Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-03-20
Gales an0 SkGtrbts.
nofnRR BICKERDYKE.
what She Did In the War.

Fort Sumter, and when war win all us
horrors opened upon us. it found our
greatest general selling leather and boots
and shoes in the quiet little city of Galena
Ill. And at the same time. the greatest
nurse that our Army of the Cumberland
was to have-Mother Bickerdyke-lived
in obscurity, poor widow. at Galesbury,
H.. earning living for herself and her
children at the wash tub.
The nation held aloff the chaplet Of
fame, waiting. ready for the brow of the
coming hero, Ulysses S. Grant, and the
angels held one that would never fade nor
fall nor wither for the bronZed and wrin-
kled brow of dear old Mother Bickerdyke.
During the war Gen. Grant gave her a
pass anywhere within the lines Of his de-
partment. into all camps and hospitals. and
past all pickets, with authority to daw on
any quartermaster in his department tor
transportation, tor sanitary or hospital
stores. not to exceed 30 wagons at any enc
time. This pass she held to the end of the
war, and it was enlarged as his department
enlarged.
Gen. Sherman and Mother Bickerdyke
were good friends. She would die for
him, II need be, and he would fight for
her. There was something in her charac-
BILE, fiery, jealous, and neither was afraid
of hard work. After the fall of Vicksburg,
he asked that she might become an es-
peciai attache to his corps, the Fifteenth.
Ever after that during the war. she con-
sidered herself. in an especial sense. I'M
der Sherman's direction and the soldiers
of the Fifteenth corps always and to this
day have claimed exclusive ownership of
her.
From the time nurses were called for,
after the first battle in the Mississippi
valley, she had walked to broader and
newer life. II was with q brave heart
and with willing hands that she took up
her work, leaving her children in the care
of the widows God. The boys" were
her children then, and it was easy work
for them to call her mother"
She had all a woman's tact and tender
ness in managing the sick ones. In mat
teus of business, when thrown upon her
own resources, she was grand woman
--.'nobly planned-born to comfort and
command" as some of the officers learned
TO their own chagrin and afterwards
amusement. Emergencies were constant
rising that she could not foresee, and
for which another in her place could not
have provided. Not so Mother Bicker-
dyke.
Sometimes she would buy largely of
hospital stores, with never cent of money
and send the bills up to the commission
with her Endorsement. Again she would
borrow money, expend it for the needs of
the boys under her charge, and then
send up notes and vOuches and leave the
matter to be settled. While some of the
members of the commission objected to
the unbusinesslike transactions. they had
no doubt that the money had been well
expended and every cent put to a legiti-
mate use.
Sons and husbands and brothers wrote
home to their families and friends of the
kindness OF their beloved champion. whom
they all called Mother Bickerdyke." and
the mothers and sisters and daughters,
with the beautiful trust of the American
woman sent her letters of love and en-
enlargement and appreciation. And for
the reason that the dear mother of the
bows had not time to make or mend or
care much for her ownt apparel. her
thoughts all on her intense work-the
good wemen sent her abundant supplies
of clothing for her own needs-whole
boxes of it sometimes. With a preoci-
pied air she would look over the garments
Gull out three or four articles for present
necessity. and then she would take the
remainder in her ambulance-the convey
ance in which she always travelled-and
60 off into the country peddling. The
southern women in the neighboring vicin-
tiles would buy them. and pay her well
in butter. eggs. milk. honey and chickens.
Her family was large and consumed a
great deal, and her sick boys needed the
delicacies which she thus obtained so read
lily. She would concoct great kettles OF
delicious chicken broth for them when the
wherewithal was at hand. as on these fre-
quent occasions. 1t was treat to them
TO get real broth, such as their mothers
made at home.
How she did endear herself to the poor
sick soldiers! But the medical directors
sometimes found her indomitable will an
obstacle in their punctillous ways. One
of them. young man at Memphis, be-
longing to the regular army, wished Mrs.
Bickerdyke to revolve in an orbit of his
own marking out. He did not approve
of her possessing so much power. she who
defied the Queens English as she did red
tape-a woman who worked with her own
red, stubbed hands-who held no social
position-who did what she wished and
lie concluded it was about time that they
understood each other, and soon an oppor-
tunity offered.
In passing through ward one day he
could find no fault or defect with its per-
feet management; but what was this
Under a sick mans pillow he espied a
half-dozon of eggs. This was intolerable.
The poor. sick boy was recovering from
fever and craved the veeyafood that in
his weak condition was not allowed. He
planned out piteously. Would Mother
Beckerdyke let him have good fill of
hard boiled eggs as soon as he got well ?"
She assured him that she would do so.
He said he wished he could have them
now, so they would be ready and wait
ing. To humor the poor fellow. whom
she had petted in her good, motherly way
she smilingly assented and brought him
six hard boiled eggs for his very own, 10
keep on condition that he would not eat
them until she gave him leave. 1t did no
harm to please him. and certainly did him
vast amount OF pleasure to fondle the
eggs with his thin, white bony hands.
The medical man spied the eggs, and
forthwith gave orders to have them carried