The National tribune., 1883-09-20
MASSACHUSETTS LADIES,
And What They Have Done for Our Needy Vet
Grams,

Grams.
Somerville Truth, local Massachusetts, paper.
having intimated that the Womans State Re-
lief Corps of Massachusetts had usurped the
privileges of veterans IN the management of
the Soldiers Home, ex- Department Com
mander Adams, acting president of the home,
comes promptly to the front with a solderly
defense that ought to silence all criticism. This
is what he says of the work of the Massachu-
sets ladies, from which it will be seen that he
is now full convert, where he once doubted:
The Woman's State Relief Corps was organized
some five years since. AT that time commanded
the Department of Massachusetts, G.. A. r.. and
had chance to see the work they were doing.
not an enthusiastic supporter of the corps but
said to them: " Prove by your works that you are
worthy auxiliaries to the G. A. r., and the Order
will welcome you as such" And [ am pleased to
say that they have more than fulfilled all that they
hoped to accomplish when organized The organ
izaton is composed of the loyal women of this
State, and / don't think any veteran is troubled
because the loyal women who worked for US ut
home while we were ut the front who nursed us
when we were sick and wounded in hospitals and
followed us to the battlefield again organizing,
that they may help us care for our sick and dis
abled comrades and the families of those left the
care and protection OF the G. A II.
By invitation of the Commander-in-C Chief of the
G. A Il. the loyal women OF the Union met at Dem
yer, Col, last month and organized national Or
ganization. The work of the Massachusetts Corps
had been such that it was adopted by the National
Association and approved by the National Encamp-
a.
Turner, of Massachusetts, elected to the highest
positions in the Order.
And who are these women that the Truth states
are unpopular with the veterans? Mrs. Il. Flor
Barker is the wife of Colonel T. E. Barker of
Maiden. In war time she left home and friends
and followed the Twelfth n. III. to the front. She
cared for the boys of the Twelfth and other regi-
nlents in camp and in field. and is loved and re-
spected by all old soldiers for her patriotic work
Mrs Sarah e. Fuller gave her husband to our
country and since the war has worked constantly
to aid the Grand Army of the Republic in its char
| liable work. Mrs. Turner one of the loyal women
of our State, with no ties to bind her to the G A.
r. except that loyalove all true women feel for the
Nations defenders, yet giving all her spare time
! to the charitable work of the Order. Hundreds OF
others, equally tried and loyal, might be named,
but time and space forbid. Truth understands
! that they are undertaking to run the Soldiers
Home.n Could he visit the home and see the faces
of our sick boys in hospital light up these women
| enter, could he see the tears down the cheek
and hear God bless you,n as these noble women
visit the cots and hand fruit flowers or arrange
| the pillow and say kind words of comfort as only
women can, he would say, as we of the trustees do
heaven send us more women to help US run the
| home.h az
Had it not been for the loyal women of this State
! we should never have had the home for when we
became almost " weary of well doing'' the women
never fatered and the results of the bazaar which
gave the money TO take the old soldiers from the
poorhouses are due Mrs. Hooper, Johnson, Tinker
and host of others who, in our darkest hours re-
solved never to give up the fight until the home
| was secured. The ladies' association connected
with the home to-day, organized by those who
conducted successfully the bazaar is the staff
upon which we lean and confidently expect will
| help us in the future as it has in the past
God bless the loyal women of America an6
| should the writer of the article in Someryille
Truth 81 visit the Soldiers Home at Chelsea. and
talk with the inmates, as he and all others are cor
daily invited to do,) he will never again write ar
| article what he understands - from an unre
I JOHN G. b. ADAMS,
| Acting President trustees,
Soldiers Home, Massachusetts,.