June 7th. To-day the last of the dead were buried, and the general appearance of things much improved. Our division hospital is in and about a large house on the hill, in rear. The doctors have had more than they could do, and are pretty well used up. I went over there to-day to see McKim, and found him up to his ears in work. Below the house, just outside the door, I saw a heap of arms, feet, legs, hands, etc.; the pile was beastly odoriferous, and most suggestive. The doctor said they had been unable, so far, to get anybody to bury it.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Jane Stuart Woolsey to her sister, Georgeanna.
Charley’s letter to the Post was quite a success and I advise him to continue his communications. The Vanderbilt, Government Hospital Ship, got in last night at six or seven, and will be emptied to-day, I suppose. There has been a great and general muss on the whole subject (of course) between General B— and Satterlee and their underlings, parties of the first part,—and all the State agents and volunteer doctors, parties of the second part, the old fight between regulars and volunteers—conflict of authority and efforts to sustain small personal dignities at the expense of everything else. In the meantime however, the patients, contrary to the usual course, have not suffered very much, as the public have had pretty free access to them and their wants have been supplied. Now, all transports are obliged to anchor in the stream and report to the regular quartermaster. . . . The Vanderbilt is the first arrival under the new regime and we shall see how it works. As much flourish of authority as they like, if it only shows fruit in the comfort of the patients, a subject on which I have misgivings. Fort Hamilton is the new depot; that and Bedloe’s Island. We went to the Island on Friday and found things improving. A few weeks ago Dr. Agnew (I think) or one other of the Commission went down and found the doctor drunk, the stewards on leave given by themselves, and the fever patients dying of neglect. He, whoever he was, cruised about the Island, found ten pounds of beef, cut it up and made broth himself, and spent the night feeding the sick men. They have got a new surgeon now, but I think the steward steals. One reform at a time. We are determined, we “females,” to make the place much too hot for him if we can prove anything. But how many weak-minded sisters there are! I never realized before how few people in the world are really clever and how very few are capable of “taking the responsibility.” I have also discovered that there is nothing like philanthropy to bring out the quarreling propensities. Two young gentlemen called yesterday and asked for Charley, expressing great surprise that he hadn’t got back, as they saw him driving his horse a day or two ago. They might have mistaken the man, but they appeared confident on the subject of the horse. So, Charley, Mr. Coles may be guilty of some black-hearted treachery. My mind always misgave me that Wilson’s men went out o’nights with Nelly Bly. What is the news from Joe and the 16th? We search the papers in vain to find his whereabouts. Yesterday in the Herald, in a chance letter, was this, “General Franklin, in crossing a brook to-day, got mired in the soft earth banks and was thrown, but instantly emerged unhurt, dripping, puffing and laughing.” That is the only public news I have seen of the Division for ten days. Where are they?
June 7. [Okolona, Mississippi]—Colonel Williams, quartermaster for Price’s army, and two young men, his assistants, are boarding here. They have a small room for their stores, for which they are very thankful, as the place is so crowded.
One of the young men who is with the colonel is an Episcopalian. To-day he informed me that Mr. Clute intended having service in the open air, as his church, along with the others, has been taken for a hospital.
June 7th.—Cheves McCord’s battery on the coast has three guns and one hundred men. If this battery should be captured John’s Island and James Island would be open to the enemy, and so Charleston exposed utterly.
Wade Hampton writes to his wife that Chickahominy was not as decided a victory as he could have wished. Fort Pillow and Memphis¹ have been given up. Next! and next!
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¹ Fort Pillow was on the Mississippi above Memphis. It had been erected by the Confederates, but was occupied by the Federals on June 5, 1862, the Confederates having evacuated and partially destroyed it the day before. On June 6, 1862, the Federal fleet defeated the Confederates near Memphis. The city soon afterward was occupied by the Federals.
June 7.—An enthusiastic Union meeting was held at Shelbyville, Tenn., at which speeches were made by Andrew Johnson, W. H. Wisner and Col. May —On the Chickahominy River the rebels opened fire on the pickets of Gen. Sumner, but without any effect—The rebel steam-tug Mark R. Chesk, was captured near Memphis, Tenn.
—The Paris Constitutionnel, of this day, published an article to show “the impossibility of the South being conquered,” and maintaining that foreign “mediation alone will succeed in putting an end to a war disastrous to the interests of humanity.”
—William Mumford, a citizen of New-Orleans, was hung in that city for an overt act of treason in pulling down the American flag from the United States Mint— (Doc. 65.)
—In the Missouri Convention a bill for the gradual emancipation of slaves was submitted and defeated by a vote of fifty-two to nineteen.
—Memphis, Tenn., was formally taken possession of in the name of the Government of the United States, by Col. G. N. Fitch, commanding Indiana brigade.—The schooner Rowena, formerly the Garibaldi, ran into Stono Inlet, S. C, this evening, not knowing it to be in the possession of the National forces, and was captured by the gunboat Pawnee.—Official Report.
—The rebel batteries at Chattanooga, East Tennessee, were silenced by the artillery of General Negley’s command after a bombardment of three hours.—(Doc. 64.)
