Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-02-04
CLARA BARTON'S LESSON.
How She Taught the Soldiers BIT of
Morality.

How She Taught the Soldiers n Bit of
Morality.
In the winter holidays of 1862 Clara
Barton was organizing hospitals and
diet kitchens near Fredericksburg Just
after the great battle there.
The winter was bitter and most pitt
less for our armies. The ground was
everywhere frozen, and much of the
time the country covered with snow.
Her train encamped aroung the big hos
pital tent, and the smaller ones were
used for cooking and living. But these
were crowded with dying soldiers, and
all except delicacies were prepared in
the open air.
By dag of truce the wounded from
the confederate batteries were brought
to her at night, frozen, famished and
dying. She crowded her own soldiers
into small space and took them in The
suffering was intense. She had the
snow cleared away, huge fires built and
wrapped the men in blankets. She had
an old chimney torn down and bricks
by the hundred thrown into the fires,
heated and put around the freezing,
wounded men-union and confederate.
Just at dark of the third day, when the
wind was blowing overpowering around
the tents and the soldiers were strug-
Cling to keep the big camp fires alive,
and the blankets wrapped closely about
the dying, a half-dozen blue-coated
boys came to Miss Barton's tent, lug.
ging and tugging with short breath and
excited words, some great bundle.
Down it rolled at her feet
"There, Miss Barton, we haven't
made such a haul for month. You can
take that as New Years present.
well, boys, and what is this?'
Its to spread on the tent floor to
keep your feet warm" they said tri-
umphantly and eagerly like boys.
They unrolled large, elegant, costly
carpet
stop, boys, where did this come
from?" asked Miss Barton aghast
"Miss Barton" insisted the boys, 'it's
for you. You've saved our lives and are
killing yourself for the other boys"
pointing inside the tent; 1--WE went out
on purpose and tried to get the best
we could find in all Fredericksburg"
They kept unrolling and looking at
Miss Barton, then at the handsome
carpet and talking: You see it'll help
you along, this cold, stormy weather.
See how thick and warm" And they
tramped it down like soldiers on the
march.
Boys, stop" said Miss Barton, in her
low, sweet way, but her voice tremb-
ling, too. You must tell me how YOU
came by this"
Yard after yard of the gray col.
ored velvet carpet lay stretched on
the snow, but Miss Barton looked at it
with sort of horror in her eyes.
One of the soldiers spoke up: "We
just confiscated it, Miss Barton. We
took our pick out of dozen fine houses.
This was the best"
"Well, my boys" said the nurse, that
will never do. Only governments con-
fiscate. Soldiers, when they take such
things from peoples homes, steal. am
afraid you will have to take it bacl, to
the very house from which you took it.
i can't use stolen carpet No matter
how we may need one"
The soldiers clamored; "But it is ours"
mo, my boys, it is not yours, nor
mine. You can't afford to steal, even
in the goodness of your hearts for me.
Take it back into the town, into the
house where it belongs"
Crestfallen, disgusted, they rolled and
again tugged the heavy carpet on their
shoulders back to the handsome house
in fredericksburg
AS they warmed their army boots by
the camp fire late that night, those
men expressed themselves sharply and
definitely on the difference between
contiscation and stealing, and with good
reason, there is no doubt Margaret
Spencer, in Albany Argus