Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-07-17
Army Nurses.

FROM TN
me the number began to multiply, as
omen began to realize how they, too,
buld help on the cause of the Union
lessening the horrors of the battle
( eli by their tender ministrations to
II sick and wounded. Many a
other sent her only son to the front
ore willingly, knowing that should
ckness or wounds befall him he would
1 il. be under woman's tender, moth
II care.
The army nurse was confined to no
be rank in social life. The ranks of
e rich as we'll as the poor and hum
FINISHED recruits. They were of
ages, but largely from 30 years up
nd, though there were in post hospi-
Is many who hid youth and beauty
Eier disfiguripg white cap and gray
i,s, which was their only uniform.
Of them were regularly enlisted,
s'rew pay like the soldiers, rank
s:!om private to major in that re-
III. Their motives were various.
ue ,han one high born and wealthy
oMaa, whose hands had never before
1own toll of any kind, donned the
sMhle cap and gray dress, and de-
btel Years to service that was more
gins to the nerves and modest sensi-
iisie5 than words can depict, all from
beer devotion to the cause, refusing
Il other pay or reward than con-
c;ousness of noble duty well done,
! nd the appreciation of their boys
s they invariably called the soldiers
aaer their care.
Others, wives and mothers or sisters,
y perhaps holding another tender re-
at.on to some "boy in blue" having
est their all to the front, husband,
ol, brother, or lover, and unable to
Pear the terrible strain of waiting day
b day for news from the battle-tields,
pushed to the front themselves, and
brew themselves into hospital work
Ftth feverish energy that often ended
p their own sickness, and left them
f,,h constitutions as shattered as that
B the most battle-scarred veteran.
pliers Went simply from a sense of
Fnl.T, rs did many of the men in the
faaSs; feeling that some one ought to
b. they made the sacrifice and went.
ltaers there were, especially among
| he Younger ones, who were simply
farnel :.way by burst of sentimental
faIauoiasm, and whose only idea of
Fhs work was to sit by the cot Of some
fleA or wounded gallant young fellow.
Generally an officer, and fan him and
P@tAe his fevered brow with eau de
cologne. Some of these. when they
fsarned the true nature of the nurses
|NeEA, with its many repulsive features,
grew faint and sick, and utterly failed,
fad returned to their homes with the
EHoManee OF war taken out of them.
put the greater number of these
ornamental, young enthusiasts per
maps grew quite as faint and as much
|sppa led at the nature of the work be-
|10fe them as their less brave sisters,
DaS paused and hesitated only long
enough for their true womanhood to
assert itself, when they DOTTED their
Ahcrv, donned the homely gray and
|. "a to the front, the true herolnes OF
NE war, borne in the memories OF the
a. slek and wounded boys with an almost
aaofahlpful idolatry, as verltable
angels of mercy.
a small number went to the front
Just Tor the nurses pay, which was
seae.ally liberal. But even these sell
eon tailed Or finched in doing noble
lender woman's work. But not al
s handsome, or gifted, or refined
even . we'll born. There were many who
W., were coarse. uneducated, and homely
D." vat with deft hands and pitying
S !, hearts, they, too. won place
IL the memory of the boys. A notabl.
Instance; ~ Of how little beauty counted
NJ nurse may be seen in the cas-
sn Jane Gray Swisshelm. Thin
s 81 homely, and grim visaged, ye
SSt d. knowing just the right thing t.
w. y; often better, even, than the surgeon
hh,nself; never fiinching from anything
u Ut; disagreeahle. You can't con
b tace one Of her "boys" that the grim
aomfly face was not the face OF a.
m Many a Michigan veteran we'll re
A'e'aDers "Irish Biddy." who for year