«Женский труд в Гражданскую войну: Летопись героизма, патриотизма и терпения»

MRS. EDWIN GREBLE.

Of Quaker stock—Intensely patriotic—Her eldest son, Lieutenant John Greble, killed at Great Bethel in 1861—A second son served through the war—A son-in-law a prisoner in the rebel prisons—Mrs. Greble a most assiduous worker in the hospitals of Philadelphia, and a constant and liberal giver. 503, 504

MRS. ISABELLA FOGG.

A resident of Calais, Maine—Her only son volunteers, and she devotes herself to the service of ministering to the wounded and sick—Goes to Annapolis with one of the Maine regiments—The spotted fever in the Annapolis Hospital—Mrs. Fogg and Mrs. Mayhew volunteer as nurses—The Hospital Transport Service—At the front after Fair Oaks—Savage's Station—Over land to Harrison's Landing with the army—Under fire—On the hospital ship—Home—In the hospitals around Washington, after Antietam—The Maine Camp Hospital Association—Mrs. J. S. Eaton—After Chancellorsville—In the field hospitals for nearly a week, working day and night, and under fire—At Gettysburg the day after the battle—On the Rapidan—At Mine Run—At Belle Plain and Fredericksburg after the battle of the Wilderness—At City Point—Home again—A wounded son—Severe illness of Mrs. Fogg—Recovery—Sent by Christian Commission to Louisville to take charge of a special diet kitchen—Injured by a fall—An invalid for life—Happy in the work accomplished. 505-510

MRS. E. E. GEORGE.

Services of aged women in the war—Military agency of Indiana—Mrs. George's appointment—Her services at Memphis—At Pulaski—At Chattanooga—Following Sherman to Atlanta—Matron of Fifteenth Army Corps Hospital—At Nashville—Starts for Savannah, but is persuaded by Miss Dix to go to Wilmington—Excessive labors there—Dies of typhus. 511-513

MRS. CHARLOTTE E. McKAY.

A native of Massachusetts—Enters the service as nurse at Frederick city—Rebel occupation of the city—Chancellorsville—The assault on Marye's Heights—Death of her brother—Gettysburg—Services in Third Division Third Corps Hospital—At Warrenton—Mine Run—Brandy Station—Grant's campaign—From Belle Plain to City Point—The Cavalry Corps Hospital—Testimonials presented to her. 514-516

MRS. FANNY L. RICKETTS.

Of English parentage—Wife of Major-General Ricketts—Resides on the frontier for three years—Her husband wounded at Bull Run—Her heroism in going through the rebel lines to be with him—Dangers and privations at Richmond—Ministrations to Union soldiers—He is selected as a hostage for the privateersmen, but released at her urgent solicitation—Wounded again at Antietam, and again tenderly nursed—Wounded at Middletown, Virginia, October, 1864, and for four months in great danger—The end of the war. 517-519

MRS. JOHN S. PHELPS.

Early history—Residence in the Southwest—Rescues General Lyon's body—Her heroism and benevolence at Pea Ridge and elsewhere. 520, 521

MRS. JANE R. MUNSELL.

Maryland women in the war—Barbara Frietchie—Effie Titlow—Mrs. Munsell's labors in the hospitals after Antietam and Gettysburg—Her death from over-exertion. 522, 523

PART III. LADIES WHO ORGANIZED AID SOCIETIES, RECEIVED AND FORWARDED SUPPLIES TO THE HOSPITALS, DEVOTING THEIR WHOLE TIME TO THE WORK, ETC.

WOMAN'S CENTRAL ASSOCIATION OF RELIEF. By Mrs. Julia B. Curtis.

Organization and officers of the Association—It becomes a branch of the United States Sanitary Commission—Its Registration Committee and their duties—The Selection and Preparation of Nurses for the Army—The Finance and Executive Committee—The unwillingness of the Government to admit any deficiency—The arrival of the first boxes for the Association—The sacrifices made by the women in the country towns and hamlets—The Committee of Correspondence—Twenty-five thousand letters—The receiving book, the day-book and the ledger—The alphabet repeated seven hundred and twenty-seven times on the boxes—Mrs. Fellows and Mrs. Colby solicitors of donations—The call for nurses on board the Hospital Transports—Mrs. W. P. Griffin and Mrs. David Lane volunteer, and subsequently other members of the Association—Mrs. D'Orémieulx's departure for Europe—Mr. S. W. Bridgham's faithful labors—Creeping into the Association rooms of a Sunday, to gather up and forward supplies needed for sudden emergencies—The First Council of Representatives from the principal Aid Societies at Washington—Monthly boxes—The Federal principle—Antietam and Fredericksburg exhaust the supplies—Miss Louisa Lee Schuyler's able letter of inquiry to the Secretaries of Auxiliaries—The plan of "Associate Managers"—Miss Schuyler's incessant labors in connection with this—The set of boxes devised by Miss Schuyler to aid the work of the Committee on Correspondence—The employment of Lecturers—The Association publish Mr. George T. Strong's pamphlet, "How can we best help our Camps and Hospitals"—The Hospital Directory opened—The lack of supplies of clothing and edibles, resulting from the changed condition of the country—Activity and zeal of the members of the Woman's Central Association—Miss Ellen Collins' incessant labors—Her elaborate tables of supplies and their disbursement—The Association offers to purchase for the Auxiliaries at wholesale prices—Miss Schuyler's admirable Plan of Organization for Country Societies—Alert Clubs founded—Large contributions to the stations at Beaufort and Morris Island—Miss Collins and Mrs. W. P. Griffin in charge of the office through the New York Riots in July, 1863—Mrs. Griffin, is chairman of Special Relief Committee, and makes personal visits to the sick—The Second Council at Washington—Miss Schuyler and Miss Collins delegates—Miss Schuyler's efforts—The whirlwind of Fairs—Aiding the feeble auxiliaries by donating an additional sum in goods equal to what they raised, to be manufactured by them—Five thousand dollars a month thus expended—A Soldiers' Aid Society Council—Help to Military Hospitals near the city, and the Navy, by the Association—Death of its President, Dr. Mott—The news of peace—Miss Collins' Congratulatory Letter—The Association continues its work to July 7—Two hundred and ninety-one thousand four hundred and seventy-five shirts distributed—Purchases made for Auxiliaries, seventy-nine thousand three hundred and ninety dollars and fifty-seven cents—Other expenditures of money for the purposes of the Association,

sixty-one thousand three hundred and eighty-six dollars and fifty-seven cents—The zeal of the Associated Managers—The Brooklyn Relief Association—Miss Schuyler's labors as a writer—Her reports—Articles in the Sanitary Bulletin, "The Soldiers' Friend," "Nelly's Hospital," &c. &c.—The patient and continuous labors of the Committees on Correspondence and on Supplies—Territory occupied by the Woman's Central Association—Resolutions at the Final Meeting. 527-539

SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY OF NORTHERN OHIO.

Its organization—At first a Local Society—No Written Constitution or By-laws—Becomes a branch of the United States Sanitary Commission in October, 1861—Its territory small and not remarkable for wealth—Five hundred and twenty auxiliaries—Its disbursement of one million one hundred and thirty-three thousand dollars in money and supplies—The Northern Ohio Sanitary Fair—The supplies mostly forwarded to the Western Depôt of the United States Sanitary Commission at Louisville—"The Soldiers' Home" built under the direction of the Ladies who managed the affairs of the Society, and supplied and conducted under their Supervision—The Hospital Directory, Employment Agency, War Claim Agency—The entire time of the Officers of the Society for five and a half years voluntarily and freely given to its work from eight in the morning till six or later in the evening—The President, Mrs. B. Rouse, and her labors in organizing Aid Societies and attending to the home work—The labors of the Secretary and Treasurer—Editorial work—The Society's printing press—Setting up and printing Bulletins—The Sanitary Fair originated and carried on by the Aid Society—The Ohio State Soldiers' Home aided by them—Sketch of Mrs. Rouse—Sketch of Miss Mary Clark Brayton, Secretary of the Society—Sketch of Miss Ellen F. Terry, Treasurer of the Society—Miss Brayton's "On a Hospital Train," "Riding on a Rail"—Visit to the Army—The first sight of a hospital train—The wounded soldiers on board—"Trickling a little sympathy on the Wounded"—"The Hospital Train a jolly thing"—The dying soldier—Arrangement of the Hospital Train—The arduous duties of the Surgeon. 540-552

NEW ENGLAND WOMEN'S AUXILIARY ASSOCIATION.

Its organization and territory—One million five hundred and fifteen thousand dollars collected in money and supplies by this Association—Its Sanitary Fair and its results—The chairman of the Executive Committee Miss Abby W. May—Her retiring and modest disposition—Her rare executive powers—Sketch of Miss May—Her early zeal in the Anti-slavery movement—Her remarkable practical talent, and admirable management of affairs—Her eloquent appeals to the auxiliaries—Her entire self-abnegation—Extract from one of her letters—Extract from her Final Report—The Boston Sewing Circle and its officers—The Ladies' Industrial Aid Association of Boston—Nearly three hundred and forty-seven thousand garments for the soldiers made by the employés of the Association, most of whom were from soldiers' families—Additional wages beyond the contract prices paid to the workwomen, to the amount of over twenty thousand dollars—The lessons learned by the ladies engaged in this work. 553-559

THE NORTHWESTERN SANITARY COMMISSION.

The origin of the Commission—Its early labors—Mrs. Porter's connection with it—Her determination to go to the army—The appointment of Mrs. Hoge and Mrs. Livermore as Managers—The extent and variety of their labors—The two Sanitary Fairs—Estimate of the amount raised by the Commission. 560-561

MRS. A. H. HOGE.

Her birth and early education—Her marriage—Her family—She identifies herself from the beginning with the National cause—Her first visit to the hospitals of Cairo, Mound City and St. Louis—The Mound City Hospital—The wounded boy—Turned over for the first time—"They had to take the Fort"—Rebel cruelties at Donelson—The poor French boy—The mother who had lost seven sons in the Army—"He had turned his face to the wall to die"—Mrs. Hoge at the Woman's Council at Washington in 1862—Labors of Mrs. Hoge and Mrs. Livermore—Correspondence—Circulars—Addresses—Mrs. Hoge's eloquence and pathos—The ample contributions elicited by her appeals—Visit to the Camp of General Grant at Young's Point, in the winter of 1862-3—Return with a cargo of wounded—Second visit to the vicinity of Vicksburg—Prevalence of scurvy—The onion and potato circulars—Third visit to Vicksburg in June, 1863—Incidents of this visit—The rifle-pits—Singing Hymns under fire—"Did you drop from heaven into these rifle-pits?"—Mrs. Hoge's talk to the men—"Promise me you'll visit my regiment to-morrow"—The flag of the Board of Trade Regiment—"How about the blood?"—"Sing, Rally round the Flag Boys"—The death of R—"Take her picture from under my pillow"—Mrs. Hoge at Washington again—Her views of the value of the Press in benevolent operations—In the Sanitary Fairs at Chicago—Her address at Brooklyn, in March, 1865—Gifts presented her as a testimony to the value of her labors. 562-576

MRS. MARY A. LIVERMORE.

Mrs. Livermore's childhood and education—She becomes a teacher—Her marriage—She is associated with her husband as Editor of The New Covenant—Her scholarship and ability as a writer and speaker—The vigor and eloquence of her appeals—"Women and the War"—The beginnings of the Northwestern Sanitary Commission—The appointment of Mrs. Livermore and Mrs. Hoge as its managers—The contributions of Mrs. Livermore to the press, on subjects connected with her work—"The backward movement of General McClellan"—The Hutchinsons prohibited from singing Whittier's Song in the Army of the Potomac—Mrs. Livermore's visit to Washington—Her description of "Camp Misery"—She makes a tour to the Military Posts on the Mississippi—The female nurses—The scurvy in the Camp—The Northwestern Sanitary Fair—Mrs. Livermore's address to the Women of the Northwest—Her tact in selecting the right persons to carry out her plans at the Fair—Her extensive journeyings—Her visit to Washington in the Spring of 1865—Her invitation to the President to be present at the opening of the Fair—Her description of Mr. Lincoln—His death and the funeral solemnities with which his remains were received at Chicago—The final fair—Mrs. Livermore's testimonials of regard and appreciation from friends and, especially from the soldiers. 577-589

GENERAL AID SOCIETY FOR THE ARMY, BUFFALO.

Organization of the Society—Its first President, Mrs. Follett—Its second President, Mrs. Horatio Seymour—Her efficient Aids, Miss Babcock and Miss Bird—The friendly rivalry with the Cleveland Society—Mrs. Seymour's rare ability and system—Her encomiums on the labors of the patriot workers in country homes—The workers in the cities equally faithful and praiseworthy. 590-592

MICHIGAN SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY.

The Patriotic women of Michigan—Annie Etheridge, Mrs. Russell and others—"The Soldiers' Relief Committee" and "The Soldiers' Aid Society" of Detroit—Their Consolidation—The officers of the New Society—Miss Valeria Campbell the soul of the organization—Her multifarious labors—The

Military Hospitals in Detroit—The "Soldiers' Home" in Detroit—Michigan in the two Chicago Fairs—Amount of money and supplies raised by the Michigan Branch. 593-595

WOMEN'S PENNSYLVANIA BRANCH OF UNITED STATES SANITARY COMMISSION.

The loyal women of Philadelphia—Their numerous organizations for the relief of the Soldier—The organization of the Women's Pennsylvania Branch—Its officers—Sketch of Mrs. Grier—Her parentage—Her residence in Wilmington, N. C.—Persecution for loyalty—Escape—She enters immediately upon Hospital Work—Her appointment to the Presidency of the Women's Branch—Her remarkable tact and skill—Her extraordinary executive talent—Mrs. Clara J. Moore—Sketch of her labors—Other ladies of the Association—Testimonials to Mrs. Grier's ability and admirable management from officers of the Sanitary Commission and others—The final report of this Branch—The condition of the state and country at its inception—The Associate Managers—The work accomplished—Peace at last—The details of Expenses of the Supply Department—The work of the Relief Committee—Eight hundred and thirty women employed—Widows of Soldiers aided—Total expenditures of Relief Committee. 596-606

THE WISCONSIN SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY. By Rev. J. G. Forman.

The Milwaukie Ladies Soldiers' Aid Society—Labors of Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Delafield and others—Enlargement and re-organization as the Wisconsin Soldiers' Aid Society—Mrs. Henrietta L. Colt, chosen Corresponding Secretary—Her visits to the front, and her subsequent labors among the Aid Societies of the State—Efficiency of the Society—The Wisconsin Soldiers' Home—Its extent and what it accomplished—It forms the Nucleus of one of the National Soldiers' Homes—Sketch of Mrs. Colt—Death of her husband—Her deep and overwhelming grief—She enters upon the Sanitary Work, to relieve herself from the crushing weight of her great sorrow—Her labors on a Hospital Steamer—Her frequent subsequent visits to the front—Her own account of these visits—"The beardless boys, all heroes"—Sketch of Mrs. Governor Salomon—Her labors in behalf of the German and other soldiers of Wisconsin. 607-614

PITTSBURG BRANCH UNITED STATES SANITARY COMMISSION.

The Pittsburg Sanitary Committee and Pittsburg Subsistence Committee—Organization of the Branch—Its Corresponding Secretary, Miss Rachael W. McFadden—Her executive ability zeal and patriotism—Her colleagues in her labors—The Pittsburg Sanitary Fair—Its remarkable success—Miss Murdock's labors at Nashville. 615, 616

MRS. ELIZABETH S. MENDENHALL.

Mrs. Mendenhall's childhood and youth passed in Richmond, Va.—Her relatives Members of the Society of Friends—Her early Hospital labors—President of the Women's Soldiers' Aid Society of Cincinnati—Her appeal to the citizens of Cincinnati to organize a Sanitary Fair—Her efforts to make the Fair a success—The magnificent result—Subsequent labors in the Sanitary Cause—Fair for Soldiers' Families in December, 1864—Labors for the Freedmen and Refugees—In behalf of fallen women. 617-620

DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH.

Dr. M. M. Marsh appointed Medical Inspector of Department of the South—Early in 1863 he proceeded thither with his wife—Mrs. Marsh finds abundant work in the receipt and distribution of Sanitary Stores, in the visiting of Hospitals—Spirit of the wounded men—The exchange of prisoners—Sufferings of our men in Rebel prisons—Their self-sacrificing spirit—Supplies sent to the prisoners, and letters received from them—The sudden suspension of this benevolent work by order from General Halleck—The sick from Sherman's Army—Dr. Marsh ordered to Newbern, N. C., but detained by sickness—Return to New York—The "Lincoln Home"—Dr. and Mrs. Marsh's labors there—Close of the Lincoln Home. 621-629

ST. LOUIS LADIES' UNION AID SOCIETY.

Organization of the Society—Its officers—Was the principal Auxiliary of Western Sanitary Commission—Visits of its members to the fourteen hospitals in the vicinity of St. Louis—The hospital basket and its contents—The Society's delegates on the battle-fields—Employs the wives and daughters of soldiers in bandage rolling, and subsequently on contracts for hospital and other clothing for soldiers—Its committees cutting, fitting and examining the work—Undertakes the special diet kitchen of the Benton Barracks Hospital—Establishes a branch at Nashville—Special Diet Kitchen there—Its work for the Freedmen and Refugees—Sketches of its leading officers and managers—Mrs. Anna L. Clapp, a native of Washington County, N. Y.—Resides in Brooklyn, N. Y., and subsequently in St. Louis—Elected President of Ladies' Union Aid Society at the beginning of the war, and retains her position till its close—Her arduous labors and great tact and skill—She organizes a Refugee Home and House of Industry—Aids the Freedmen, and assists in the proper regulation of the Soldiers' Home—Miss H. A. Adams, (now Mrs. Morris Collins)—Born and educated in New Hampshire—At the outbreak of the war, a teacher in St. Louis—Devoted herself to the Sanitary work throughout the war—Was secretary of the society till the close of 1864, and a part of the time at Nashville, where she established a special diet kitchen—Death of her brother in the army—Her influence in procuring the admission of female nurses in the Nashville hospitals—Mrs. C. R. Springer, a native of Maine, one of the directors of the Society, and the superintendent of its employment department, for furnishing work to soldiers' families—Her unremitting and faithful labors—Mrs. Mary E. Palmer—A native of New Jersey—An earnest worker, visiting and aiding soldiers' families and dispensing the charities of the Society among them and the destitute families of refugees—Her labors were greater than her strength—Her death occasioned by a decline, the result of over exertion in her philanthropic work. 630-642

LADIES' AID SOCIETY OF PHILADELPHIA, &c.

Organization of the Society—Its officers—Mrs. Joel Jones, Mrs. John Harris, Mrs. Stephen Caldwell—Mrs. Harris mostly engaged at the front—The Society organized with a view to the spiritual as well as physical benefit of the soldiers—Its great efficiency with moderate means—The ladies who distributed its supplies at the front—Extract from one of its reports—Its labors among the Refugees—The self-sacrifice of one of its members—Its expenditures. THE PENN RELIEF ASSOCIATION—An organization originating with the Friends, but afterward embracing all denominations—Its officers—Its efficiency—Amount of supplies distributed by it through well-known ladies. THE SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY—Another of the efficient Pennsylvania Organizations for the relief of the soldiers—Its President, Mrs. Mary A. Brady—Her labors in the Satterlee Hospital—At "Camp Misery"—At the front—After

Gettysburg, and at Mine Run—Her health injured by her exposure and excessive labors—She dies of heart-disease in May, 1864. 643-649

WOMEN'S RELIEF ASSOCIATION OF BROOKLYN AND LONG ISLAND.

Brooklyn early in the war—Numerous channels for distribution of the Supplies contributed—Importance of a Single Comprehensive Organization—The Relief Association formed—Mrs. Stranahan chosen President—Sketch of Mrs. Stranahan—Her social position—First directress of the Graham Institute—Her rare tact and efficiency as a presiding officer and in the dispatch of business—The Long Island Sanitary Fair—Her excessive labors there, and the perfect harmony and good feeling which prevailed—Rev. Dr. Spear's statement of her worth—The resolutions of the Relief Association—Rev. Dr. Bellows' Testimony—Her death—Rev. Dr. Farley's letter concerning her—Rev. Dr. Budington's tribute to her memory. 650-658

MRS. ELIZABETH M. STREETER.

Loyal Southern Women—Mrs. Streeter's activity in promoting associations of loyal women for the relief of the soldiers—Her New England parentage and education—The Ladies' Union Relief Association of Baltimore—Mrs. Streeter at Antietam—As a Hospital Visitor—The Eutaw Street Hospital—The Union Refugees in Baltimore—Mrs. Streeter organizes the Ladies' Union Aid Society for the Relief of Soldiers' families—Testimony of the Maryland Committee of the Christian Commission to the value of her labors—Death of her husband—Her return to Massachusetts. 659-664

MRS. CURTIS T. FENN.

The loyal record of the men and women of Berkshire County—Mrs. Fenn's history and position before the war—Her skill and tenderness in the care of the sick—Her readiness to enter upon the work of relief—She becomes the embodiment of a Relief Association—Liberal contributions made and much work performed by others but no organization—Mrs. Fenn's incessant and extraordinary labors for the soldiers—Her packing and shipping of the supplies to the hospitals in and about New York and to more distant cities—Refreshments for Soldiers who passed through Pittsfield—Her personal distribution of supplies at the soldiers' Thanksgiving dinner at Bedloe's Island in 1862, and at David's Island in 1864—"The gentleman from Africa and his vote"—Her efforts for the disabled soldiers and their families—The soldiers' monument. 665-675

MRS. JAMES HARLAN.

Women in high stations devoting themselves to the relief of the Soldiers—Instances—Mrs. Harlan's early interest in the soldier—At Shiloh—Cutting red-tape—Wounded soldiers removed northward after the battle—Death of her daughter—Her labors for the religious benefit of the soldier—Her health impaired by her labors. 676-678

NEW ENGLAND SOLDIERS' RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

History of the organization—Its Matron, Mrs. E. A. Russell—The Women's Auxiliary Committee—The Night Watchers' Association—The Hospital Choir—The SOLDIERS' DEPOT in Howard Street, N. Y.—The Ladies' Association connected with it. 679, 680

PART IV. LADIES DISTINGUISHED FOR SERVICES AMONG THE FREEDMEN AND REFUGEES.

MRS. FRANCES DANA GAGE.

Childhood and youth of Mrs. Gage—Anti-slavery views inculcated by her parents and grand-parents—Her marriage—Her husband an earnest reformer—Her connection with the press—Ostracism on account of her opposition to slavery—Propositions made to her husband to swerve from principle and thereby attain office—"Dare to stand alone"—Removal to St. Louis—A contributor to the Missouri Republican—The noble stand of Colonel Chambers—His death—She contributes to the Missouri Democrat, but is finally excluded from its columns—Personal peril—Her advocacy of the cause of Kansas—Editor of an Agricultural paper in Columbus, Ohio—Her labors among the freedmen in the department of the South for thirteen months, (1862-3)—Helps the soldiers also—Her four sons in the army—Return Northward in the Autumn of 1863—Becomes a lecturer—Advocating the Emancipation Act and the Constitutional Amendment, prohibiting slavery—Labors for the Freedmen and Refugees in 1864—Is injured by the overturning of a carriage at Galesburg, Ill., in September, 1864—Lecturing again on her partial recovery—Summary of her character. 683-690

MRS. LUCY GAYLORD POMEROY.

Birth and early education—Half-sister of the poets Lewis and Willis Gaylord Clark—Educates herself for a Missionary—A Sunday-school teacher—Sorrow—Is married to S. C. Pomeroy (afterward United States Senator from Kansas)—Residence in Southampton, Mass.—Ill health—Removal to Kansas—The Kansas Struggle and Border Ruffian War—Mrs. Pomeroy a firm friend to the escaping slaves—The famine year of 1860—Her house an office of distribution for supplies to the starving—Accompanies her husband to Washington in 1861—Her labors and contributions for the soldiers—In Washington and at Atchison, Kansas—Return to Washington—Founding an asylum for colored orphans and destitute aged colored women—The building obtained and furnished—Her failing health—She comes north, but dies on the passage. 691-696

MARIA R. MANN.

Miss Mann a near relative of the late Hon. Horace Mann—Her career as a teacher—Her loyalty—Comes to St. Louis—Becomes a nurse in the Fifth St. Hospital—Condition of the Freedmen at St. Helena, Ark.—The Western Sanitary Commission becomes interested in endeavoring to help them—They propose to Miss Mann to go thither and establish a hospital, distribute clothing and supplies to them, and instruct them as far as possible—She consents—Perilous voyage—Her great and beneficent labors at Helena—Extraordinary improvement in the condition of the freedmen—She remains till August, 1863—Her heroism—Gratitude of the freedmen—"You's light as a fedder, anyhow"—Return to St. Louis—Becomes the teacher and manager of a colored asylum at Washington, D. C.—Her school for colored children at Georgetown—Its superior character—It is, in intention, a normal school—Miss Mann's sacrifices in continuing in that position. 697-703

SARAH J. HAGAR.

A native of Illinois—Serves in the St. Louis Hospitals till August, 1863—Is sent to Vicksburg in the autumn of 1863, by the Western Sanitary Commission, as teacher for the Freedmen's children—Her great and successful labors—Is attacked in April, 1864, with malarial fever,

and dies May 3—Tribute to her character and work, from Mr. Marsh, superintendent of Freedmen at Vicksburg. 704-706

MRS. JOSEPHINE R. GRIFFIN.

Her noble efforts—Her position at the commencement of the war—Her interest in the condition of the Freedmen—Her attempts to overcome their faults—Her success—Organization of schools—Finding employment for them—Influx of Freedmen into the District of Columbia—Their helpless condition—Mrs. Griffin attempts to find situations for them at the North—Extensive correspondence—Her expeditions with companies of them to the Northern cities—Necessities of the freedmen remaining in the District in the Autumn of 1866—Mrs. Griffin's circular—The denial of its truth by the Freedmen's Bureau—Their subsequent retraction—The Congressional appropriation—Should have been put in Mrs. Griffin's hands—She continues her labors. 707-709

MRS. M. M. HALLOWELL.

Condition of the loyal whites of the mountainous district of the South. Their sufferings and persecutions—Cruelty of the Rebels—Contributions for their aid in the north—Boston, New York, Philadelphia—Mrs. Hallowell's efforts—She and her associates visit Nashville, Knoxville, Huntsville and Chattanooga and distribute supplies to the families of refugees—Peril of their journey—Repeated visits of Mrs. Hallowell—The Home for Refugees, near Nashville—Gratitude of the Refugees for this aid—Colonel Taylor's letter. 710-712

OTHER FRIENDS OF THE FREEDMEN AND REFUGEES.

Mrs. Harris' labors—Miss Tyson and Mrs. Beck—Miss Jane Stuart Woolsey—Mrs. Governor Hawley—Miss Gilson—Mrs. Lucy S. Starr—Mrs. Clinton B. Fisk—Mrs. H. F. Hoes and Miss Alice F. Royce—Mrs. John S. Phelps—Mrs. Mary A. Whitaker—Fort Leavenworth—Mrs. Nettie C. Constant—Miss G. D. Chapman—Miss Sarah E. M. Lovejoy, daughter of Hon. Owen Lovejoy—Miss Mary E. Sheffield—Her labors at Vicksburg—Her death—Helena—Mrs. Sarah Coombs—Nashville—Mrs. Mary R. Fogg—St. Louis Refugee and Freedmen's Home—Mrs. H. M. Weed—The supervision of this Home by Mrs. Alfred Clapp, Mrs. Joseph Crawshaw, Mrs. Lucien Eaton and Mrs. N. Stevens. 733-716

PART V. LADIES DISTINGUISHED FOR SERVICES IN SOLDIERS' HOMES, VOLUNTEER REFRESHMENT SALOONS, ON GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL TRANSPORTS ETC.

MRS. O. E. HOSMER.

Mrs. Hosmer's residence at Chicago—Her two sons enter the army—She determines to go to the hospitals—Her first experiences in the hospitals at Tipton and Smithtown—The lack of supplies—Mrs. Hosmer procures them from the Sanitary Commission at St. Louis—Return to Chicago—Organization of the "Ladies' War Committee"—Mrs. Hosmer its Secretary—Efficiency of the organization—The Board of Trade Regiments—Mrs. Hosmer and Mrs. Smith Tinkham go to Murfreesboro' with supplies after the battle of Stone River—Their report on their return—Touching incident—The wounded soldier—Return to Chicago—Establishment of the Soldiers' Home at Chicago—Mrs. Hosmer its first Vice President—Her zeal for its interests and devotion to the Soldiers there—To the battle-field after Chickamauga—Taken prisoner but recaptured—Supplies lost—Return home—Her labors at the Soldiers' Home and Soldiers' Rest

for the next fifteen months—The Northwestern Sanitary and Soldiers' Home Fair—Mrs. Hosmer Corresponding Secretary of the Executive Committee—She visits the hospitals from Cairo to New Orleans—Success of her Mission—The emaciated prisoners from Andersonville and Catawba at Vicksburg—Mrs. Hosmer ministers to them—The loss of the Sultana—Return and further labors at the Soldiers' Rest—Removal to New York. 719-724

MISS HATTIE WISWALL.

Enters the service as Hospital Nurse in 1863—At Benton Barracks Hospital—A Model nurse—Her cheerfulness—Removal to Nashville, Tennessee—She is sent thence to Vicksburg, first as an assistant and afterwards as principal matron at the Soldiers' Home—One hundred and fifteen thousand soldiers accommodated there during her stay—The number of soldiers daily received ranging from two hundred to six hundred—Her admirable management—Scrupulous neatness of the Home—Her labors among the Freedmen and Refugees at Vicksburg—Her care of the wounded from the Red River Expedition—Her tenderness and cheerful spirit—She accompanies a hospital steamer loaded with wounded men, to Cairo, and cheers and comforts the soldiers on their voyage—Takes charge of a wounded officer and conducts him to his home—Return to her duties—The Soldiers' Home discontinued in June, 1865. 726-727

MRS. LUCY E. STARR.

A Clergyman's widow—Her service in the Fifth Street Hospital, St. Louis—Her admirable adaptation to her duties—Appointed by the Western Sanitary Commission, Matron of the Soldiers' Home at Memphis—Nearly one hundred and twenty thousand soldiers received there during two and a half years—Mrs. Starr manages the Home with great fidelity and success—Mr. O. R. Waters' acknowledgment of her services—Closing of the Home—Mrs. Starr takes charge of an institution for suffering freedmen and refugees, in Memphis—Her faithfulness. 728-730

MISS CHARLOTTE BRADFORD.

Her reticence in regard to her labors—The public and official life of ladies occupying positions in charitable institutions properly a matter of public comment and notice—Miss Bradford's labors in the Hospital Transport Service—The Elm City—The Knickerbocker—Her associates in this work—Other Relief Work—She succeeds Miss Bradley as matron of the Soldiers' Home at Washington—Her remarkable executive ability, dignity and tenderness for the sick and wounded soldier. 731, 732

UNION VOLUNTEER REFRESHMENT SALOON OF PHILADELPHIA.

The labors of Mrs. Lee and Miss Ross in institutions of this class—The beginning of the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon—Rival but not hostile organization—Samuel B. Fales, Esq., and his patriotic labors—The two institutions well supplied with funds—Nearly nine hundred thousand soldiers fed at the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon, and four hundred thousand at the Cooper Shop—The labors of the patriotic women connected with the organizations—Mrs. Eliza G. Plummer—Her faithful and abundant labors—Her death from over exertion—Mrs. Mary B. Wade—Her great age, and extraordinary services—Mrs. Ellen J. Lowry—Mrs. Margaret Boyer—Other ladies and their constant and valuable labors—The worthy ladies of the Cooper Shop Saloon. 733-737

MRS. R. M. BIGELOW.

"Aunty Bigelow"—Mrs. Bigelow a native of Washington—Her services in the Indiana Hospital in the Patent Office Building—"Hot cakes and mush and milk"—Mrs. Billing an associate in Mrs. Bigelow's Labors—Mrs. Bigelow the almoner of many of the Aid Societies at the North—Her skill and judgment in the distribution of supplies—She maintains a regular correspondence with the soldier boys who have been under her care—Her house a "Home" for the sick soldier or officer who asked that he might be sheltered and nursed there—She welcomes with open doors the hospital workers from abroad—Her personal sorrows in the midst of these labors. 738-740

MISS HATTIE R. SHARPLESS AND HER ASSOCIATES.

The Government Hospital Transports early in the war—Great improvements made in them at a later period—The Government Transport Connecticut—Miss Sharpless serves as matron on this for seventeen months—His previous labors in army hospitals at Fredericksburg, Falls Church, Antietam and elsewhere—Her admirable adaptation to her work—A true Christian heroine—Thirty-three thousand sick and wounded men under charge on the Transport—Her religious influence on the men—Miss Hattie S. Reifsnyder of Catawissa, Penn. and Mrs. Cynthia Case of Newark, Ohio, her assistants are actuated by a similar spirit—Miss W. F. Harris of Providence, R. I., also on the Transport, for some months, and previously in the Indiana Hospital, in Ascension Church and Carver Hospital, and after leaving the Transport at Harper's Ferry and Winchester—Her health much broken by her excessive labors—Devotes herself to the instruction and training of the Freedmen after the close of the war. 741-743

PART VI. LADIES DISTINGUISHED FOR OTHER SERVICES IN THE NATIONAL CAUSE.

MRS. ANNIE ETHERIDGE.

Mrs. Etheridge's goodness and purity of character—Her childhood and girlhood passed in Wisconsin—She marries there—Return of her father to Michigan—She visits him and while there joins the Second Michigan Regiment, to attend to its sick and wounded—Transferred subsequently to the Third Regiment, and at the expiration of its term of service joins the Fifth Michigan Regiment—She is in the skirmish of Blackburn's Ford and at the first battle of Bull Run—In hospital service—On a hospital transport with Miss Amy M. Bradley—At the second battle of Bull Run—The soldier boy torn to pieces by a shot while she is ministering to him—General Kearny's recognition of her services—Kearny's death prevents her receiving promotion—At Chancellorsville, May 3, 1863—She leads in a skirmish, rides along the front exhorting the men to do their duty, and finds herself under heavy fire—An officer killed by her side and she herself slightly wounded—Her horse, wounded, runs with her—She seeks General Berry and after a pleasant interview takes charge of a rebel officer, a prisoner, whom she escorts to the rear—"I would risk my life for Annie, any time"—General Berry's death—The wounded artillery-man—She binds up his wounds and has him brought to the hospital—Touching letter—The retreating soldiers at Spottsylvania—Annie remonstrates with them, and brings them back into the fight, under heavy fire—Outside the lines, and closely pursued by the enemy—Hatcher's Run—She dashes through the enemy's line unhurt—She receives a Government appointment at the close of the war—Her modesty and diffidence of demeanor. 747-753

DELPHINE P. BAKER.

Her birth and education—Character of her parents—Her lectures on the sphere and culture of women—Her labors in Chicago in the collection and distribution of hospital supplies—Her hospital work—Ill health—She commences the publication of "The National Banner" first in Chicago, next in Washington and finally in New York—Its success but partial—Her efforts long, persistent and unwearied, for the establishment of a National Home for Soldiers—The bill finally passes Congress—Delay in organization—Its cause—Miss Baker meantime endeavors to procure Point Lookout as a location for one of the National Soldiers' Homes—Change in the act of incorporation—The purchase of the Point Lookout property consummated. 754-759

MRS. S. BURGER STEARNS.

A native of New York City—Her education at the State Normal School of Michigan—Her marriage—Her husband a Colonel of volunteers—She visits the hospitals and devotes herself to lecturing in behalf of the Aid movement. 760

BARBARA FRIETCHIE.

Her age—Her patriotism—Whittier's poem. 761-763

MRS. HETTIE M. McEWEN.

Of revolutionary lineage—Her devotion to the Union—Her defiance of Isham Harris' efforts to have the Union flag lowered on her house—Mrs. Hooper's poem. 764-766

OTHER DEFENDERS OF THE FLAG.

Mrs. Effie Titlow—Mrs. Alfred Clapp—Mrs. Moore (Parson Brownlow's daughter)—Miss Alice Taylor—Mrs. Booth—"Never surrender the flag to traitors". 767-769

MILITARY HEROINES.

Those who donned the male attire not entitled to a place in our pages—Madame Turchin—Her exploits—Bridget Divers—"Michigan Bridget" or "Irish Biddy"—She recovers her captain's body, and carries it on her horse for fifteen miles through rebel territory—Returns after the wounded, but is overtaken by the rebels while bringing them off and plundered of her ambulance horses—Others soon after provided—Accompanies a regiment of the regular army to the plains after the war—Mrs. Kady Brownell—Her skill as a sharp-shooter, and in sword exercise—Color Bearer in the Fifth Rhode Island Infantry—A skillful nurse—Her husband wounded—Discharged from the army in 1863. 770-774

THE WOMEN OF GETTYSBURG.

Mrs. Jennie Wade—Her loyalty and courage—Her death during the battle—Miss Carrie Sheads, Principal of Oak Ridge Seminary—Her preservation of Colonel Wheelock's sword—Her labors in the care of the wounded—Her health impaired thereby—Miss Amelia Harmon—Her patriotism and courage—"Burn the house if you will!" 775-778

LOYAL WOMEN OF THE SOUTH.

Names of loyal Southern Women already mentioned—The loyal women of Richmond—Their abundant labors for Union prisoners—Loyal women of Charleston—The Union League—Food and clothing furnished—Loyalty and heroism of some of the negro women—Loyal women of New Orleans—The names of some of the most prominent—Loyal women of the mountainous districts of the south—Their ready aid to our escaping prisoners—Miss Melvina Stevens—Malignity of some of the Rebel women—Heroism of Loyal women in East Tennessee, Northern Georgia and Alabama. 779-782

MISS HETTY A. JONES. By Horatio G. Jones, Esq.

Miss Jones' birth and lineage—She aids in equipping the companies of Union soldiers organized in her own neighborhood—Her services in the Filbert Street Hospital—Death of her brother—Visit to Fortress Monroe—She determines to go to the front and attaches herself to the Third Division, Second Corps, Hospital at City Point—Has an attack of Pleurisy—On her recovery resumes her labors—Is again attacked and dies on the 21st of December, 1864—Her happy death—Mourning of the convalescent soldiers of the Filbert Street Hospital over her death. 783-786

FINAL CHAPTER

THE FAITHFUL BUT LESS CONSPICUOUS LABORERS.

The many necessarily unnamed—Ladies who served at Antietam, Point Lookout, City Point or Naval Academy Hospital, Annapolis—The faithful workers at Benton Barracks Hospital, St. Louis—Miss Lovell, Miss Bissell, Mrs. Tannehill, Mrs. R. S. Smith, Mrs. Gray, Miss Lane, Miss Adams, Miss Spaulding, Miss King, Mrs. Day—Other nurses of great merit appointed by the Western Sanitary Commission—Volunteer visitors in the St. Louis Hospitals—Ladies who ministered to the soldiers in Quincy, and in Springfield, Illinois—Miss Georgiana Willets, Misses Molineux and McCabe—Ladies of Cincinnati who served in the hospitals—Mrs. C. J. Wright, Mrs. Starbuck, Mrs. Gibson, Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Caldwell—Miss E. L. Porter of Niagara Falls—Boston ladies—Mrs. and Miss Anna Lowell, Mrs. O. W. Holmes, Miss Stevenson, Mrs. S. Loring, Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. Brimmer, Miss Rogers, Miss Felton—Louisville, Ky.—Mrs. Bishop Smith and Mrs. Menefee—Columbus, Ohio—Mrs. Hoyle, Mrs. Ide, Miss Swayne—Mrs. Seward of Utica—Mrs. Cowen, of Hartford, Conn.—Miss Long, of Rochester—Mrs. Farr, of Norwalk, Ohio—Miss Bartlett, of the Soldiers' Aid Society, Peoria, Ill.—Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Comstock, of Michigan, Mrs. Dame, of Wisconsin—Miss Bucklin, of Auburn, N. Y.—Miss Louise M. Alcott, of Concord, Mass.—Miss Penfield, of Michigan—The Misses Rexford of Illinois—Miss Sophia Knight, of South Reading, Mass., a faithful laborer among the Freedmen. 787-794

INDEX OF NAMES OF LADIES. 795-800

ИЛЛЮСТРАЦИИ.

Page

1.—MISS CLARA H. BARTON Frontispiece.

2.—BARBARA FRIETCHIE Vignette Title.

3.—MRS. MARY A. BICKERDYKE 172

4.—MISS MARGARET E. BRECKENRIDGE 187

5.—MRS. NELLIE MARIA TAYLOR 234

6.—MRS. CORDELIA A. P. HARVEY 260

7.—MISS EMILY E. PARSONS 273

8.—MRS. MARY MORRIS HUSBAND 287

9.—MISS MARY J. SAFFORD 357

10.—MRS. R. H. SPENCER 404

11.—MISS HATTIE A. DADA 431

12.—MRS. MARIANNE F. STRANAHAN 651

13.—MRS. MARY A. LIVERMORE 577

14.—MRS. HENRIETTA L. COLT 609

15.—MRS. MARY B. WADE 736

16.—ANNIE ETHERIDGE 747

ВВЕДЕНИЕ.

Летопись личного служения наших американок в минувшей Гражданской войне, сколь бы ни была она тягостна для скромности тех, кого она выставляет на всеобщее обозрение, необходима для чести страны, для правильного понимания нашей общественной жизни и для общих интересов пола, чьи права, обязанности и возможности ныне подвергаются серьезному обсуждению. Большинство женщин, увековеченных в этом труде, неизбежно утратили блага частной жизни из-за масштаба и продолжительности своего общественного служения, и их имена и история в определенной степени являются достоянием страны. Во всяком случае, они должны понести плату, которую выдающиеся заслуги налагают на тех, кто ими обладает, особенно когда они завоеваны на поприщах, представляющих всеобщий интерес.

Несмотря на усилия, предпринятые для того, чтобы собрать со всех концов страны имена и истории женщин, которые тем или иным образом отличились в годы войны, и вопреки предельной непредвзятости намерений, никто не утверждает, что в этой хронике названы все те, кто сослужил стране наилучшую службу. Несомненно, тысячи женщин, незаметных в своем быту и скромных в своем достатке, не имевших официального положения даже в своем местном обществе, всякий человеческий след трудов которых навсегда утерян, жертвовали от своего имущества так же щедро, столь же свободно отдавали свое время и силы, столь же безраздельно отдавали свои сердца и молитвы общему делу, как и те, кто занимает самые видные места в сияющем списке, разворачивающемся перед нами. Ибо если

"мир ничего не ведает о величайших из своих сынов",

то это еще в большей степени справедливо в отношении его благороднейших дочерей. Неопаляемый похвалами, не омраченный самодовольством, существует скромный характер, сформировавшийся в строжайшем уединении и в терпеливом совершении незаметных жертв, который дороже и святее в глазах Небес, чем самое прославленное имя, завоеванное самыми блистательными услугами. Были в эту войну женщины, которые, не имея ни единого родственника в армии, все четыре года отказывали себе в удобствах, к которым всегда привыкли: ходили легко одетыми, снимали с постели лишнее одеяло, никогда не пробовали чаю, сахара или мяса — лишь бы обмотать еще одним бинтом чью-то неизвестную солдатскую рану или дать пересохшим губам в госпитале еще один глоток вина. Другие не позволяли ни единой свободной минуте, выкроенной из жизни тяжелого труда, еле-менее зарабатывавшего им хлеб, оставаться незанятой служением солдатам. Сам Бог ведет эту хронику! Она слишком священна, чтобы доверять ее людям.

Но не такие смиренные, хотя и возвышенные души станут жаловаться на хвалу, которая в ущерб им достается кому-то из их сестер. В армейских рядах всегда есть герои храбрее и лучше самых удачливых и видных офицеров штаба или линейных частей, но они считают себя наилучшим образом отмеченными, когда в официальных сводках упоминается их полк, корпус или генерал. И искренне преданные труженицы на благо солдат среди женщин этой страны с радостью примут признание, оказанное благородной плеяде их сестер, которых особые обстоятельства вознесли на всеобщее обозрение, как дань уважения всему сообществу. И впрямь, если бы жизни, изложенные в этом труде, рассматривались как исключительные по своему нраву и духу, какими они несомненно были по своим происшествиям и масштабу деятельности, весь урок этой Хроники был бы истолкован неверно. Эти женщины в своих жертвах, своем патриотизме и своем упорстве являются лишь честными представительницами духа всего своего пола. Как правило, американские женщины проявляли не только острое сопереживание солдатам в их испытаниях и страданиях, но и осмысленную солидарность с национальным делом, равную той, что породила среди мужчин два миллиона триста тысяч добровольцев.

Для женщин всех стран не в диковинку оплакивать тех, кто сталкивается с опасностями войны, и трудиться ради них. Но американские женщины, с идейной готовностью отдав в ряды собирающейся и наступающей армии своих мужей и сыновей, братьев и возлюбленных, принялись организовывать помощь им; и делали они это не в манере судорожной и сентиментальной, что было обычным делом в других местах, но с самообладанием и разумным осмыслением наилучших и мудрейших путей достижения своей цели, что показало их в определенной степени порождением и представителями новой общественной эры и нового политического развития.

Отличительными чертами женского труда в эту войну были масштабность, системность, подлинное сотрудничество с противоположным полом, четкость цели, деловая основательность в деталях, стойкое упорство до самого конца. Среди женщин подъем был не менее всеобщим, чем среди мужчин. Мужчины брались за мушкеты не чаще, чем женщины — за иголки; и каждому собранию, где мужчины встречались для взаимного воодушевления на службу стране, соответствовало какое-либо сходки женщин, будораживших сердца и пальцы друг друга в том же священном деле. Все собрания и политические сходы любого рода, на которых речи и песни волновали кровь мужчин, не превосходили по количеству те встречи в форме Солдатских обществ помощи и швейных кружков, которые устраивали женщины, где они обсуждали национальное дело и поддерживали огонь самопожертвования в сердцах друг друга. Вероятно, никогда еще ни в одной войне ни в одной стране не было столь всеобщего и конкретного знакомства как мужчин, так и женщин с принципами борьбы и затрагиваемыми интересами. И из двух сторон женщины были яснее и сплоченнее мужчин, поскольку их моральные чувства и политические инстинкты не столь сильно страдали от эгоизма, коммерческих или партийных соображений. Труд, который наша система народного образования совершает для девочек и мальчиков в равной мере, и который в средних и высших классах на практике идет дальше у девочек, чем у мальчиков, проявил себя великолепно в этот кризисный момент. Повсюду обнаруживались прекрасно образованные женщины, вполне способные понять и объяснить своим сестрам общественные вопросы, связанные с войной. Повсюду газеты, переполненные интересом и дискуссиями, находили жадных и благодарных читателей среди прекрасного пола. Повсюду возникали женщины, знакомые с порядком ведения общественных дел; способные созывать публичные собрания своего пола и председательствовать на них; выступать в качестве секретарш и членов комитетов, составлять проекты уставов и регламентов, заводить книги и вести бухгалтерию с должной точностью, ценить систему и подчинять личные склонности или предпочтения общим принципам; вступать в обширную переписку с представительницами своего пола; участвовать в масштабнейших и рациональнейших планах, предложенных мужчинами, которые тщательно изучили вопрос помощи солдатам; и придерживаться — сквозь добрую и дурную славу — организаций, которые заслуживали одобрения их рассудка, вопреки местным, сектантским или личным ревностям и нападкам.

Невозможно переоценить объем самоотверженного труда, проделанного верными женщинами Севера на благо Армии. Сотни тысяч женщин, вероятно, отдавали все свое свободное время и все деньги, которые могли скопить и сберечь, солдатам на протяжении всех четырех с лишним лет Войны. Среди разочарований и страшных задержек они никогда не ослабевали духом, но до самого конца приумножали свое усердие и преданность. И их труд был столь же систематизирован, сколь и всеобщ. Великодушное соперничество между отделениями Санитарной комиссии Соединенных Штатов, которыми обычно руководили женщины, как правило, впрочем, при некоторой помощи со стороны мужчин, довело их деловые навыки и методы до почти безупречного совершенства. Ничего из того, что мужчины обычно считают присущим исключительно их собственным методам, не недоставало в планах женщин. Они регистрировали и отвечали на письма, визировали и подшивали их; они сортировали припасы и вели точный учет запасов; они вели свои бухгалтерские книги и отчеты по самым утвержденным формам; они сводили свои кассовые отчеты с кропотливейшей точностью; они требовали друг от друга регулярности посещения и пунктуальности в официальном этикете. Короче говоря, они продемонстрировали безупречную деловую скупку и на собственном опыте доказали, что мужчины не могут придумать ничего столь точного, столь систематизированного или столь сложного, чтобы женщины не смогли понять, применить и усовершенствовать это, когда для этого имеется достаточный мотив.

Другой особенностью ситуации было то, что между женщинами и мужчинами не существовало ревности в работе, а также никакой склонности препятствовать друг другу, принижать или отмежевываться. Казалось, было признано, что мужчины обладают большим даром изобретательства, широтой взглядов и способностью к обобщению, и что их деловые навыки, являющиеся плодами векового опыта, по крайней мере заслуживают того, чтобы их изучали и копилировали женщины. С другой стороны, мужчины, обычно ревниво относящиеся к расширению сферы жизни и труда женщины, в данном случае приветствовали ее помощь в общественном деле и сознавали, сколь тщетны были бы мужские труды и жертвы без постоянного сочувствия и терпеливого служения милосердию женщины, ее более тонкой и упорной жалости, ее готовности терпеть монотонные детали труда ради благотворительности, ее способности открывать сердце своего мужа и поддерживать живыми и бьющими ключом источники сострадания и любви.

Никакие слова не смогут описать систематическую, упорную верность женщин, которые организовывали и возглавляли отделения Санитарной комиссии Соединенных Штатов. Их волонтерский труд обладал всей регулярностью оплачиваемой службы и при этом сердечностью и искренностью, каких никогда не смогут иметь платные услуги. Сотни женщин проявили там такие таланты, которые на иных поприщах и у противоположного пола сделали бы их королями торговли или великими администраторами общественных дел. Ни бури, ни зной не могли удержать их на постах, и они носили на своих лицах, а в конечном итоге являли в своих разрушающихся организмах следы жестокого напряжения, выпавшего на долю их умов и сердец. Они вели переписку самого изнурительного толка, требующую величайшего искусства, чтобы отвечать на каверзные вопросы, задаваемые разумной ревностью, и парировать строгие возражения, выдвигаемые нетерпением или невежеством в сельских районах. Они стали наставницами целых волостей в методах ведения государственных дел, устройстве интендантских и продовольственных департаментов и формах Медицинского бюро. Им приходилось неуклонно бороться с естественным стремлением Обществ помощи к местной независимости и примирять окрестности с мыслью о растворении и потере в масштабных обобщениях. Они поддерживали дух людей, удаленных от войны и лагерей, непрекращающимся огнем писем, полных трогательных происшествий; и были вознаграждены не только щедрейшими потоками припасов, но и письмами из скромных домов и одиноких сердец — столь полными правды и нежности, мудрости и жалости, самопожертвования и патриотической преданности, что самые одаренные и образованные женщины Америки, многие из которых стояли во главе отделений или входили в число их директоров, чувствовали постоянный упрек со стороны благородства, мягкости и глубины чувств, бивших ключом из скрытых и невидных родников в сердцах жен фермеров и фабричных работниц.

Таланты и жертвы тех, кто трудился в крупных депо или центрах, были ничуть не более достойны внимания, чем умение и старание, проявленные в пробуждении, поддержании и руководстве усердием и трудом окружных или городских обществ. Более того, порой крупными делами управлять легче, чем более мелкими; а ревность и индивидуальные капризы препятствуют сотрудничеству деревень сильнее, чем поселков и городов.

В десяти тысячах Солдатских обществ помощи, которые в то или иное время существовали в стране, в каждом находился какой-нибудь главный вдохновитель, чья преданная цель служила той скобой в стене, на которой висела цепь служения и на чьей прочности и стойкости она неуклонно держалась. Я никогда не посещал ни единого городка, сколь бы глухим он ни был, чтобы не услышать чьего-либо женского имени, которое олицетворяло для этой общины «армейскую службу»; имени, вокруг которого с радостью сплотились остальные женщины; имени той женщины, чье сердце, как чувствовалось, билось громче и тверже, чем у всех остальных, за парней в синих мундирах.

О практическом таланте, личных достоинствах, склонности к общественной службе, любви к самоотверженному долгу, которые таким образом развились, окрепли и были доведены до сознания их обладательниц и их общин, трудно говорить с излишне восторженными интонациями. Тысячи женщин научились в этом труде презирать легкомыслие, сплетни, моду и праздность; научились рассуждать трезво и без предрассудков о способностях собственного пола; и тем самым сделали для продвижения прав женщины больше, доказав ее дары и пригодность к общественным обязанностям, чем целая библиотека аргументов и протестов.

Колоссальные усилия, предпринятые женщинами, которые основали и провели великие Ярмарки в пользу солдат в дюжине главных городов и во многих крупных населенных пунктах, уступали лишь организаторскому искусству и административным способностям, сопутствовавшим их проведению, и тому поразительному успеху, которым они завершились. Месяцы тревожной подготовки, когда сотни комитетов соревновались друг с другом в дальновидных планах по обеспечению сотрудничества различных ремесел или отраслей промышленности, закрепленных за каждым из них, и в течение которых изнурительные дни и тревожные ночи без передышки отдавались тяжелому труду, сменялись неделями личного служения на самих ярмарках, где даже сильнейшие женщины находили свои силы недостаточными для этой задачи, и сотни закладывали основы долгих болезней, а некоторые — внезапной смерти. Эти жертвы и дальновидные приготовления были справедливо вознаграждены поистине сказочными денежными сборами, которые в размере почти трех миллионов долларов втекли в казну Санитарной комиссии Соединенных Штатов. Главные женщины, положившие начало нескольким великим ярмаркам в Нью-Йорке, Филадельфии, Бруклине, Бостоне, Чикаго, Сент-Луисе и руководившие этими масштабными движениями, не уступали способнейшим мужам страны в понимании и охвате стоявшей перед ними задачи и часто в сравнении с сопутствующими им мужчинами демонстрировали лучший масштаб, лучший дух и более победоносную веру. Без женщин Америки великие Ярмарки никогда не родились бы или бесславно погибли бы в своих золоченых колыбелях. Их грандиозность по замыслу и великолепные результаты должны быть возложены как вечный венец на способность женщины к крупным и прибыльным предприятиям. Женщины, возглавлявшие их, никогда не смогут кануть обратно в безвестность.