Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-03-21
Gales an6 Sketrbes.
MOTHER BICKERDYKE.
What She Did In the War.
CONTINUED from Yesterday. }

why has II not been dOne?" he thun-
dered, reddening with anger
well, cause Gen. Hurlburt has given
me an order to keep 'em here as long as |
need EN-" And here the little woman
paused to add generous slice of butter
to the kettle of soup, stirring and stopping
to taste it before she finished the sentence.
And, mister. the general happens to out
rank you-hee, hee, hee. l must obey
him before / do you. and-say. you JET,
ferson, you and Andy bring the dipper and
plates, and we'll get some OF them poor.
hungry souls at this soup before you could
say Jack Robinson. Please get out of the
way OF the black boys, mister, or You
might get your coat tails splashed with the
soup-he-he -
That was real woman's way of putting
the matter in as .udicrous a light as pos
sible. The doctor raved: he swore: he
vowed he'd have her out of Memphis in
no time.
IL sha'n't go, mister" was the cool re-
joinder. I'm like the boys. I've listed
for the war. You need me here. You
can't get along without me-or that's the
way mean it. No use for you to try TO
tie me up with your red tape. There S
lots of hard work to be done down here.
and my hearts in it, and I'll stick to it as
long as Grant and Sherman do. Don't
get mad, doctor; lay down your pill bags
and stay to dinner. and eat long with my
poor boys. No sense in gettin mad Just
cause won't play second fiddle. Mind.
whenever any one gets into fuss with me
one OF us has to go to the wall-an', mis-
ter, that one amt never me :"
Ia, ha and ha nd he hrax-a III
tie woman became the best Of friends. At
one time it was difficult to supply the hos
pital with milk and eggs. Milk was fifty
cents quart, and very poor at that. Mother
Bickerdyke objected. and after good
deal of parleying, in which they hooted
at her plan and knew the whole North
would laugh at her nonsense, they granted
her thirty days furlough and transport
tation to carry out her proposed object.
They had faith in the little woman. She
went up to Chicago, the commission is
sued circulars stating her errand and ask
ing assistance from the farmers the press
took up the call-and soon came generous
responses. In less than thirty days here
came old Mother Bickerdvke, forming a
part of procession OF nearly one hundred
cows and one thousand hens, strung all
along the road from Chicago to Memphis.
She entered the city in triumph amid i'm
mense bawling and cackling. and
growing and lowing. She in
formed the Memphis people that
these were not secesh cows, whose milk
was half water, nor were the hens the
kind that gave stale eggs. The soldiers
clapped their hands and tossed their caps,
the ladies waved their handkerchiefs. and
the darkies grinned toyfully over the
funny sight OF the little woman at the
head of such droll brigade.
Gen. Washburn gave to the noisy new
Corners Presidents island, lying opposite
Memphis, stretch of land so elevated
that it was above the highest stage of
water. Then, under her directions, con-
trabands took charge of the cows and
chickens, and there was an abundance OF
cream and milk, and good fresh eggs as
long as there was a hospital at Memphis.
The last day of the year of '63 was one
of memorable GOODNESS, as was the first
Jay of Ga. Ii was very severe weather
where Mother Bickerdyke was located,
| for the bitter winds swept down Lookout
mountain and howled through the valleys
of Mission Ridge. and made a furious hur-
I tiitt ONtliututu AllC uosPItdi
in which lay the most badly wounded
men. Ii hurled them out into the pouring
rain that became glaring ice as it touched
the earth. Night set in with most intense
GOODNESS. for which they were wholly I'M
prepared. There were fifteen hundred
in hospital tents-all wounded men-all
bad cases. Partially recovered men were
thrown out by the storm. breaking their
limbs anew. The rain poured down SO
| necessarily that the torrents from the
mountains made flow around them an
actually swept out into the swollen creeks
several of the feeblest patients, who were
in single tents, and the poor fellows were
drowned, Oh the dreadful night that
set in amid the roar of the winds and the
rush of the mad water. The feeble cries
went out on the lashing gale from suffer
ing men who were drenched to the skin
and being frozen to death.
The surgeon in charge, parlyzed with
| the great problem which was beyond his
comprehension. in an agony of mind, crept
off into his quarters and wrapped himself
| in his blankets. Not SO the guardian
angel-the little old woman with the
brown wooden shawl pinned closely about
her shoulders-she who had no social
position" There was no waiting for
red tape proceeding that night.
All through that memorable night
she worked like one possessed with SUI
perhuman power. Great fires were made
close to the tents until they were sur
rounded with immense piles of blazing
and cracking logs. At midnight the fuel
gave out Could thy send men to the for
est to cut and bring in fuel ? 1t was i'm
practical. Mother Bickerdyke scarcely
paused moment in thought until she APP
pealed to the pioneer corps to take their
mules. chains, hooks and axes. and tear
down the breastwork near them, made of
logs.
They hesitated. She hurried and made
bowl of panada apiece for the men. out
of hot water. whiskev. sugar and crackers
and then at her suggestion they went to
work without orders. The breastworks
had served their purpose and were COM
parativcly useless.
Immense caldrons of coffee and panads
were distributed among the sick and
woundad men, hot bricks were put upon
them, and the whole 1900 were made toll
erablv comfortable. From tent to tent
she ran all night with hot bricks and hot
drinks, cheering, warming, encouraging
aud trying to make hopeful the poor fel-
lows.
Just as they were cared for on tia.