Twelve Months with the Eighth Massachusetts Infantry in the Service of the United States. Harry Endicott Webber
was the most serious condition which confronted the regiment during its service in the field, I venture to give some account of our efforts to overcome this dread disease.
In selecting and arranging the site of the Division encampment, I was influenced more by sanitary requirements than by any other considerations whatever. To the camp of each regiment fifty acres of cleared land were allowed. This insured wide company streets, sufficient space between tents to admit of their being moved, plenty of room for the regimental and battalion staffs, guard tents, cook tents, sinks, corrals, and regimental parade grounds, with sufficient isolation from neighboring regiments.
Ground was also set aside for division and brigade headquarters, and for a general parade ground, the division hospital and the various departments of supply, and these were far enough removed from each other and the troops to prevent any encroachment. All told, the Division occupied about 1000 acres.
The different camps were then laid out by the division engineer, aided by the pioneer corps, and a copious supply of pure water secured, and all the sinks (kitchen and men's), were dug, ditched and housed, and tent floors made ready before the first regiment of the Division arrived, so that there was no occasion for defiling the ground or for unnecessary exposure to the weather.
As soon as practicable after the regiments arrived, the following sanitary orders were carried into effect. A non-commissioned officer was placed in charge of every sink, who received his instructions from the regimental surgeon as to the use of chloride of lime, quick lime, crude petroleum and corrosive sublimate, large quantities of which were provided by the medical purveyor and chief quartermaster of the Division.
For example, a box of the chloride of lime was kept in each of the men's sinks and it was the duty of the non-commissioned officer in charge to see that a small quantity was thrown into the sink three times daily, and that the sink floors were scrubbed every morning and then mopped with a solution of corrosive sublimate. All the men's sinks were lighted at night. Quick-lime and crude petroleum were also used in all the sinks, not only as disinfectants, but to keep the flies away.
Tents were moved once each week, the sites vacated thoroughly sprinkled with quick-lime, the under surface of the floors lime washed, and the tent floors mopped with a solution of corrosive sublimate; tent walls were raised, clothing and bedding thoroughly aired daily; all bed sacks were filled with clean straw, the old straw burned, and the bed sacks boiled every month, and whenever a man was sent to the hospital his bed sack received the same treatment; all water barrels were burned out every two weeks, all stable manure removed from the camp daily, and together with all other refuse, burned, and for this purpose regimental or brigade crematories were constructed as might be most convenient.
Facilities were provided in each company for washing and bathing and every soldier was required to bathe at least twice each week and to keep his hair and beard neatly trimmed. All drinking water was boiled and filtered and the men cautioned against drinking water of any other kind.
The indiscriminate sale and use of farm products, garden truck, fruit, pies, cakes, and all soft drinks were prohibited, nor were hucksters permitted in any of the regimental camps without the written authority of the commanding officer.
To insure the execution of these instructions, a division sanitary inspector was appointed, whose duty it was to visit the camp of each regiment daily and, together with the medical officer on duty and officer of the day, make inspection of the police of the camp, giving all needful orders for the correction of sanitary abuses and defects.
As no regimental hospitals were contemplated by the War Department, and none were permitted in Camp Hamilton, men sick enough to require treatment in bed were removed to the division hospital. On arriving there their clothing was removed and carefully disinfected, labeled and packed away, and if their cases were of doubtful character they were sent to the detention ward until the nature of their disease could be determined, when they were disposed of accordingly.
At 2 P. M. daily a medical officer of each regiment reported at the division hospital, and with the medical officer in charge of the wards, visited the sick of his regiment and decided whether they should be returned to duty or not. This had a very good effect, as it brought the medical officers of the regiment into daily contact with the sick of their own regiments, which was a great comfort to them, and besides kept the medical officers fully informed of their condition.
As far as possible the sick of the different regiments were kept together, and no one except the regimental and company commanders, the medical officers, chaplains, and immediate relatives of the sick were allowed to visit them. This restriction was rendered necessary by the danger of infection in typhoid cases, and to prevent the excitement and noise caused by visitors.
I am aware that many of the requirements and restrictions ordered at that time were considered harsh and unnecessary and gave rise to some bad feeling and grumbling, but as they had the unqualified approval of the medical staff, I had no hesitation in enforcing them. That they were fully justified was clearly shown by the results.
Within a short time after our arrival in Lexington the number of sick increased so rapidly that the division hospital was filled to overflowing. But in the course of five or six weeks, and as a consequence of our strenuous efforts, the number began to diminish, until finally, and before the Division moved to Georgia in November, not a single case remained in the Division outside of the hospitals, and no new cases were ever reported to me while the Division remained in service.
Of the part taken by the Eighth Massachusetts in this heroic struggle, a great deal might be written by way of commendation. It is probably sufficient to say that Colonel Pew and his officers appeared to realize fully the gravity of the situation, and relying on the good discipline and high order of intelligence of the rank and file, had but little difficulty in carrying out the sanitary regulations of the camp, thus preserving the lives of many of the men.
Before leaving this subject, and at the risk of exhausting your patience, I can not refrain from giving you a word of warning. Of all the diseases which infest sedentary camps, such as those established in the United States and Cuba during the recent war, none is more insidious or deadly in its effects than typhoid fever.
It would be very unusual indeed for a regiment of the National Guard or of Volunteers to assemble in camp at any time without bringing with it at least one case of undeveloped typhoid fever. Now, a week may elapse before such a case is discovered and reported, and in the meantime the man who has it may have given it to a dozen other men through fecal and urinary discharges, and through carelessness in using the sink in washing his hands and bathing, and in keeping his clothing absolutely free from that kind of pollution. Hence the importance of personal cleanliness and the strictest enforcement of all the sanitary rules which may be established.
In a camp of regular soldiers thoroughly instructed in the duties of sentinels, and not afraid to enforce their orders, this is not difficult, but among volunteers where guard duty is often not understood, or is looked upon with disfavor, and but little sense of individual responsibility, it is a very difficult matter, and such camps may speedily and easily become hot beds for the spread of typhoid and other diseases.
Bear this in mind and resolve that should the exigencies of the military service ever require you to go into camp again, you will not only keep yourselves clean, but will insist on a clean camp, clean kitchens and sinks, clean food and mess kits, and that you will mercilessly punish all infractions of sanitary rules, as well as the sentinels or other guards who knowingly permit them.
I remained in command of the Second Division until November 16th, when I was relieved, and on the 21st assumed command of the Second Brigade at Americus. Although I knew the Eighth Massachusetts quite well, I now determined to know it thoroughly, and on November 28th, commenced an inspection of the regiment by battalion, and in order that every officer and enlisted man might attend, it was ordered that no guard or other detail would be furnished by the battalion under inspection.
I began with the First Battalion of the Eighth Massachusetts and wound up with the Third Battalion, giving each just such a critical inspection as was prescribed for regulars. In other words, I made a careful examination of the arms and equipments, clothing, camp and garrison equipage, mess books, records and drills of each company, battalion and regiment.
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