Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-03-25
1hsar Appearanee and theiz
Spirit.

Nm. Lissis Petit Cuty, who went TO u
18saADeh Valley With clothing and funds
~ : ths North for those who suffered
- ~ harniug Of their hQmes lAst ell. be-
1aAs . report, from which we extract the
Ans~lng:
,ssal>6 Of the ss6sring were sent IN ne
next day (Which was sunday ~ ven 10.
Isrmsd parties, and early honoay n.o morn y
the procession Of applicants conmsnced -
NE through Mrs. slou". -.
seood at the window and looked - then,
ths pals faces worn with care anu P'neheo
via privation, irrsdiated with Mite gleain
ofhops the poor, tattcred garments, worn
"a darned, and mended a. long 8 they
could be--so neat, 50 clean withal; not one
figure that presented aught that ~as squalid
and disgusting; oil, in the midst OF their
terrible poverty, clean, modest, decent: as
/ saw those white. eager faces, those thlniy
clad forms. the anxious crowd who pressed
an. The TOO bitter reality Of their great SUI
ferines. the insufiicicncy Of the aid brought
flashed upon me, and felt overcome by
emotions such as every woman can better
imagine than can describe. | recovered
myself sufficiently to receive them with the
calmness which felt TO be SO necessary in
the difficult task before me. Each Of the
women and men came NJ the representative
ofons family. and oil hae their own story of
suifsuipR. Their little homes burned to the
ground, the few fertile acres that gave
bread to grandsirc, and mother, and babes,
made barren waste; their cattle driven off
aud left 10 die Of starvation, the mechanics
tools, che farmers utensils taken from him
oh ! il was pitiful to see and hear And yet
TO see the spirit of these people these pco-
pie who know not to-day what the morrow
may bring forth who live, God knows, by
faith and not by sight who know only the
reality Of their own terrible sufIerings-to
see the spirit they display. Their mistaken
faith in the cause, al they term il; their
resolution to bear all things; their determi-
nation to sacrifice all that Is left them-life
and lifc's clnging afections-parents,
brothers, sisters and children, OH the altar
Of the South. Truly, il ever people did,
they have learned to suffer and be strong.
Aed yet these are only what the Northern
crs call the poor white trash OF the Soutn
But they have another namo, q name which
10 heritage Of glory to him who bears it
worthily, that Of virginians.
"Thcre are certain families in AZ round
Winchester, proud, refined. and heightened
people, who will not make their needs mat
ter Of public complaint, and who can only
be reached by the utmost delicacy and care.
Lake the Spartan boy. they had rather let
the hungry fox gnaw at their yitals till death
ends their agony than stoop 10 complain
Many Of these are ladies', who, when the nr-
mcrous battles that are fought around Win
chester turn that once beautiful town into a
hospital, tend like minis,ering angels the
sick and wounded soldiers, sacrificing all
their scanty comforts, their last drop Of
milk, or their only blanket, in their noble
effort TO alleviate suffering. And not only
The suficrings of their own many Yankee
boy, torn and bleeding, far from mother and
home, has had his parched lips moistened,
his scorching wounds dressed bv these gen
Tie hands. Some years ago nm English NO
man went down to the Crinca to nurse
wounded soldiers, and the world echoed
with the name Of Florence Niehtingale.-
And what sights and. scenes-sights and
scenes that II chls ones very blood to even
think of-have not these tender. delicate
women seen aud gene through in hospitals,
IN sseges, in burning towns and ruined
homeSl Could the lives Of Southern wo-
mon be written since this war, such re-
cord Of heroism, of sublime courage and
self-sacrifcc would never before have been
given to the world"