The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-16

Reynolds, and removed to Peoria, I'll.
time the horrors of war. During the
battle she remained in the rear, suffering
untold anguish and dread in her uncer-
tainiy as to the fate of her husband
When the bloody scene was over she
went upon the field, ministerlng to the
needs of the sick and dying. She made no
distinction between the blue and the gray,
and 1t seems to me that she, as we'll as
Miss Barton, might well lay claim to
having been the first to initiate the noble
Red Cross service, although her work was
the modest undertaking of an individual.
based on no lofty scheme of action, but
merely the faithful following OF a tender
hearted w0man's inst nets. Scarcely was
this heavy task finished when the battle
of Fort Henry took place. and again was
her strength taxed to the utmost. Then
came orders to take up the line of march.
whittier none but the leaders knew. No
tents or camp eQuipages could be taken on
this journey. and Mrs. Reynolds was not
permitted to accompany the troops. The
next news received was of the capture Of
Fort D0neson.
The Army of the Southwest was now
massiug at Shiloh. Three weeks before
there, he having. meantime. been made
assistant adjutant-ganeral upon Nc
Cernand's staff Here, insufficlently fed,
through chill and frost and rain, the
troops slept on the ground, and Mrs.
Reynolds shared the common lot. On
Sunday, the morning of the 9th of April,
she procured can of peaches and some
flour from the sutler, and began to pre-
pare feast for herself and husband over
the open campfire burning in front of
headquarters. For weeks a desultory
firing had been kept up between the two
armies, which were drawn up facing each
other, and when this firing increased no
attention was paid TO the circums lance un-
til an orderly dashed into camp bringing
information that the rebels had made an
attack in force, and conveying orders for
the Seventeenth to fall in ana move for
ward. Mrs. Reynolds emptied the con-
tents of her frying-pan into her husbands
haversack as he came out of the tent
ready for the advance.
Here! Take these-you will need
them" she said.
II don't know where I'll find you when
this thing ia over. Belle" he remarked
anxiously to his wife.
"Oh, FL remain here if possible" she
replied cheerfully, land if I'm not here
I'll be on the quartermaster's boat"
The circumstances were far from being
as reassuring as her words. At this time
the Confederates were endeavoring to land
shell in the magazne-boat and the great
missiles were flying about her head and
bursting in the air.
The quartermaster's boat, where Mr..
Reynolds had gone, was turned into
floating hospital and the wounded ordered
brought thither.
Sunday night darkness settled down
with the Northern troops panIc-strcken.
1t was necessary to arm those on board
the boats to prevent them from being
overrun with unhurt men fleeing to them
for shelter. Mrs. Reynolds. by the order
of Captain Norton, stood on guard armed
with a revolver, which she was only
night the boatload Of wounded was con-
veyed to Savannah. Another load was
taken on during the night. and on Mon
day morning the boat returned for it's
third load. All night Mrs. Reynolds and
other devoted patriots worked without rest
to alleviate the sufferiDgs of the wounded
Monday night came the news that the
rebels had been beaten and were in re-
treat toward Corinth. Lieutenant Colonel
Smith. who brought the tidings, was also
the bearer Of message to Mrs. Reynolds
from her husband, the first she had re-
ceived since he went into action. Colonel
Smith and his men were literally starving
None of them had partaken of food since
Sunday morning. and some of them had not
tasted a crumb since Saturday night. Mrs.
Reynolds had no authority to give out
stores, but she knew where some nee
loaves of bread had gone into locker on
| the steamer.
| She broke open the locker, seized a