On the arrival of the regiment at Syracuse it was discovered that about
fifty of the men were on the sick list. Some were quite sick from the
effects of the continued jolting they had suffered in the wagons, while
others were only worn down by hard marching.
The Surgeon immediately took possession of the Planter House, a
deserted hotel in town, and established his hospital in it. Straw was
procured, and the men were as comfortably placed upon it over the floor
as circumstances would admit.
On the morning of the 18th the regiment was moved out two miles from
town, and went into regular camp.
As the men were marching through the town the rain descended in
torrents, wetting them thoroughly. This was the first rain seen since
leaving Boonville, and was received in high glee.
Visions of St. Louis now began to grow dim in the eyes of some of the
men, although many still believed that they were only waiting
transportation. The Surgeon delayed, from day to day, making any
provisions for the comfort of the sick, expecting orders to ship them
for St. Louis. But orders never came, and it became a fixed fact that
the regiment was to winter here.
Newspapers were brought to Syracuse daily, and something of what was
going on in the world could be learned from them. During the last month
a newspaper had not been seen in the regiment. Some of the officers
would occasionally get a paper, but the soldiers never. From these it
was ascertained that the war was still progressing, and that the
rebellion was assuming a magnitude of unexpected dimensions.
Many of the soldiers were led to believe, by their withdrawal from
Springfield, that their services would not much longer be required in
the field, and that they would soon be allowed to go home, but on
reading the papers they lay aside all such pleasing ideas.
The weather was now becoming quite cool, and tents were more carefully
pitched than usual--ditches were dug, and embankments thrown up, to
keep the cold winds from blowing in under them. Good warm blankets were
issued, and a new suit of clothing provided, so that, so far as
possible, suffering might be prevented. Plenty of wood was provided,
and on cold days large fires were burning in front of every tent. At
night pans of living coals were taken into the tents as substitutes for
stoves. Thus they managed to keep quite comfortable. Army rations were
in abundance, and the citizens were liberal in their supply of cakes,
pies and apples, at a moderate compensation, and sometimes without any
pay whatever. Occasionally one would come into camp more greedy of gain
than his neighbor, or, perhaps, tinctured a little with secession
proclivities; in such cases "confiscation" was the word, and his load
would soon disappear, without his being any the richer.
The sick men, who were left at Boonville under the care of Doctor
Maynard, now joined the regiment. Without an exception, the kind care
and judicious treatment of this excellent Surgeon had restored all to
good health, and they joined the regiment in good spirits, and were
welcomed most cordially by their comrades.
About the 10th of December the regiment broke camp here and moved out
to the bottoms of the Lamoine river. The object of the move was the
erection of fortifications for the defense of the railroad bridge
across the Lamoine. Their camp was selected on some swamp-bottom lands
on the left bank of the river. The boys were immediately set to work
cutting the trees and cleaning off the grounds, while details were sent
off to work on the fortifications on the opposite bank of the river.
On the morning of the 14th marching orders were issued for the next
day, and on the 15th, through a heavy snow storm, they marched to
Sedalia, twenty-five miles distant. The roads were bad, and the
marching very heavy, yet most of the men came into camp with the
regiment. They were marched out for the purpose of cutting off recruits
and a large supply train going to Price's army. When they arrived at
Sedalia the work was being accomplished by another portion of the
Division. A part of Davis' Division had taken another route, and had
succeeded in overtaking and capturing some seventy wagons and one
thousand one hundred prisoners, among whom was the son of the old
General. The Ninth Missouri consequently had nothing to do but march
back to its camp on the Lamoine. This it was two days in accomplishing.
Thus marching fifty miles in three days. Thus making in all, since
leaving Boonville, fully four hundred miles. Here the regiment remained
until the 25th of January, 1862.
When the regiment removed from Syracuse to the Lamoine, the Surgeon,
Doctor Hazlett, went with them, leaving sixty sick men at Syracuse in
charge of the Hospital Steward, without having made any preparations
yet for their comfort. The building was very well calculated for an
hospital, but needed renovating very badly, and should have had bunks
built for the patients to lay on; but nothing of the kind had been
attended to; and now, to attend to the wants of sixty sick men, only
one nurse, one cook and the Steward, were to be had. Many of the men
were desperately sick, and should have had better care taken of them;
but, fortunately, only two cases proved fatal after the Surgeon
left--Henry Rue, of Company F, on the 1st day of January, 1862, and
John Rule, of Company D, on the 28th of the same month. Two also died
while the Surgeon was in attendance--Boston Cherrington, of Company A,
and McClenning, of Company E. At the Lamoine, Phillip Shindola, of
Company B, James Edwards, Company C, George W. Lewis and William St.
George, Company B, and William S. Gore, Company F, were taken sick, and
died in January, 1862.
The living at the Hospital consisted of beef, pilot-bread, sugar and
coffee or tea.
There was an hospital fund of money, accumulated by the commutation of
rations belonging to sick men; but, as with the ambulances, the
Surgeons are sometimes dishonest enough to appropriate this fund to
their own use. The cooking facilities about the hospital consisted in a
camp-kettle, (holding about five gallons,) for coffee or tea, and one
of the same size for boiling beef, and a log fire out of doors. With
these facilities the cook prepared the rations for sixty sick soldiers
for over two months, rain, snow or shine, as the case might be.
The manner of feeding the patients was thus: The kettle of coffee and
soup is brought into the center of the room where the sick are, and
tin-cups are filled and handed round, and a "shingle" (pilot cracker)
is handed at the same time, with a piece of boiled beef on it. If the
patient has had money he has perhaps provided himself with a biscuit or
piece of light bread, purchased of some citizen. The men set around
over the floor on their straw pallets, and eat, some swearing at the
coffee, and some cursing the soup, and all making some remark or other
about the fare. One, for instance, would like some potatoes or chicken
soup; one some bread and milk, one some corn bread, and another would
fancy mush and milk. Sometimes these things could be procured by paying
their own money for them, and thus there would be a feast. Poor
fellows! They deserve better things than these, but it is impossible
for the Steward and attendants to provide anything more suitable. May
God forgive those who should look after these things for neglecting
their duty, or for being dishonest.
The soldier in camp lives very similar to this: Messes are formed from
the occupants of one tent, perhaps numbering four or five, or more; the
rations are drawn, and all cooked in the same vessels. A small
camp-kettle supplies them with coffee, and a larger one with boiled
beef, bean-soup, etc. Then, with tin-cups, tin-plates, knives and
forks, they pitch in, each one helping himself until he is satisfied.
While eating he either stands or sits on the ground, as he may elect.
Thus they live day after day and month after month and no variety
unless they buy and pay for it them selves. Many of them _do_ spend all
their wages in buying something to eat. It is amusing to look through
the streets of Syracuse, and see the soldiers buying the _luxuries_
that the farmers' wives bring to town to sell. Here are several wagons,
surrounded by soldiers, buying and trying to buy, sausage meat, fresh
pork, chickens, butter, eggs, pies, cakes, corn-bread, milk, apples,
etc. The argus eyes of the ladies are kept busy, or else they make
small profits. While many are honestly paying for what they get, others
are playing confiscation, and dishonestly getting what they do not pay
for. Pies and cakes are in great demand; and such pies! The pie-crust
is made by wetting some flour with water until it becomes pasty, some
sour apples are then wrapped up in it, and it is then dried in a
moderately heated oven. When it is sufficiently done it can't be
broken, but must be twisted asunder and swallowed in mass; yet the
soldiers pay a quarter for such pies, and consider them a luxury.
The first case of bushwhacking known to the regiment occurred at
Syracuse. A boy belonging to the Eighth Indiana Regiment was on his way
to join his regiment, and stopping at the hospital to ascertain where
he would find it, was induced to stay a day or two before going
farther. The day following he walked out into the brush, about one
hundred yards from the hospital, and was shot down by some unseen hand.
The report of the gun was heard at the hospital, and in a few moments
the body was found, laying on the snow, in a dying condition. There was
an inch or two of snow on the ground, and it was thought the murderer
might be found by his foot-prints in the snow. Several of the boys from
the hospital started immediately in pursuit. The afternoon was spent in
following foot marks through the woods, but nothing definite was ever
learned of who committed the murder. One of the scouts reported on his
return that "the scoundrel would never shoot another soldier,"
intimating that he had overtaken and shot the bushwhacker; but credit
was not given to his story.
Toward the latter part of January, 1862, a post hospital was
established at Otterville, near the Lamoine, and Dr. Hazlett, Surgeon
of the Ninth Missouri, was appointed Post Surgeon. Dr. Maynard, in
consequence, was relieved at Boonville, and, greatly to the
satisfaction of the boys, took charge of the regiment. The Regimental
Hospital Steward being yet at Syracuse, Dr. Maynard requested the
Colonel of the regiment to order him to report to him for duty, as his
presence was more needed at the regiment than at the hospital. The
patients at Syracuse were about being removed to Otterville.
From this request of Doctor Maynard resulted a decision which may be of
importance to many hospital stewards in the army. Many young men
receive the appointment of hospital steward without knowing or
inquiring to whom they are responsible for their good conduct, or whose
orders they are in duty bound to obey. Hence they are imposed upon by
the surgeons, and are made nothing less than menials for those vampires
of the Government. On the request of Doctor Maynard, Lieutenant-Colonel
Frederick, commanding the regiment, issued the order desired. On the
same day Doctor Hazlett, Surgeon of the regiment, issued a similar
order for the Steward to report to him at Otterville for duty. The
decision in the case was, that "the Steward was subject only to the
orders of the commanding officer of the regiment." This decision has
since been confirmed. A hospital steward is not a surgeon's orderly.
Rumor now prevailed that the regiment would leave the Lamoine in a
short time, and outside movements tended very much toward confirming
the rumor. The sick were all ordered to Otterville; the hospital stores
were inspected and reported, and any deficiency in the supply was
ordered to be filled. There was, however, no want of hospital supplies
at this time, thanks to the ladies of Wisconsin.
A delegation from those charitable ladies had, but a few days before,
visited the army, with a large quantity of comforts, quilts, drawers,
shirts, handkerchiefs, and magazines and newspapers, which they
distributed to hospitals at the towns, and to the regiments, with
liberal hands. God will abundantly bless the ladies of Wisconsin. When
they have forgotten that their hands had prepared these inestimable
presents for the soldier, his prayers will be ascending in their
behalf. The death-bed of the soldier is made comfortable by the
thoughtful liberality of these kind friends, and their hearts go out in
thankful praises and gratitude to the fair donors.