Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-12
MRS. GEN. HAwLEY.
The Remarkable wife of DashIng
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The Remarkable Wife of a DashIng
Soldier Nursing Union Soldiers.
do you know that Mrs. J. r. Hawley
is one of the most remarkable women of
the dayi' asked friend Of Washington
capital gossiper. "Well, when Joe Haw-
ley went to the front in the late unpleas-
antness, his wife went to the hospital to
nurse soldiers. She came here to Wash
ington and served as a volunteer nurse in
Armory Square Hospital, Of which DR..
Bliss was surgeon in charge. The nurses
were all volunteers, but the difference be-
tween the service in this hospital and
that in hospitals controlled by Miss Dix
was that at ArmOry square the pay of the
nurses went into fund to provide special
diet for patients. The nurses signed the
pay roll, but never saw the money. They
knew all about this regulation before 90
ing in. and volunteered to give their ser
vices without compensation. OF course
Mrs. Hawley could afford this, though
there were some others who came out of
the service penniless. But / doubt if
any woman, however poor. who could vol
unteer to do such work without pay
would ever regret it, or feel it a sacrifice,
either.
-
Hawley. She did not look as if she could
do much, but she did, and she was one Of
the most efficient and untiring nurses
there. She gave out after the very hard
summer of "a, and in September went
home to recruit. After six weeks she
came back again and continued her work
till the LIST of March, '65, when she went
down to Wilmington to join her husband.
For little woman she has the most pluck
| nd fcfa I .vt-sf.
cOmplishes lots of work by sheer force of
Will. After the war was over she was
with Gen. Hawley at Richmond. 1t was
in MAY that they went out to the battle
fields to search for the body of a cousin.
The ambulance was turned over, and
Mrs. Hawley was so badly injured that
! for two years she had to live in a darken-
ed room, and her friends thought if her
life was spared she would be blind. But
she got well slowly, or rather she got bet
ter, for she never got quite well again.
Then after that she sprained her knee, and
was on cTutches for a long time.
but so far as working with her hands,
| head and heart was concerned, there
wasn't buster woman in Connecticut.
The first year her husband served in Con-
gress she walked on crutches. Then she
got over the lameness and seemed to have
conquered affiictiOn. But she was on
cTutches again this last winter. Now,
there isn't one woman in hundred who
by sheer force of mental strength could
rally as she has, and overcome such OBJ
stacles. The remarkable fact is that she
is always cheerful and accomplishing,
and always busy as bee, too. Ever since
her husband has been in Congress, from
the time he was member of the House,
Mrs. Hawley has had almost the entire
work OF correspondence with persons APP
! plying for pensions. She writes hundreds
of letters, and herself communicates di-
rect with the Pension office in behalf of
applicants. She is governed by the same
| sympathy and sense of duty about this as
| she was about nursing the soldiers. So
| great is the faith in her that not long ago
an applicant for pension wrote a letter to
| Senator Hawley. and addressed it, SEN
atOr Hawley, in care of Mrs. j. r. Haw-
! ley He was pretty sure that if it fell
into her hands the business would get
! prompt attention. The amount of social
work done by this little woman would give
a locker on the impression that she hadn't
| time for much else. Bat in addition to her
| large pension correspondence and many
| social duties, she paint flowers equisitely.
| With all her drawback of i'll health and
the constant fight against physical disa-
| bllltIes, she accomplishes more than
| strong women who are ranked among the
| busy women of the day. And the finest
! thing about her character is that what
ever changes have come to her in her hus-
| bands advancement she is the same loyal,
| loving friend to those who knew her in
earlier times. l do not believe anything
could change her in this regard, or take
| away a certain simplicity which is one
of her greatest charms. And, what is
more, she never speaks unkindly of any
| bOdYv