The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-02-28
RELIEF CORPS NEWS.
GIeanings from National Headquar-
terS---NOtes from the Departments.
OUR ARMY NURSES.

OUR ARMY NURSES.
AS noted on the editorial page of THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE of Jan. 81 the U. S. Senate passed the
Army Nurse bill, after some amendments by Sem
ator Cockrell, of Missouri, who withdrew his OBJ
jections to the bill upon considering the proofs
presented by the Pension and Relief Committee,
W.R.C. The bill goes to the House, where 1t
is hoped, the claims Of this meritorous class viii
be met with equal generosity This bill gives
every regularly commissioned nurse pension OF
SIS month if she served six months or dis
charged for disability before the expiration of that
time. Every consideration of humanity and JUS
tice demands its passage, and it should be passed
without debate Thus far only those who could
command friends and influence have, through
special acts, secured pensions This bill contem-
plates the relief of the accomplishing and the neg
lected ones. no less worthy but helpless in their
poverty and obscurity.
ANOTHER ARMY NURSE GONE.
Mrs. Cecilia @. MeKenna, Washington D. O.,
received her Christmas check from the W.R.C.,
through Joanna w. Turner, President Potomac
Corps. She was most grateful and gladly surprised
and, as her foot troubling her, went to the
bank and drew her money, intending TO spend it
in securing medical treatment. Upon returning
she was stricken with paralysis near her own
door, and so the U. s. Government is relieved Of
the responsibility of remembering another OF
earths noble ones, who nursed its stricken sons
the battlefelds and in the fever hospitals. Mrs
McKenna pronounced Union woman, of
Baltimore, Md. at the very beginning of the war;
when husband, three sons and three brothers en-
tered the Union army to uphold the principles of
free Government. Situated where she fully real
lied the need of woman's loyal services-her en-
tire family gone forth to duty-she volunteered
her services early in 1861 hospital nurse, enter
ing the National Hospital at Baltimore. After
serving several months there she was transferred
to Hygeia Hospital Fortress Monroe, Va, cover
ing in ali army service from 1861 to 1863 FL
naly in broken health, she returned to her native
city and never fully recovered. The cost of the
war to her was husband one son (who died pris-
oner at Andersonville in 1860 and one brother,
who died soon after the war from wounds and dis
ease, the result of his service In all relations of
life-as wife, mother, sister or friend-she proved
herself woman of noble character and zeal who
will be ever tenderly remembered for all those
sterling qualities which could class her among the
genuine women of the war,
ORGANIZATION IN EXPOSING FRAUD.
The advantages of thorough investigation before
distributing relief was better illustrated than
in recent case reported by Mrs Gertie NJ. Rogers,
Secretary Pension and Relief Committee.
A woman in Dakota, who has been working sew
eral Departments by representing herself and fam
lily in needy circumstances. is thus reported by a
Post Commander:
Mr.. - now receives aggregate Of Sll2
month, and if they cold and hungry with this
better. Motto: Do not give indiscrminately, but
help the needy and the accomplishing ones through
the systematic medium OF the Woman's Relief
Corps,
THANKS OF AN ARMY NURSE
find myself less able to labor, and sometimes
find myself wondering what the end will be- but
am hoping yet to be remembered by the Govern
ment, either as soldiers widow or Army Nurse;
,f ms
work many poor heart will be made glad by the
work you are doing-A Nurse in Massachusetts.
THE ARMY NURSE BILL.
DEAR TRIBUNE: May offer suggestion to De-
partment Conventions? The Army Nurse bill as
amended reads, That all women nurses during
the late war prior TO Aug. 4 1865, who were APP
proved by Miss d. L. Dix, Superintendent of Won
en- Nurses or her authorized agents, or specially
appointed by the Surgeon General or other proper
| United States authority, and who rendered six
months service as such, or who prior to the COM
peton such time of service, disabled IN such
service and honorably discharged by reason OF such
| disability" etc. Do you know, dear friends, that
eyenhwe succeed In securing thls pension there are
| still many noble women who served their country
well nurses and in charge OF the diet kitchens
( who do not come under this head. What Is going
/ to become of thenP They are in almost every IN
| stance well along in years and in need of help;
| they are our sisters whether they belong to our
Order not; they did all in their power for our
| boys in blue, at time when it took courage and
sustaining grace TO accomplish what We are trying
1 TO do in times of peace and quiet. Are they not
/ dOubly our sisters? Now that we have found these
women. after using every means in our power TO
| reach them, shall we let them go without making
/ them comfortable and happy? 1t has warmed
their hearts to know that some one was interested
| in them. I value above gold precious stones
the words that have been written to me in response
| to the small Christmas gifts the Woman's Relief
| Corps-through their commttee-were able to give
TO a few of them. In every instance they said, 1t
| is not the money we value so highly although we
are in need but it Ia the fact that after all these
years we are assured that we not forgotten,
Now what want to suggest is that each Depart
| ment tax q some action in regard to the Army
| Nurses within their own borders. Give them an
allowance, so much a month, every three
| months II cannot be heavy burden, remember
| that. Even those who receive pensions will need
| your loving care, and that while we are waiting
for the Government to do its duty or to build our
| Home, many will have passed away. Therefore,
let us do what we have to do quickly We cannot
take them into our own homes but we can make
their homes pleesanter their last days their happi
est ones. God grant that your hearts may be
| warmed to this work, and that the strong arm of
| sensitive loving charity may encircle each dear
form whose name is borne upon our records
We desire the address of the following named
persons; any clew to their whereabouts would be
considered favor: DIR. Bullock, of the 62d \. y;
| Miss Mamie and Miss Renia Sellers, Mrs Cathe-
| rine Dodd and Miss Seely.-Gertle Rogers, SeeFe-
S Wls. PENSION anu NSls' committee ''l'"'uA's'
RELIEF FUND w.R.o
A letter written by Mrs. A. NJ Sawyer, Past Presi-
dent of the Woman's State Relief Corps of Maine
is before us giving some points of resemblance and
difference between the state corps anu the NatOnal
W.R.C. In closing the writer has made an error,
which it seems proper to correct, as follows:
at lisa grand and glorious privilege to say within
our sisterhood only those can enter who were rep
resented by some kin in the army or navy, while
in the National your doors are thrown open TO all
! ladies. When help member of our association
we help ward of the GAR When you help q
member il is @ question whether you help 81 ward
of the GA or a loyal woman, In the National
Corps in your work of charity, you do not separate
your relief and say how much was expended for
the soldier or sailor or his family, and how much
was expended to help the loyal women"
In reply to the above we quote from Art. 9, Chap
5, Rules and Regulations, W.R.C, Auxiliary to the
Grand Army of the Republic:
"a relief fund for the assistance of needy soldiers
sailors and marines and their families and wild
ows and orphans of deceased soldiers, sailors and
marines shall be established by the several Corps
and any donations to this fund shall be held saeret
for such purpose"
This is the law as laid down by National Conyen
ton, which has never receded from its position;
law in operation in the 81 States and seven Terri
tories owning the jurisdiction of the GAR anC
WR.C. The loyal women " of the Relief Corp,
do not enter the Order to help themselves but L
work for the soldier and his dear ones, as they die
in 186l-'65.
Department 6leanings.
DEPARTMENT OF CONNECTICUT.
DEAR TRIBUNE: Thirty-six Corps were repre-
resented by l37 delegates at sixth Department Con