| Confederate States |
| Quartermaster's Department |
| Railroad Bureau |
| Richmond, Sept 2nd, 1864 |
| |
| General, {A R Lawton,
QMG} |
| |
| Enclosed please find the
papers relating to the want of accommodation for sick & wounded soldiers
on the Charlotte & South Carolina Railroad. The subject has already had
my attention and ????? I required a copy of the law be sent to the
several railroad companies in the Confederacy. The law reads as follows: |
| "The Quarter Master General
will have arrangements made with the Railroad Companies to reserve seats
in one or more cars as may be necessary, for the use of the sick and
wounded soldiers and their attendants to be transported; and until they
are seated, to prevent other persons from entering the reserved car, and
also to require conductors of the trains to provide for the use of the
sick and wounded in the reserved cars a sufficient quantity of pure
water." |
| Accompanying the law I sent
each Co. a letter asking them to comply with it so far as it was
possible and from several, answers were returned stating that a ready
compliance would be given. In other cases no answer was returned. |
| Very few roads pay any
attention to "the act" and but one or two carry it out properly. I have
been powerless to enforce a compliance as each train could violate the
law with impunity without some one ever constantly watching to see that
it was not done. |
| There is another great
hardship connected with the removal of sick and wounded soldiers for
which however the rail roads are not responsible. I refer to the
difficulty of getting from one train to another. There is always a great
rush and crowd when a train reaches its destination and every man is
working for himself, the sick and wounded are left to get off and on the
cars as best they can and in the hurry they get nervous and anxious,
make exertions beyond their strength and frequently, in consequence,
suffer relapses. Only the other day a soldier with an amputated leg, in
his hurry to get from the cars at Greensboro attempted it while the cars
were in motion; in the effort he fell to the ground and his wound burst
open afresh and but for timely assistance he would have died. Soldiers
are very frequently unruly while on the trains and but little disposed
to heed the warnings of any one, and the number of travellers prevent
conductors from giving proper attention to all. |
| As a remedy for these evils I
would suggest a requirement be formed of invalid soldiers and they be
assigned to the duty of travelling, in such numbers as may be necessary,
upon each train, one man to each car, and a commissioned officer on each
train and they should see that the fresh water was provided, or should
provide it themselves, and should also enforce the law giving preference
to sick and wounded soldiers, and when they latter got off at stations,
or had to exchange cars they should give them all necessary help. |
| This plan would give
employment to maimed soldiers and to those incapacitated for duty, and
would bring before the sick and wounded the fact that the Govt. was
careing for them all the time. |
| It would be better if the law
could be carried out by the Railroad Companies but they either cannot or
will not do it, and I can see no plan better than the one above
proposed. |
| It is probable that a
sufficient number of officers and soldiers incapacitated for other duty
and yet able for this cannot be had, but humanity urges something more
effective on Govt. than a law which in its operations is a dead letter. |
| If the suggestion is
considered, by you, f enough importance to warrant an effort at
organization I will endeavor to get some information as to the number of
men required and report to you. |
| I am, General, |
| Very respy |
| Yours &c |
| F. W. Sims |