Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-12-01
The women OF the south.

4 Leaving entirely out Of consideration the
merits of the cause in which the women Of the
South are engaged, aud viewing their opera
tions purely in the abstract one cannot but
be astouuded as he views the length, breadth
and depth of their performances To per-
son whose knowledge of women has been con-
fined to their developments as maiden, wife,
nother-who has always deemed them tue
pretty but fragile ornaments OF existence-the
transformation which she has undergone IN
the South appears 30 wonderful as to DEFY
comprehension. AS a class, the women OF the
South have been brought up in luxurious idle
ness, whose existence, during lifetime, was
scarcely ever rui1led by exertion; and yet,
scarcely had the war begun when they reused
themselves from positions of ease, and Wig
orous, defiant, active, threw themselves III the
van Of the conflict.
Away in an instant, with the happiness,
elegancies and luxuriousness of their exist
ence-away with the tenderness, the dreams
of love, the gentle emotions of their woman
ly hearts-away at once with the traditions
of their sex with the distinctive features oi
their womanhood; with all that entitled them
TO the love the lifelong devotion and infinite
reconsideration of tho sterner sex All these
we're dropped in moment, and the next the
southern woman stood forth for her country
her heart filed with hatred towards the
North which, could its wishes have been grati6
ed, would have given to its possessor the powel
lof thea Meduse over the hated invaders,
VS. drove the laggard to the front, anC
him, under penalty Of their suprem,
to assistin stemming the progress O
vasiOn; they saw brother, father son
.r nd, lover go down in, the strife withou
s and then sent the Benz of thei
hold to recruit the exhausted ranks
:hont a moments hesitation, or n sigh O
t, they gave the rings from their fingers
-h wels from their ears, and the plate from
.f. sideboards to the cause of the rebellion
Sis, ly they have fallen back before the marc
oi e Federal armies have seen their house
ir'El to the flames, their property to th
ny, but yet have never faltered for me
in their devotion to their cause or thei
D. M .terable hatred of the Yankee foe
40 silks have been too fine 20 bind up tn
nds OF Confederate, no soldier too ragge
1r lirty to receive their caresses and thei
o }, provided he was fighting for the success
10. the rebellion.
Ne would not, by this picture, undertake I
ract from the services of their northar
terra. They, too, have labored long al
thfully But save when a mother has bee
lliged TO clothe herself in habiliments Of We
D, .,s a son slain in battle, or family is callt
4 to mourn for brother or father whose Ii
has been given TO his country, their suffering
= and their lahors have alike been light The
o have not lost their homes have not beOn :
duced from alhuenee to poverty; have n
. been driven forth like the mother Of Ishma'
'e a wanderer and fugitive, have not, in shsl
j. experienced a 1.-THE Of the calamitous, vicis
tudes which have accompanied, at every ste
the southern women in their mission OF resi-
r ahce TO the Federal legions.- Chicago Tim