ortation to get supplies to the front for
camps and hospitals; and was diversified by short excursions, which we
will call "special relief;" such, for instance, as the following:--

"At midnight two steamers came alongside 'The Elm City,' each with a
hundred sick, bringing word that 'The Daniel Webster No. 2' (a sidewheel
vessel, not a Commission boat) was aground at a little distance, with
two hundred more, having no one in charge of them, and nothing to eat.
Of course they had to be attended to. So, amidst the wildest and most
beautiful storm of thunder and lightning, four of us pulled off to her
in a little boat, with tea, bread, brandy, and beef-essence. (No one can
tell how it tries my nerves to go toppling round at night in little
boats, and clambering up ships' sides on little ladders). We fed
them,--the usual process. Poor fellows! they were so crazy!--And then
'The Wissahickon' came alongside to transfer them to 'The Elm City.'
Only a part of them could go in the first load. Dr. Ware, with his
constant thoughtfulness, made me go in her, to escape returning in the
small boat. Just as we pushed off, the steam gave out, and we drifted
end on to the shore. Then a boat had to put off from 'The Elm City,'
with a line to tow us up. All this time the thunder was incessant, the
rain falling in torrents, whilst every second the beautiful crimson
lightning flashed the whole scene open to us. Add to this, that there
were three men alarmingly ill, and (thinking to be but a minute in
reaching the other ship) I had not even a drop of brandy for them. Do
you wonder, therefore, that I forgot your letters?"

Or, again, the following:--

"Sixty men were heard of as lying upon the railroad without food, and no
one to look after them. Some of us got at once into the stern-wheeler
'Wissahickon,' which is the Commission's carriage, and, with provisions,
basins, towels, soap, blankets, etc., went up to the railroad bridge,
cooking tea and spreading bread and butter as we went. A tremendous
thunder-storm came up, in the midst of which the men were found, put on
freight-cars, and pushed to the landing;--fed, washed, and taken on the
tug to 'The Elm City.' Dr. Ware, in his hard working on shore, had found
fifteen other sick men without food or shelter,--there being 'no room'
in the tent-hospital. He had studied the neighborhood extensively for
shanties; found one, and put his men in it for the night. In the morning
we ran up on the tug