The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1891-05-28
THE GIRLS SOLDIER LIFE.
The Romantic Military Career of Phil
adeiphia Lady.

adeiphia Lady,
In January, 1862. Edward l.. Pierce,
Of Massachusetts, was sent by Secretary
Case 10 Port Royal, S. c., to inquire
into the condition of the negroes on the
Sea Island cotton 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
plantations and fed into the interior,
Mr.. Pierce returned to Port Royal with
large company of young men and
few women to begin his experiment. VI
the women there were Miss Susan
Walker, Mrs johnson and Mrs. Don
elson, Of Washington. Among those
who offered to 70 Were two untried vol
unteers who were so youthful that Mr..
Pierce declined to accept their services.
One of them returned to her home. The
other would not be denied. and her pa
triotic devotion was such she fnally
overcane the objections Of Mr.. Pierce.
She pleaded for the right to serve her
country in this manner promising to
supplement by her strength aud activity
superiors in age. Soon all of the ladies
were installed in the home at the head
quarters of Mr.. Pierce, on Pope's plan
tation, St. Helena Island. Under the
same jurisdiction was also the Eustace
plantation of Lady's Island.
On both plantations were 800 field
hands, with their families, needing every
kind of care which intelligence and
humanity could bestow. They were ac-
custoned to work only under the com
pulsion Of slavery. 1t WAS difficult to
believe in the direction Of white persons
The first thing to be done was to per
suade them to work for Il just pccuniary
reward. When they found that Massa
Lincum meant freedom and gold dollars
besides, goodly crops were soon in the
ground and cheerful obedience was rem
dered
Schools were established, the younger
pupils studying by day and the older by
night, aud the reign Of order and pros
perity had began. The old ladies were
soon compelled to return north. The
young men were distributed III various
duties, and on the young devotee, who
was Miss Nellie Winsor, of Boston, aged
twonty-one, FIJI the sole direction of the
800 field hands. She appointed them their
daily tasks every morning. She was
their paymaster when their work was
done, and in addition, she was their
teacher minister, nurse and physician
all in one.
The duties of teaching were speedily
shared by Miss L':-ra Towne, Of Phila-
delphia by Miss Ellen Murray and by
several others, but 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 in 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
yigor.
\ pressing necessity was now revealed.
A picket guard was offered. but for prrl-
Dental reasons Miss Winsor strongly OBJ
jected. She preferred to rely on her
own 5G0 field hands, with whom the
most amicable relations had already been
established. She therefore selected from
them 100 able bodied men, drilled them
daily i'll the manual of arms and estab-
lished her guard, which did good service
for over year.
During this period Miss Wiasor held a
captains commission and drew the ply
Of II captain. She was officially recog-
nized by the United States government.
Her duties AS captain occupied bat one
hour daily, and in fact, constituted but
small portion of her labors. 1t is, how
ever, possible that these duties proved
her as competent to deposit "A vote AZ
any one of those 800 men whom She di-
rccted in the labor of raising cotton or
the 100 whom she drilled in the manual
Of arms.
When the necessity Of protecting the
plantation no longer existed, Miss VGn-
sors company entered Colonel Higgin-
sons First South Carolina regiment with
the advantage Of n years drill in mill
tary tactics.
After the close of the war Miss Win
sor married and became Mrs j. N.
Cushing She went to Burmah as mis-
sionary, and remained in that service
fourteen years. philadelphia Press.
Devil Dick.