The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-09-16
LOVE STORY OF THE REBELLION.
MINISTERING TO SICK soLDIERS-BENE-
FICIAL EFFECTS OF CHICK
EN- SOUP.

We were sitting IN our room at the !
Glades Hotel, in Oakland, Md, one
day with charming lady who had
dropped in on a visit. One Of our
windows looked into that Of another
room so placed by the projection Of
the main building that half Of it's in
terror could be seen. We were look
ing at and admiring little chubby,
blue eyed two year old, white as snow,
who was pulling bouquet to pieces
and tossing out t ne fragments, or
clapping her little hands with delight
as train went laundering by.
"These rooms" said our fair visi-
tor, shave some very tender associa-
tons for me"
"Why so?'' we asked.
"Well," she answered, "during the
war the greater part of the hotel was
seized by the Government as hospi-
tai, and we were crowded into few
rooms. My sister and I had this. In
that room where that little beauty is
were two Union officers, one sick of
the fever and the other of wound.
1t was hard to tell whether they we're
slowly dying Or slowly getting well.
1 never saw such CHASTITY skeletons to
be alive. We were 'secesh,' and not
modest about it either, but still our
hearts ached for the poor young men,
so i'll, perhaps dying, far from friends
and relatives.
at bothers one to know how this
should be hospital" we said, ''it is
SO far removed from active opera
tions."
at was thought" she answered,
''that the mountain air of the glades
would be more favorable to recovery
than elsewhere, so this was made
hospital. One day one of these Off
GERS dragged himself to the window.
Under the impulse of the moment my
sister asked if we could do anything
for them, and he answered, gasping
for breath, that a little chicken soup
would save their lives. Chickens
were rare in those days-an army is
hard on poultry. The men will work
all night, after marching during the
day, to secure a few chickens; SO that
while the hospital nurses and physi-
clans had an unlimited supply Of &C.
tual luxuries in the way of wines,
ported meats and canned vegetables,
they were without anything fresh.
! We knew where a few chickens were
hid in a cellar, by neighbor, and we
coaXed one out of the owner, and af
ter a deal of veXatious trouble--for
at every turn we were met by fixed
bayonet and an insult-we got the
soup ready, and as the guard in the
hall would not permit us to approach
our patients, my sister attempted to
hand the bowl to the officer in the
window. Just as he was fee ly
reaching for it, and she stretching
herself half out to give it to him, a
harsh, ugly voice below cried aloud,
Look out there-poison.' She near
ly dropped herself, soup and all.
Drawing back, she hesitated Sec
ond, and then she took the spoon and
began eating the broth. oh! both.
err cried the officer, don't. waste it
that way-Tm not afraid and so she
gave him the soup. 1t seemed to re.
vive them, and they continued stead.
lily to improve as day after day We
, supplied them with chicken broth
until the cellar was empty. During
this time we sat at the windows talk
ing, and We sang to them-sang my
Maryland and all the Southern songs
= we knew, until they were well enough
to leave the hospital and return to du
, ty. They both seemed sorry to go
and forced on US quantity of hos
pital stores and some coffee, which
. last we needed sadly. Then on
gave a ring and the other brooch a
tokens of their kind feelings"
"And did they never return2" W
asked.
4 zone did not, for, poor fellow, b
=, was killed in the very next battle il
: which he was engaged. His compan
ion wrote US about it, and the write
insisted upon opening a correspon
: dence with my sister; and soon hi
letters grew into love letters, and al
ter time they were engaged. Near
n ly year subsequent to this our pa
= tient got leave of absence, and cam
i on to be married. He put up at
y hotel, and, will you believe it, GU
I own brother, who was in the Confed
n crate service and knew nothing of m
sisters affair, led band of guerril