Letter from M. Caskey to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; January 16, 1862

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Letter from M. Caskey to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; January 16, 1862

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People

Caskey, Thomas W., 1816-1896 Davis, Reuben, 1813-1890 Gadberry, Unknown Hooker, Unknown Jandle, Unknown Janelle, Unknown Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875 Merius, Unknown Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Starke, Peter Burwell

Organizations

Hospitals Military Headquarters Mississippi--Legislature

Businesses

Hotels

Occupations

Medical Profession Medical Profession--Nurses Medical Profession--Surgeons

Places

Kentucky--Warren County. Bowling Green Louisiana Mississippi--Alcorn County. Corinth Tennessee--Davidson County. Nashville Virginia--Independent City. Richmond

Vital Statistics

Disease and illness

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Nashville Tenn Jany. 16^th, 1862

Gov John J Pettus

Dr sir I should have have dispatched to you as I promised, but Gen Davis informed me that he had now so I found affairs bad enough but not as bad as I expected. The Troops are disban-ded and now on their way to Corinth leave-ing 30 or 40 sick at Bowling Green under good nurses—I find an unexpected difficult-ies the way of our hospital enterprise while you will more fully understand by the enclosed letter from Gen Johnson, I had an interview this evening with Dr Jandle Medical director for this division, and we had the following plan under consideration. He proposes to furnish the hospital building, Medicine, Lights, Fuel, Surgeons and assistants, on the part of the confederacy- Appointing Dr Gadberry chief surgeon and allowing him to select, his assistants to be exam-ined by the Medical Board and become confed-erate Surgeons,, on my part in behalf of the State furnish the hospitals Servant clerks, for depots and hospital, servant nurses, and take the whole management of cooks washers clerks stewards, The confederacy paying 6 dollars per month for servant nurses—I put, them this low so as to induce the chief medical director at Richmond accept the proposition, I am allowed to select, the building and should I select @ better one than the Gov-ernment is furnishing I pay the difference. He informs me that La made @ similar proposition as ours to establish @ state hospital and it was

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rejected at Richmond. By this arrangement. I will save to the State more than half the amount, of money it would cost her to organise, and conduct the hospital, Time I deprive myself of half the power vested in me by the act of legislation, and your kindness in giving me the appointment. But Gov, to the man who has seen as much human suffering as I have have seen, ever since visiting the hospitals here, as no patriot nor philanthropist were he to let personal considerations prevent his doing all in his power to releive the pangs of our brave soldiers- I think under this joint arrangement that an additional appropriation of 13- thousand will be ample to carry us through this year. The bill passed by the legislature need not be changed. as I mearly wave my right to appoint, and control the surgeons Dr Janelle will send on the propostion to the chief Medical director at Richmond tomorrow. I do not find myself nor the State, to comply with it if it is agreed to. If you or the legislature think it best to run the risk of an entire failure, and go through the tedious delays of official business at head quarters in the mean time our men are dieing for want of the attention we can give, and give speedily, I shall not, complain, But I know that neither you nor they desire any such course Governor I have had to act, under the difficult and unexpected difficulty, and have done what I thought was the best, Show this to Col. Merius Hooker and Gen Starke, and then dispatch to me at this place, at the Swanee Hotel, In the mean time I will go on and look out for @ suitable building and gather up hospital statistics and send you

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in @ few days the result of my investigations, and you can show them Col. Merius and he can post the legislature. I shall remain here untill I hear from you and Richmond, So as to get things under way—as soon as possible dispatch then write me more fully. I have not time to this over as the laws are leaving and I want to send by hand

As ever yours
T, W, Caskey

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W. Caskey
Jany 16^th 1862