How the Yankees stand the climate of South Carolina.
A Yankee correspondent, writing from
Port Royal, December 14, gives the follow-account of the effect which the climate of
South Carolina has had upon the health of
Lincoln's minions, who have recently desecrated the soil of that State:
‘
The sanitary condition of the troops has assumed a special interest in connection with the proposed building of a temporary general hospital for the division.
A New York paper of November 29 is before me, in which it is said that the troops at
Port Royal are in good health and spirits.
Similar statements I understand have been generally made and believed.
Now for the facts.
’
Ninety-eight soldiers have died since the expedition left
Annapolis, October 21; eighty four since it landed at
Port Royal, November 7 The whole number of sick from its arrival to the end of November, exclusive of the Eight
Michigan, was 4,282.
Of this number there remained at the end of that month 634 requiring hospital treatment.
The Eighth Michigan, not included in the above, because its returns have been sent back for correction, has suffered more than any other regiment, and would swell the total of sick to nearly 500.
The returns for December are not made up More than 300 patients are now in hospital; a still larger number requiring hospital treatment are left in quarters for want of hospital tents, and the sick list daily enlarges.
The division was landed at
Port Royal before the frost had destroyed the deadly growth of marsh and swamp, and maternal fell with its most fatal effect on the exhausted systems of soldiers who have been clogged to work in the water, and to go to their tents at night wet, chilled, and tired, with no change of clothes or means of warmth.
The fatal diseases have been, with the exception of small pox and typhoid fever, almost entirely those incident to the climate, and caused in this climate by over work and exposure, especially in the water.
These diseases are congestive and remittent fever, acute dysentery, and malarious pneumonia, all of the most malignant and dangerous type.
Six cases of small pox have resulted fatally, every one of which would have been saved by proper hospital accommodation.
Eighteen cases are now in hospital, some of which will be fatal for the same reason.
The sudden charge of weather and fall in the temperature, Dec. 3, was followed by instant increase in the number of deaths.--That night three men were literally frozen to death; two cases of small pox and one of congestive fever, all in a fair way of recovery, but unable to resist the cold against which there was no protection.
The almost equally sudden change of last Wednesday night brought with it great increase of suffering to all the sick, and two other men in with the congestive fever, who would otherwise have recovered, were killed by the cold.
I have for these statements the authority of one of the ablest sure soon attached to the division, who said to me that he would risk his professional reputation on the accuracy of the assertion.
