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receive, keep and distribute the Medicines or Hospital Supplies. It has
occurred to me after mature consideration of the several acts of the
General Assembly, that the humane purpose contemplated will be more
fully reached by establishing the medical depot at the Alabama
Hospital which you may organize, so that all supplies may be sent
directly to the Hospital, where they will be as a general thing mostly
needed, and to which place many articles would have to be reshipped if
landed in the first instance at any other point. And articles designed
and sent from the State for particular Regiments or Surgeons could as
readily and under a more strict accountability be distributed from the
Hospital by an agent appointed for that purpose by the Surgeon to the
Hospital and which agent would be strictly accountable to the Surgeon.

This course I approve and reccommend and under the provisions
of the act enclosed would cheerfully advance - say fifty dollars per
month if so much should be required to pay for the Services of such
competent clerk or other agent as the Surgeon might select and
agree with. You will, I know, cooperate with me in every
measure to save our public expenditures whenever it can be done
without prejudice to the comfort and health of our troops. If the
Surgeon of the Hospital can prevail upon the Colonels of our Ala.
regiments to detail a man monthly or quarterly to the remain
at the Hospital and attend to the duties of his position under
the direction of the Surgeon, it would supersede the necessity
of employing another Agent under pay by the State. I submit
this matter for your consideration and after consultation with
Dr. Clark, whom I doubt not will be assigned to the Hospital, as
Surgeon, established by you. Allow me to add that what I have
herein said is founded upon the beliefs that you will be able to
establish the Hospital at or near the neighborhood of Manassas
Junction.

There is another matter to which I wish to call your
attention and that of your excellent lady. The Grand Lodge
of Alabama have placed in my hands $2,500 to be applied by
me to Hospital Accommodations for our troops. I have decided
to appropriate $1000 of the amount to the Hospital you may
organize, and have thought it best to have several hundred cotton
mattrasses made up of 7/8 Osnaburgs to be paid for out of
this fund, and have today ordered 5000 yards to be put out
for manufacture. The difficulty with me is to know everything
precisely which the Hospital may need. I will thank you
therefore to send me a memorandum so soon as convenient
of all such articles of furniture, bedding, &c required, and
which can be better purchased here. - and of all such articles
of Stores, Medicines &c. So that I may give full and
proper information by circular letter to the State when the
Hospital is organized. With high regards I am
Very Truly Yours
(Signed) John Gill Shorter.