1   Bucks County Intelligencer,  From the Ringgold (104th) Regiment.  February 18, 1862  Page 1  Col. 3 1

 

LETTERS FROM OUR VOLUNTEERS.

From the Ringgold (104th) Regiment.

Correspondence of the Bucks County Intelligencer.

Carver Barracks, WASHINGTON,

February 7, 1862.

Messrs. Prizer & Darlington :—As you are kept ap-

prised of the doings of the Ringgold boys at Carver Bar-

racks, I thought that, by way of variety, I would let your

readers know something about the doings in “ Warren

Hospital.”  It is situated on 14th street, in the limits of

the city of Washington, and derives its name from our

worthy division-surgeon, Warren.  It is used at present

as a brigade hospital for the 104th P. V., 52d P. V., 50th

N. Y., and 11th Maine.  These four regiments compose

the brigade over which our esteemed Colonel (Davis) is

Acting-Brigadier General.  The 52d have been here about

two weeks, and have had one death; and one poor fellow

had his leg cut off below the knee, in consequence of hav-

ing his feet so badly frozen that amputation became neces-

sary.  So much for not being a tee-totaller.  The Eleventh

Maine have had two deaths here and several at their

quarters.  The 104th have had three deaths here: John

Hillborn, Zachariah Baker and Charles Sleight.  The

last-named was on guard the night before his death, was

taken after breakfast, was brought in here about 1 o’clock,

and was a corpse in less than one hour—thus impressing

upon our minds that “truly, in the midst of life we are in

death,” and showing us the importance of the injunction,

“Be ye also ready, for ye know not the day nor the hour

wherein the Son of Man cometh !”  We have but one sick

in here at present.  Ephraim Yates, of Company G, is

lying very ill with the typhoid fever.  There are nine

others of our regiment convalescent.  The New York 56th

have had eighteen deaths since we have been here, and

still have a great many sick.  There are now in the hos-

pital over 100 patients, of which number more than one-

half belong to the Fifth-sixth.  There appears to be a

screw loose somewhere in the machinery in charge of

the sick of that regiment so few of their really sick, re-

cover; there is certainly a fearful responsibility some-

where.  I regret to say that our valued Surgeon, Peck, is

on the sick list, with every symptom of small-pox, but we

hope that he will soon be restored to health and useful-

ness.  We were blest one day recently with a visit from

Miss Dix—a lady of about sixty years, I presume, rather

above medium size of rather fine appearance, and a de-

cidedly business style.  She went over the hospital and

pointed out the deficiencies (with which, a matter of course;

we were perfectly acquainted before her arrival) and then

departed, leaving us in the same condition as she found

us—except the pleasure of having to say that we had seen

Miss Dix.  Mrs. Harris, the Secretary of the Ladies’ Aid

Society of Philadelphia, paid us two visits again to-day,

and truly, she is a visitor of mercy from one hospital to

another, distributing with her own hands impartially

whatever is conductive to the comfort of our brave boys

composing the army of the Potomac.  She has given them

sheets, pillow cases and pillows, quilts, towels, night-shirts,

drawers, handkerchiefs, jellies, preserves, butter, eggs,

soups, and a great many other things that the inmates of

the one hundred and thirty hospitals that she has visited,

know how to appreciate; and I have not a doubt but that

in the great day of account, may will rise up and call

her blessed for extending to them a helping hand in their

hours of suffering.  In the last place, but not in the least,

I will speak of our worthy Chaplain.  Oh, how agreeably

disappointed I was the first we met in the sick-room ! 

I could realize, although we may be of different denomin-

ations, that there is but one kind of religion; and spirit

will answer to spirit that we are the children of God.  May

he be preserved in the line of duty through all opposition,

and at last be so happy as “to hear the welcome words,

prepared for you from the foundation of the world!”

This is the wish of                             AN OBSERVER.