Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-03

starved. bled and died for their country.
/ over two million brave and loyal women
for more than four years endured
every hardship hraved every danger,
prayed hoped and died for their country.
The counterpart of every battle was
fought around the hearthstones- Sixteen
thousand brave men were killed and
wounded at Gettysburg. sixteen thousand
loyal women answered every drop of blood
with tear, every painful wound with
heartache Just as painful; every sol
der who died on that battlefield
shut out the sunlight in some woman's
heart, and made her life as dark and
drearv as their uncoffined grave. The sol
der from Bingen on the Rhine, who died
in AlCiers was a hero. and has been an
inspiration in every schoolboy's life. The
maiden too innocent for coquetry" when
she received has dying message fought rs
great battle as he did, and she was q
heroine.
A brave officer Of an Ohio regiment NOR
tally wounded at Chickamaugs was dying.
bending over him he told me TO take his
ring from his finger and send IL 70 his
wife Ii was one of the most touching
scenes of nv soldiers life. but the wall OF
that wife's letter from her far-away home.
surrounded by her fa,herless children, IN
answer 10 this last token of love, was an
guish understandable
Buchanan Reid painted 8 masterpiece
when he wrote
HE dashed down the line, mid storm
of huzzss.
And the wave Of retreat checked It's course
there. because
The sight OF the master compelled IL 20
pause
Write high on the Temple of Liberty
the name OF Sheridan and crown him
hero. John O.. Whittier painted picture
10 less sublime when he wrote
'.Shoot. if you must, this old gray head.
But spare your country's flag, she said"
Sheridan's charge at Winchester. Bar
bara Fretche rebuking the rebel army st
Fredericktownl Hero and heroine: / ask
you-tell me. We who can-which was
br,avest or loved their country bestf
Multiply the soldiers trials and battles
by the most intense anxiety of hopeful
love and you have the military history OF
our leyal women during the war partly
written. Some of them Ike angels went
over our ba,tlefields, among the dead and
the dying, and in our hospitals they oatned
, the fevered brow of the dying horo and re-
ceived his last words for loved ones at home.
and right here | want 70 say that no
woman in our country WAS more constant,
! faithful and gentle liz this great work than
a noble one who now resides IN this state,
Mother Bickerdyke.
Bayard TAYLOR. in his Song of the
| Camp describes a scene in the Crfmean
war The soldiers were on the ir1nt line
| in the trenches, before them was the dark
REDEEM and Malakoff lit up by flashes of
| artillery. Word passes along the line that
they must soon charge these strongholds.
4 soldier cries out Let's sing a song"
I Every mind was In accord, and
They sang of love and not OF fame,
Forgot was Brtain's glory.
| Each heart recalled different name,
But all sang Annie Laurie"
| How the thought of this couplet comes
/ home TO every one here tonight The
/ in camp and battle our inspiration
/ cruel war was over always eheered on
on This slight tribute 10 loyal women
/ would be far less complete If | did net
| add. that they have nobly done their duty
/ in the great work of ministering to the
/ comfort of soldiers and their families
since the war.
! The loyal women are doing a work TO-
/ day that should be performed by this gov
| eminent in ministering to the wants Of
+ our helpless Pnd destitute soldiers. No
soldiers home is 10 humble for a member
/ of the Woman's Relief Corps 10 enter,
and when she enters with wonderful
/ intuition she sees the need and with tact
! az kind as "a mother to her children she
! clothes and feeds tue poor old veteran and
| his family
! They are fighting the future battles 81
/ this country in these practical lessons OF
! love and loyalty and tonight ] ask you.
my companions. to Join me in GROWING
( every loyal woman heroine.