The gold leaf., 1891-12-31
The GIRLS SOLClER LIFE.
The Romantic Military Career "f a PhiS
adeiphia Lady.

adeiPhia Lady.
In Janua-v. 1862. Edward. l.. Pierce,
Of Massachusetts, was sent BY Secretary
Case TO Pert Royal, ). c., 10 inquir,
into the condition of the negroes on the
Sea Island 'otton plantation, and to re-
port on the feasibility of opening schools
at that place for the benefit of the in
habitantS
As the masters had abandoned these
plantation. and fed into the interior,
Mr. Pierce returned 10 Port Royal with
q large company of Young men and a
few women to begin his experiment. OF
the women there We're Miss Susan
Walker, Mrs.. johnson and Mrs Don,
elson, IF Washington. Among those
who offered 70 go were two untried vol
Hlteers WAC were SD youthful that Mr..
Pierce declined 10 accept their services.
One of them returned to her home. The
other would not be denied, aud her pa
:riotic devotion WAS such she finally
overca!!ir the objections of Mr.. Pierce.
She pleaded for the right to serve her
country IN tn- manner, promising t.
supplement- by her strength ard activity
the waning physical endurance of her
superior> in age. Soon al! of the ladies
We're installed III the home at the head
quarters OF Mr.. Pierce. "n Popc'S plan
tation, St Helena Island. Under the
same jurisdiction WAS also the Eustace
plantation o Lady's Island
On both plantations were 800 field
hands, with ;hcir families, needing every
kind of care which intelligence and
humanity could bcstow, They were ac-
cS,stoneI to work only under the com
pulsion Of slavery. 1t was difficult tc
believe in the direction of white persons.
The first thing TO he done was 10 per
suade them 10 work for Il just pecuniary
reward. When they found that Massa
Lincmn me-. ut freedom and gold dollars
besides, goodly crops were soon in the
Hound and cheerful obedience was rem
dered.
Schools We're established. the younger
pupils studying by day and the older by
night, AMI the reign of order and pros
perity had br.,un. The old ladies Were
soon compelled to return north. The
young men were distributed III various
duties, ana on the Young devotee, who
was Miss Nellie Winsor, of Boston. aged
twenty one. fell the sole direction of the
500 field hands. She appointed them their
daily tasks every morning. She was
their paymastcr when their work " L.
done, and in addition, she was their
teacher, minister. nurse and physician
all in one
The duties of teaching were speedily
shared by Miss Laura Towne, of Phila-
delphia; by Miss Ellen Murray and by
several others, hnt the young girl who
pleaded for the right to serve her coun-
try fulfilled every promise made to Mr.
Pierce by the full surrender of her
strength and activity. She began by
determining to finish each days duty be
fore she closed her eyes IL sleep. She
soon found that her multiplied offices
brought ever developing duties, and
that these never could be finished. Sleep
she must for the coming day and sleep
she did. and thus preserved her youthful
vigor.
a pressing necessity WAS now revealed.
A picket guard was offered but for pru-
dental reasons Miss Winsnr strongly OBJ
jected. She preferred to rely on her
own 500 field hands, with whom the
most amicable relations had already been
established. She therefore selected from
them 100 able boiled men, drilled them
daily in the manual of arms and estab-
lished her guard, which did good service
for over a year.
During this period Miss Winsor held IA
captains commission and drew the pay
of a captain She was officially recog-
niZed by the United States government.
Her duties as captain occupied but ono
hour daily. and, in fact, constituted but
a small portion of her labors. 1t is, how
! ever, possible that these duties proved
her as competent to deposit vote ~
any one of those 800 men whom she tii-
rected in the labor Of raising cotton or
the 100 whom she drilled in the manual
of arms.
! When the necessity of protecting tho
| plantation 10 longer existed, Miss Win
sor's company entered Colonel Higgin-
| sons First South Carolina regiment with
the advantage of q years drill i'll mill
! tary tactics.
After the close of the war Miss Win
sor married and became Mrs. J. n.
| Gushing. She went to Burmah AS mis-
| sionary, and remained in that service
! fourteen yea!'s.-P Philadelphia Press.