The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-04-17
)UR WOMEN IN THE War.
ruE FIRST WAYSIDE HOSPITAL.


A ruE FIRST WAYSIDE HOSPITAL.
,r.& T. y. M, of Columbia. s. c., in Ghurles.
ton Weekly Ners
During the summer Of 1861, just after
~, ~ hattie of Manassas, when the hearts
r Southern women of all ages were fred
in that zeal for the Confederate cause
Thirh has never tagged, party Of young
g;rls in Columbia. s. c., determined TO
what they could do to help the sol.
AIRS. They therefore made a call
rough the papers of the city to all the
Jnunp ladies of the community, asking
en- 10 meet at Il certain time and place
~, order to consult together, lay plans
ssssnJ devise schemes for work. The meet
sT,r was a grand success. A large num-
nr Of girls responded to the call, a
n,isty was formed, officers were elected,
I,mni,tccs were appointed, and nll the
s ceremonies OF organization gone through
Nth the skill Of veterans.
on death in life, the days that are no morc.'
8 What memories are recalled Of laugh.
,r ard fun, of sighs and tears, of sobs
nd AGONY ;ls one Of the officers Of the
9ocie,y then formed-"Tbe Young La.
sslie, Hospital Association !" - looks
+ through her books to night, and runs
Jyer the names of the young girls who
s9s8ilh full hearts and earnest faces enrolled
sSSiheir names that summer afternoon
Poor children their hands were unused
d labor, but willing minds made up for
sheir lack Of skill, and it was wonderful
low SOON they learned to cut out aud
make up homespun shirts, knit socks,
Esasss,II bap6agcs, &c, and before long many
E@sS box of substant. comforts was sen. TO
HE bows in the army from the girls at
s5aur!o.
The meetings of the association were
&elf attended and kept up regularly.
sTrue there WAS perhaps lack of parlia-
mcntary usage in the conduct of the
assembly; their was, ii must be confessed,
S tendency manifested by all the mem
T-zbcrs TO speak at once when there was
iues,ion to be decided, and even the
5rcsident herself instead Of maintaining
the dignity of the chair and preserving
jrder would join in the general clamor,
5hile' occasionally II nervous giggle would
4hock the conclave aud prove that in all
imes and circumstances girls will be
|airls." Many n sober matron with
3hitening hair will recall the time when
BE secretary and treasurer was called
pon 10 read her first report, how she
s6rned her back upon the audience, and
that position alone could be prevailed
pom TO read aloud. Pity the benighted
Urls Of '61, advanced young women of
5he present day They had scarcely
ASer even heard Of an emancipated wo-
ban, and female lecturer or public
eader was beyond their powers Of imagi-
iation.
dEE FIRST PRACTICAL STEP TAKEN.
@ During the winter of 1862 the mum.
Her of soldiers coming home sick and
sounded began to be considerable. OF:
len for want of connection between the
Gcoming and outgoing trains, the poor
elows would be obliged 10 remain in
Columbia for hours and sometimes day
ind night, and as they had little money
hey would frequently suffer for want of
pdging and lack of attention. Some
adies of the city resolved to meet the
Fains as they arrived from Virginia, and
pinister rs best they could to the needs
3f the suffering men. But there was no
organized plan, consequently on some
occasions one man would be entirely
ID while another would come
3ear sharing the fate Of the complaisant
(sa9eio who meekly submitted to having
S9is face washed by seventeen enthusiastic
iOlunteer nurses.
A3 A clergyman of Columbia, who was in
Che habit of meeting the trains to afford
4ny assistance in his power to the arriv-
ing soldiers, called the attention of some
u the members Of the Young Ladies'
Hospital Association to this state of
4ifairs, and suggested TO them The propri.
f9ty Of applying some of their funds to
Arranging room at the Charlotte depot
for the rcfreshment of the weary and
ounded men. The idea seemed to them
good one, and the suggestion was i'm
9iedateiy acted upon. An empty room
faH secured from The authorities of the
sallroad, and it was put in order.
Though the furniture of this little
$oom was scarcely more luxurious than
3hat of the Prophets Chamber" the
place was ambitiously styled
"THE SOLDIERS REST"
sslnd for few days its scsnty accomn,o.
sslations proved to be comfort to many
feary passers. by. 1t was soon found,
Aowever, that the need for resting place
lor the passing soldiers was greater than
~ first supposed, and as it was necessary
Eor them to be transported across the
sown in order to reach the other trains,
4t was concluded to transfer The Soldiers
stest to the depot whence they could be
sput upon the cars as soon as they had
wounds dressed and nights lodg.
a4ng and been made comfortable for their
journey. But the affair had now assum.
go dimensions far beyond anything that
rs originators had ever dreamed OF, and
me older heads. to whom the girls of the
af Dung Ladies' Hospital Association
Esere accustomed 10 defer, though. it best
- "a take matters into their own hands.
mere was grim work 10 be done, CHASTITY
ghts to be seen, horrors 10 De endured,
and the wiser and more experienced ones
Fnderly wished to spare the young
aearts. already becoming too familiar
3th sorrow, everything which it was in
per power to do. The Soldiers Rest
LAS then changed into the Waysidc
ONE or Hospital, Us it was afterwards
lied. and the charge of it assumed bya
pmmittee of ladies. assisted by some
4aen & &ent'emeD, whom age Or duty kept out
IL the army, leaving to the girls, Gen. +.
E=a'd, the estbe,ics Of the Hospital"
M HOW. THE SYSTEM HAS SPREAD.
@ Such was the small beginning of the
Wayside Hospital, the first of
sshe kiud in the world. An'extract from
IN address Of Dr.. John r. Darby, sur.
8eon e. s. A., before the South Carolina
iedical Association, held in Charleston
E April, 1873, will show part of the
uicome Of the work of these Columbia