Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-02-05

M. QUAD TELLS OF THEIR SUBLIME DE-
voTIoN TO THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE.
History will never detail the self-sacrifice
and heroic courage of Southern women.
No matter as to the right or wrong OF the
cause-rhey believed it was right. The
blow fell upon the family household early
and with full force. In Virginia seven out
of ten families were without men folks at
heme within three months from the first
battle. The wife and mother gave all she
had, and then turned to face further anx-
ieties. There were thousands OF women in
the Old Dominion who had never laced their
shoes or combed their hair. The slave was
at hand to obey every nod. These women
sent their husbands and sons to the front
and then faced the question of food supply
In many cases the slaves ran away When
this occurred the women went into the
fields and put in such crops as they could
Where the slaves remained the mistress
was forced to act as her own manager and
overSeer and assume all the responsibility
There are plenty of Federal troopers still
| living who found educated and cultured
| Southern women welding hoes and holding
plOws in the corn-field within six months
| of the opening of the war.
II WAS bu6 SOutlcIu WUiHCu u1OAC phoAi
the provost marshals who checked deser-
ton and made the offense odious. The
Confederate who left the front without
leave found no welcome outside Of his own
family. He who came home by authority.
and with wound to attest his bravery in
action, was hero until duty compelled his
return.
No man ever saw night so wild that a
Southern woman would not face it to carry
news to Confederate soldiers. Every wo-
man was scout and spy. If tie mother
could not go, the daughter was sent. Ii
there was no daughter, a dispatch or mes
sage was hurried off by negro or signal
was made. They came to accurately esti-
mate the strength of marching columns, to
identify one make of gun from another
in the batteries, and where scouts and
spies could not go the women could. II
was the women who saved Mosby again
and again. 1t was n woman who told Gen.
jackson the exact strength of the Federal
force at Front Royal before he fell upon il
in carrying out his Valley campaign II
was woman who told Early just how
Sheridan's army was distributed at Cedar
| Creek, and there was scarcely battle on
Virginia's soil with which women had not
something to do as the bearers of informa.
ton. Once enlisted in the cause they did
not know what despair was. They sent
their bedding to the hospitals, their provis-
ions to the army and their jewelry to a
buyer of Confederate arms in Europe.
When the Confederate government, could
not furnish rations the Confederate women
did.
1 have asked hundreds of Confederate
soldiers how they made a start after the
war, and in nearly every instance the an
swer began with:
"Well, my wife, you know"
His wife had been the power to brace
him for the new start in life. The home
was in ashes, the farm grown up to briars
and the country overrun with outlaws, but
the wife's words Of hope and encourage
ment set the returned soldier to work.
With any other class of women the South
would have built up by the inch instead of
the foot. AS they were enthusiasts in W 7,
SO also are they heroines in peace. In the
real Southern wOman's heart there is no
hatred of Northerners. There is not even
disirust or suspicion. In her parlor may
hang portraits through which Sherman S
men thrust bayonets. but her pleasantsst
letters are mailed to and received from
friends in he North. The war as war is
buried and forgotten. or if bitter memories
force themselves to the surface there is nc
heartburning for vengeance. - Detroit Fret
| Press