May 24.—We have good news from the Trans-Mississippi Department. General Taylor has gained a victory over General Banks in Louisiana.
We have had more fighting in Virginia. General Longstreet is wounded. The enemy under Grant is trying to get Richmond by Petersburg. They are certainly very determined. If we hold Richmond against such odds as they bring against it, I think it will be a wonder. I see by the Mobile papers that a relief corps is coming from there, but it will be useless to come while our army is on the move.
We have a number of the sick and wounded from the Twenty-ninth Alabama Regiment. One lad, in his sixteenth year, is very ill; he requested me to write to his father, and let him know where he is. I said why not write to your mother. After hesitating awhile, tears filled his eyes, and with a quivering lip he told me she was deranged on account of her sons all leaving her for the army; he had run away two years ago. Dr. Hughes intends sending him home as soon as he is able to travel.
We get quantities of vegetables now. We have two nice gardens. Milk is still scarce.
Mrs. Brooks has taken charge of one of our large rooms. She sees that the worst cases in it are cared for, and provides them with milk and any other delicacies which they may require. This is of great assistance to me and great benefit to the patient.
We are kept very busy. Miss W. takes charge of all the groceries, as I call them— whisky, butter, etc.—and keeps a daily account of every thing that is received and issued, which is measured or weighed. The liquor of all kinds is given out on an order from the druggist, for each ward separately. I make a daily report to the steward of every article used in our kitchen, besides keeping a weekly and monthly account, not only of the articles consumed, but of all the cooking utensils, dishes, etc., which are used in the kitchen. In the care of the dishes I have the assistance of Mr. Bohannon, a nice young man, who is disabled by a wound.
I would not mind if we had more to do than we have; but I have found out that there is sly pilfering going on in the hospital. I have told Dr. Hughes, and he is trying to put a stop to the robbery. I do hope he will succeed in his efforts.
He turned off one man for dishonesty, but I believe he went to another hospital. To me all of this is a great grievance. I do not begin to get enough to feed the patients; it is with the strictest economy we can give them what we do; and here are men right before us, robbing them of what are bare necessities.
We daily see soldiers who have come from the front, ragged, barefooted, and half-starved, while right along side of them men dressed in the best the land can afford, and eating the best of fare. To get all of this they are defrauding soldiers of the comforts provided for them by the government.
I have been told of one man who a year ago was not worth a cent; he was made commissary of a hospital post, and is now worth thousands.
We are badly off for dishes, spoons, and knives and forks; of the last we are much in need. The men have to eat with their fingers. A hospital is all very well when we can get what we want, but to live as we do—with just half enough of food and furniture—it is a very trying place.
A young man died to-day, by the name of Charles Rogers, a member of the Eleventh Alabama Regiment. He was sick a long time. His mother lives in Wilcox County, Alabama.
