The weekly union record., 1865-12-16
A Loyal Woman's Work.

Wv
At the breaking out of the war a
Mrs. Johnston was teaching a school a.
Salisbury, where she was born and al
ways resided. When the first prisoners
were brought into that place the South
ern women turned out in their carriages,
and with band escorted them through
the town, when they filed past saluted
them with comtemptuous epithets.
From that time Mrs. Johnston deter
mined to devote herself to the ameliora-
ton of the condition of the prisoners,
and the testimony of thousands of the
Union soldiers confined there proves how
nobly she performed the duties she I'M
dertook. 1t was no easy task, for she
was entirely alone, being the only wo-
man who openly advocated Union SEN
timents and attempted to administer to
the wants Of the prisoners. For fifteen
months none of the women of Salisbury
spoke to her or called upon her, and
every possible indignity was heaped on
as yankee sympathizer." Her
scholars were withdrawn from her
school, and it was broken up, and her
means were very limited; nevertheless,
she accomplished more by systematic
arrangements than many would have
done with a large outlay of money.
When the first exchange of prisoners
was made, she went to the depot to
arrange some pallets for some of the
sick who were leaving, When she STUN
bled in the crowd, and looking down she
found a young Federal soldier who had
tainted and fallen, and who was in dan
ger of being trodden to death. She rails
ed him up and called for water, but none
of the people would get drop to save
yankees" life. Some of the sol
diers who were in the cars threw their
eanteens to her, and she succeeded in
reviving him; during this time the crowd
heaped upon her every insulting epithet
they could think of, and her life even
was in danger. But she braved all,
and succeeded in obtaining permission
from Colonel Goodwin, then in command
of the post, who was kind-hearted
man, to let her remove him to her own
house, promising to take care of him as
if he were her own son, and if he died
to give him Christian burial. He was
in the last stages of consumption, and
she felt sure he would die if taken to
the prison hospital. None of the citi-
zens of the place would even assist in
carrying him, and after time two
gentlemen from Richmond stepped for
ward and helped convey him to her
house. There she watched over him
for hours, as he was in terrible state
from neglect, having had blisters APP
piled to his chest which had never been
dressed and were full Of yermin.
The poor boy, whose name was Hugh
Berry, from Ohio, only lived a few
days, and she had 4 grave dug for ham
in her garden in the night, for burial
had been refused in the public grave
yard, and she had been threatened that
if she had him inferred dccently his
body should be dug up and buried in
the street. They even attempted to
take his body from the house for that
purpose, but she stood at her door, PTS
tol in hand, and said to them the frss
man who dared to cross her threshold
for such a purpose should be shot like
dog. They did not attempt it and
she performed her promise to the letter.
During the first two years she was
enabled to do a great many acts of kind
ness for the prisoners but after that
time she was watched very closely as a
Yankee sympathizer, and the rules of
the prison were stricter, and what she
could do was done by strategy.
Her means were now much reduced,
but she still continued in her good work,
cutting up her carpets and spare blan-
kets to make into moccasins, and when
new squads ofprisoners arrived supplied
them with bread and water as they hal
ted in front of her house, which they
were compelled to do for hours, waiting
the routine of being mustered into the
prison. They were not allowed to leave
their ranks, and she would turn an old