Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Harvard Memorial Biographies

[225] medicine put in a mug, gone up and turned the dose into the patient, and returned for another mess for another man. When castor-oil, salts, and quinine follow each other in rapid succession, you can see that the impression made on the sense of taste in the last victim must be more startling than pleasant. With the exception of the blankets and bed-sacks, every article of bedding in use has come from the people of the country, through the agency of the Sanitary Commission. Without them, the bulk of those now in bed must have lain on the slats of the bedstead, like St. Lawrence on the gridiron. The only thing that has been sent without stint by the authorities is the patients; and these, which should be the last thing to come to a hospital, were the first here.

The disastrous Peninsular campaign had now begun. What part Dr. Ware performed in caring for the sick and wounded that poured in ghastly streams from the front to the transports would hardly be gathered from his own story in his letters. Fortunately we have ample means of knowing from his associates how he toiled, and with what benefit to those who experienced his care.

Hospital Ship Ocean Queen, off Yorktown, Wednesday, May 7.

... This ship was put into the hands of the Commission on Monday. To-day she sailed with over eight hundred sick men.

May 26.

We are having busy times here with the sick, and are expecting still busier when the wounded come from the anticipated battle. To-day we sent off the steamer Spaulding with three hundred and twenty-five sick men. Perhaps I have not written enough of our method of procedure here for you to know how we manage. The Commission has had several steamers placed in its charge by government, which it has agreed to fit up with beds, &c., and to provide with surgeons for the transportation of the sick. Want of hospital room either here or at Yorktown forces men to be carried to the hospitals at Washington, and they being now full, even farther North; and in this work we are engaged. Mr. Olmsted, with some others who have been long attached to the Commission, including myself, constitute a sort of permanent staff, and see to the selecting of patients, the fitting up of the steamers, &c. With us are engaged several New York ladies, who are most useful and efficient. . . . . I should not have supposed that women of their