the men were found. We had very good provision for their reception. Believing cleanliness next to Godliness, we organized a " new department", and set long tables at the entrance of the depot, and upon them put rows of tin wash basins, with a cake of soap and a towel each, and had plenty of fresh water ready. Such a splashing and scrubbing and cheering you never saw! I believe this was the most welcome part of the programme. From their bath the soldiers passed on to a really bountiful breakfast--soft bread and butter, cold meat, pickles, herring, and salmon, plenty of onions an cucumbers, tomatoes an apples, coffee and tea. So the well men were abundantly fed. Meantime, the ladies carried hand basins and towels into the hospital cars. Each sick man was refreshed by having his face and hands bathed, and then the tea, coffee, warm gruel, bread ad jelly, dried beef, sponge cake, egg and wine and stimulents, were dispensed with lavish hand. One very badly wounded man and the surgeon, Dr Blacker, who was very ill indeed, were carried at once into our little hospital and carefully tended. The surgeon remained, and Mr. Bingham has taken him to his own house. Four sick men were sent into Camp Cleveland--hospital-- four also of the Maine regiment, last night. A sad scene, indeed, was the death of one poor fellow, this morning, in our little hospital. He was sinking fast when the train came in. Everything was done for him that kindness or experience could suggest, but he was too far gone with the exhaustion following a lung fever, and died almost within sight of his home and family. Poor fellow! How hard he tried to speak and to send some word home. He was a splendid soldier, they said, and when the men of his company filed sadly in to look at his dead face, and some even kissed his forehead and dropped their tears upon it, we knew that they felt it hard to leave their comrade, and harder yet it seemed to frame the sad story into words that his waiting friends at home might hear. We have taken every care of the body, and it is to be forwarded tomorrow by express. I think you would be quite satisfied with the part our Soldiers' Aid Society has taken in the care of the regiments, and surely it has been a blessed work. It would be well for the Union cause in Cleveland if we had such calls made upon our sympathies and our benevolence every week. You have no idea how nobly our ladies came out to this duty, nor how richly they were rewarded by the bright faces of tose New England boys, as they left the depot, cheered and refreshed by the care they had recieved. This last regiment was particularly needy. It had passed every important point in the night, till now, and this half day in Cleveland was such a blessing to the poor fellows! They numbered about 700, with 100, at least, seriously sick, and nearly all, indeed, ailing somewhat, and just from the trenches at Port Hudson. Not time for another word----- M.C. R. August 21-- I sent you on Sunday a hurried letter and a hurried sketch of our new duties-- feeding the passing regiments-- and now can give you only an eqully hasty review of what has been done this week--which has seemed long and eventful, and has turned quiet little Cleveland into a busy town, and made Bank Street and the depot the scene of a great deal of benevolent and good-natured confusion at all hours of day and night. I must say the Ladies at Norwalk Ladies Aid Society certainly have been busy. Not only have they packed smoothly all the lint from the store of D.H. Pease, but closed this in paper boxes. They collected onions from the local farmers and made onion pickle, and pickled artichokes and potatoes. They dried apples and a great many pounds of dried beef was sent to this place, along with herbs and wine. They have sent bed ticks, feather pillows, shirts, dressing gowns. and money raised from ice cream socials sponsered by their children. The girls from the Beehive Society raised twenty two dollars at their festival and spent it all on tobacco for the soldiers. They have worked on tasks for the society seven days a week, always doing something. Monday morning we were occupied in making arrangements for sending on the body of poor Thayer, of whose death I wrote you. At night it went, and with it we sent some comforting words to his wife and friends. which I hope softened somewhat their great sorrow. All day Tuesday we were torn with rumors about the next regiment. The cars broke down, and various detentions kept the train till 8 o'clock P.M. Then the 28th Connecticut, a small regiment--500 perhaps-- arrived; so worn and weary the men looked, and they straggled so painfully into the depot that it touched every heart-- and you may believe our ladies were not slow in offering comforts contained in their generous baskets. The Colonel had gone home by sea, sick. The Lieutenant colonel, two surgeons, many line officers, ward masters, & etc., were dead, and the regiment was in charge of the major. The sick had been brought up in care of the 2d assistant surgeon, Dr. Rockwell, a mere boy in apearance, but a miracle of faithfulness, kindness and energy. Dr. Rockwell had telegraphed his desires to leave five men in hospital here, and we had an omnibus ready. The men were very unwillling to stop at first--even feigned sleep, and hid themselves under blankets, but at the persuasions of some of our ladies, accompanied by a taste and smell of the appetizing gruel, broth, blackberry cordial, & etc., they began to put out their heads wistfully, and finally ninteen clamored to stay, and were left. The ladies promised to go and see them in hospital next day, and so they did. S. and N. rode over to inquire after them; found them as comfortable as happy even as sick men could possibly be, " Oh," said one of them, " when you told of your excellent hospital, I expected to see a great comfortless brick barn or warehouse, fine outside with nothing cheerful within; but when we drove up to this homelike little cottage, and saw how neat and pleasant everything is, we knew we were among friends, and after our bath, and the luxury of clean clothes and a good breakfast, we felt like new creatures, and can realize tat we are no longer in Dixie." Indeed. all the men who have been sent to Camp Cleveland this week have given the same willing testimony to the kind care received there. At 10 o'clock ( Tueday Night) the regiment had gone on its way, and the sick had been sent over to the hospital. I must not forget to tell you that the commissary stores-- three dray loads-- were presented to our Society. We can turn some of them into our own stock very nicely, and for the rest we can get a good sum of money -- as the Quartermaster here promised to buy them of us. Next day we had a little breathing time, an then towards night were electricfied by the news that two more large regiments were coming on from Indianapolis, with still two more on the way from Cairo. All Thursday the preparations were being made,and indeed I can not tell you how generously our citizens met this fresh call. It remined one of those early days of the war, when each merchant seemed to vie with his neighbor in his lavish gifts of everything his store afforded. Indeed, it was almost impossible for us to buy anything here. It seemed a mere farce to offer payment, everything was so freely given to this good cause. But this is so much like our neighbors here in Cleveland. They are truely good people. So you can tell Aunt Martha she need not worry about me. I have everything I should need, including a most gratifying job and truely good friends. We brought dishes enough to serve the whole regiment at once, and toward night you would have been amused to see our lawyers, merchants and railroad men speading tables, slicing onions, bottling wine, or cutting sandwiches. We had ample washing arrangements too-- a long row of basins, twice down the depot, and such a splashing, when at 7 o,clock the 49th Massachusetts, 717 strong, came in tired, dusty, and so hungry, but there was enough for all, and the sick were attended in the cars, as before. The surgeon, Dr. Windsor was exceedingly careful of his men and knew at once, who was to stay, and we had beds carried out of our little room to the side of the car. Seven men were thus brought into the home.The ladies supplied them with stimulants, and at 8 o'clock. they were ready to go over to the hospital. One poor fellow fainted before the omnibus left. He was very, very sick. They brought him back apparently dying, but thanks to the motherly care that he recieved, animation was restored. Dr. Cushing was called and pronounced it a bad case--partial paralysis of the throat, caused by great exhastion. After he had revived and had been made comfortable for the night, Capt Ensworth offered to stay with him, which he did, and this morning we found him well enough to be carried over to the hospital. We have seen him once or twice since, and he bore the ride well. His name is Levi Campbell, Company E, 49th Masachusetts. I must go now as another group is coming in-- My love to the family-- M.C. R. *********************************************** To be continued in part 11.