, 1889-07-03
A HEROINE OF THE WAR;
A~ccidentIy Enlisted While n Passenger
on n Steamboat.

The St Louis Post Dispatch gives the
following account of the many acts of
bravery performed by Mrs. John 7.
Roberts of St. Louis during the war. Mrs.
Roberts is a sister of Frank j. Reader,
who is now serving his sixth enlistment
with the 18th infantry:
Mrs. John 7. Roberts of 4l2I Warne
avenue has just returned from a visit to
an informal gathering OF some of the
members of the 26th Indiana regiment,
at which some touching scenes of the war
were %recounted. Mrs. Roberts Is a mem
Der of Ransom Post Womans Relief
corps and is well known in this city. Her
husband and her four brothers were in
the field, and n brother is still in the
service at Fort Russell, Wyo., but none
were mustered out with any better record
for bravery and service than Mrs. Roberts
herself. In September, 1861, she was
going from St. Louis on the steamer Des
Moines to Fort Donaldson to bring back a
wounded brother. The order given the
boats was co~untermanded and the troops
taken up the Missouri to reinforce Multi
gan at Glasgow, Mo. Thus accidentally
Mrs. Roberts, then a strong young girl, to
whose personal beauty as well as bravery,
many of the Goth Iudianians testify, was
pressed into service. The irregularity of
her enlistment was not, however, made
any pretext by the young heroine to shirk
dutv.
1.-The boats arrived at Glasgow at 1890
O'Clock one night and the forces proceeded
to disembark, leaving one company on
board each boat for guard. In the confu-
sion of landing. and before they could get
into position the soldiers were attacked
by Prices men with terrible results. They
were soon driven back to the sandy banks
of the Missouri, leaving many of their
comrades dead or dying on the field. The
surprise was a terrible one and the wo-
men on the boats swooned away helplessly
when the engagement opened. There
was one exception. The young girl who
found her plans so suddenly changed
rushed down the gang-plank to the scene
of carnage and on her return brought back
a wounded soldier. She made twenty
two trips under the shower of shot and
shell and never returned without wounded
men. On board she not only worked her
self. preparing the soldiers for the sur
geons but organized the women into
whom she could inspire sufficient courage
to Join her making bandages and dressing
wounds. Food ran short while the girl
had nine wounded soldiers still in her
charge. Rations were cut down until the
sufferers were threatened with dangers as
serious as their wounds.
THE young heroine was, however,
mindful of their wants and each day d.
yided the single meal she could purchase,
among the wounded men on board the
Bonneville. She was starving herself to
help the nine wounded men, but a kindly
steward, discovering the situation, in dis
obedience to the captains orders, gave
her a meal each day unknown to the Of
ficers of the boat. On the morning the
young field nurse lett the boat the SOL
diers on board the boat were called to
witness the departure.
Col. Wheatley with Lieut.. Col. Dick
O'Neil stood upon the bow OF the Des
Moines and presented her with the finest
horse in the company as a mark of
their esteem. She was off midst
the cheers of the admiring and grateful
soldiers.
Though she should be proud of her
war record, Mrs. Roberts memory does
not revert to those stirring times with
pleasure. The war cost her three broth.
ers. A fourth, Frank J.. Reader, who is
well known in st. Louis, is now on his
sixth enlistment, while her husbands
health has been wrecked by his rough ex-
periences in the field. Mrs. Roberts is
an active member of Ransom Post Wo-
mans Relief Corps and a leading spirit
III all local Grand Army undertaking"