Francis W. Hancock Compiled Service Record, M331, National Archives

Jackson Hospl Feby 11th [1864]

Sir –

I have the honor to inform you that I acted as officer of the Day during the past Twenty four hours & that this Hospl is in usual good order.
It is my duty to report that several of the doors in the Wards are without pulleys or bolts & are constantly standing open – thus causing great distress to the Patients. I have called upon the Carpenter two or three times to have bolts placed upon the doors of my own wards – but have failed to get him to attend to it. Yesterday, I directed my Ward Master to inform him that as Officer of the Day I desired him to repair the door as soon as practicable. He positively refused to do so, saying that he “understood his business as well as the Officer of the Day or his Ward Master.”

The language was uncalled-for & disrespectful & I deem it proper to report it. Last night at 10 o’clock I entered my wards, & found one of the doors forced open by the wind & a Patient who is very ill suffering severely from the cold.

Very Respy
S. M. Dold, ac. Surg.

Surg. F. W. Hancock
In chg.

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