The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-12-31

they were, filled with straw for the wounded to
lie on, and open ut either end 10 let in the air.
y government surgeon was always present to
attend to the careful lifting of the soldiers from
ambulance To car. Many of the men could get
along very nicely, holding one foot up. and tax
ing great jumps on their crutches. The latter
were a great comfort we had 4 nice supply at
the lodge, and they travelled up and down from
the tents to the cars daily. Only occasionally
did wa dare let a pair go on with some very lame
soldier, who begged for them we needed them
to help the new arrivals each day, and trusted
TO the men being supplied at the hospitals at the
! journeys end. Pads and clutches are q standing
want, pads particularly. We manufactured
them out of the rags we had, stuffed with saw
dust from brandy boxes, and with half a sheet
and som soft straw Mrs. -- made a poor
dying boy as easy as his suferings would permit.
Poor young fellow, he was SO grateful to her for
washing, and feeding, and comforting him. He
was too i'll to bear the Journey, and went from
our tent TO the church hospital and from the
church to his grave, which would have been
cofhnless but for the care of --, for the
Quarter Masters Department was oyertaxed, and
tor many days our dead were simply wrapped in
their blankets, and put into the earth. 1t is a
soldierly way after all, of lying wrapped in the
old war-wOrn blanket, the little dust returned to
dust.
When the surgeons had the wounded all placed,
with as much comfort as seemed possible under
the circumstances, on board the train, our detail
of men would go from car TO car, with soup
made of beef-stock or fresh meat, full OF potatoes,
turnips, cabbage, and rice, with fresh bread and
coffee, and, when stimulanfs were needed, with
ale, mllk-punch, OF brandy. Water-pails were
in great demand for use in the cars on the
journey, and also empty bottles to take the place
OF canteens. All our whisky and brandy bottles
were washed and filled up at the spring, and the
boys went off hugging their extemporized can
teens, from which they would wet their wounds,
or refresh themselves till the journey ended. l
do not think that a man of the l6 ,00U, who were
transported during our stay, went from Gettys-
burg, without a good meal-rebelsa and Unionists
together, they all had it, and were pleased and
satisfied. Z" Have you friends in the army,
madam - a rebel soldier. lying on the floor of
the car, said to me, as L gave him some milk.
50 Yes, my brother is on ---'s staff" 81
thought so, ma'am. You can always tell
when people are good to soldiers they are sure to
have friends in the rmy- We are rebels,
you know. ma'am,'' another said Do you
treat rebels so 2" 1t was strange to see the good
brotherly feeling come over the soldiers, our
own and the rebels, when side by side they lay
in our tents. Halo. boys this is the pleasant
est way to meet, isn't it? We are better friends
when we are as close as this, than q little farther
off" And then they would go over the battles
together 81 We were here and you were
there in the friendliest way.
After each train of cars daily, for the three
weeks We were in Gettysburg, trains of ambu-
lances arrived too late, men who must spend the
NdJ Will Us tllli tIc - L u CdIS Wtut, anu
men too late for ) p. NJ. train, who must spend
the night till the 10 a. NJ. cars went. All the
men who came In this way, under our own i'm
mediate and particular attention, were given the
best we had of care and food. The surgeon in
charge of our camp, with his most faithful dres ser
and attendants, looked after all their wounds,
which were often in u NEST shocking state, par
ticularly among the rebels. Every evening and
morning they were dressed" Often the men
would say, That feels good. l haven't had
my wound so well dressed since L was hurt
cool to drink is the first thing asked
for after the long, dusty drive, and pailfuls of
tamarinds and water, : : a beautiful drink the
men used to say, disappeared rapidly among
them.
After the mems wounds were attended to, we
went round giving them clothes had basins and
soap and towels, and followed these with socks,
slippers, shirts, drawers, and those coveted dre-s- |
ing-gowns. Such pride as they felt in them
comparing colors, and smiling all over us they
lay in clean and comfortable rows ready for
supper, " on dress PARADE they used to say.
And then the milk, particularly il it were boiled
and had a little wniskey and sugar, and bread,
with butter on it, and Jelly on the butter-hOw
good it all was. and how lucky we felt ourselves
in having the immense satisfaction of distribut-
ing these things, which all of you, hard at work
in Villages and cities, were getting ready and
sending off, in faith.
Canandaigua sent cologne with its other sup
plies, which went right to the noses and hearts
of the men. That is good, now - III take
some of that;"-'' worth Il penny a sniff
g that kinder gives one life and SO on, all
round the tents, as we tipped the bottles up on
the clean handkerchief some one had sent, and
when they were gone, over squares of cotton, on
the perfume took the place of them,-
. just as good ma'am." We varied our dinners
with custard and baked rice puddings, scrambled
eggs, Goldfish hash, corn starch, and always as
much soft bread, tea, coffee, or milk as they
Two Massachusetts boys, L especially
for the satisfaction with which they
tie their pudding. carried a second plateful up
he had had enough. Young fellows they
we're, lying side by side, one with a right and
,ne with a left arm gone.
The Gettysburg women were kind and faithful
20 the wounded and their friends. and the town
vas full to overfowing of both. The first day,
when Mrs. - and / reached the place, we
literally begged our bread from door to door
,ut the kind woman who ut last gave us dinner
would take no pay for it. mo, ma'am, l
wish to have that sin on my soul when
he war is over" She, as well as others ha0 fed
he strangers f1Ocking into town daily, sometimes
fifty of them for each meal, and one night
We forced a reluctant confession from our hostess
hat she was meaning to sleep on the floor that
re might have q bed, her whole house being
ull. OF course we couldn't allow this self-sac-
Ifce, and hunted up some other place to stay
n. We did her no good, however, for We
forwards found that the bed was given up that
light to some other stranger who arrived late
nd tired :-' An old lady, you know, and /
ouldn't let an old lady sleep on the floor"
UGH acts of Kindness and self-denial were almost
ntirely confined to women.