The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-08-08
woNAN's Work IN THE Civil WAR

WoNAN's WORK IN THE CIVIL VAR
We received from the publishers, Zieglc,
McCurdy d Co., Philadelphia, Chicago,
Cincinnati, and st. Louis, copy of this
magnificent duodecimo of 500 pages, by
DIR. Bracket and Mrs Vaughan, with an
introduction by Harry w. Bellows, D. D..
President of the Z. S. Sanitary Com
mission.
We have perused portion of this
excellent work, and can freely and
heartily endorse all of the following. no.
tice of it which we find in the National
Freemason Of August 8:
This is a noble record of 200 self-denying women
for suffering humanity. 1t is not q dry detail OF
work done sketch of each devoted lady is given,
J interspersed with incident and anecdote of women
who actually went to the and worked in the hos
| pitfalls and camps; women with mighty love and
| earnestness in their hearts-real heroines.
This work is honor to our country. to our
, men, to religion and to Freemasonry.
: We know, from personal acquaintance with many
of these "herones,' that half of the truth is not
/ told.
We notice the absence of the bogra plies of sever
al promnent Masonic ladies, such Mrs. Caleb Smith,
widow of the late Secretary of the Interior whose
praise among ali the sick and wounded !; but it
cannot be expected that none would be overlooked
The wonder is that so much has leen secured.
1t is remarkable that there is scarcely of the Ia
dies who had not Masonic connections. In cases
the Masonic relations and motives are fully stated in
| this admirable work
Is The first lady noticed is Miss Dorothea Dix hom
met in her noble work at various points before thu
war, and frequently during the Riding 18th he
upon occasion from Washington city to Aexanl
dria she remarked that she recoected with pleasure
and pride that her grandfather and father and BROTH
err had all been Freemasons, and that she derived
much encouragement from their lessons and examples.
Miss Dix received the important appointment of SUI
perntendent of Female Nurses from the Secretary o,
War at that time, who was Royal Arch Mason. This
noble lady gave her time and service without com
I pensation.
The second lady whose biography is given is one
whom We met very frequently during the war in hos
pital and camp, by the bedside of the wounded and
suffering, "the angel of the battlefield" Miss Clara
Barton, whom readers and Lodges well recolect.
We shall present her full biography some futurs
time.
| Miss Barton, in her mission of mercy, first ex-
hausted all her funds that she had accumulated and
then appealed to her Masonic and other friends, who
gave her means to go forward in her work. She had
| connection with government, nor any commission.
| In 1861 she buried her father, Judge Barton.
In his last illness, mentioning her of duty and
her fears of annoyance to dying father he advised
her go where she felt it her duty. He adverted to
the purposes and noble charities of Freemasonry, and
told her she could find protectors everywhere among
the soldier Freema and gave her his Royal Arch
pin, which she wore through the
Another lady noticed is Miss Sarah p Edison, a
native of New York. She organized society of
lief of which Mrs. Caleb B. Smith, the widow Of Bro.
c. b. Smith, then Secretary of the Interior, Pres
ident. She at the front herself but not finding
| nurses and resources abundant desirable fam-
lar with institution and recipient of the EAST
Star" one of the adaptive degrees" she looked
to the Freemasons of this city for help and did not
look in vain. The history of the Masonic mission
| should be written, both encouragement to do
more in the future and a warning to do it more
| wisely.
Then there is Mrs. George, dear sister of Indiana,
who literally gave up her life for the sufferers and
| went to the s'better land" from the home of Bro.
Bayless, of Fit. Wayne"