Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-01

welcome-rciefs uf every sort sent by the
generous women OF Philadelphia Her beam
ing face was blessing and bonediCtiou
~ every lonely dcspairuc heart iu The hos
uNal she visited
One OF the ablcs, PRESBYTERIAN clerEymcn
now IN ordination was a private soldier
believe In a Maryland regiment Tie was
ttcn rather roistrriuE Young fellow.
soldier Comrade OF pronounced piyty and
correct life strongly urged him 20 go 20
Mrs Harris meetings The result was his
conversion. and as soon as the war ceased
he studied for the ministry. Thus Mrs.
Harris leavcn was increased
What Mrs. Harris brought 90 the front
after several OF our bloody engagements is
CNemplihed In one OF her letters from the
Peniusula-a letter written tn June. 1862
just after the battle Of Fair Oaks ] speak
feelinEly for was myself recorded among
the wounded. Tho steamer Vanderbilt
lying at the dock was about to take the
disabled from the white House Landing"
Va Mrs. Harris writes when we went
abroad the FIRST cry We met was for tea
and bread. For Gods sake give US bread
came from wounded soldiers Others shot
in the face or neck. begged FOR liquid food
With feelings OF a mixed character, shame,
indignation and sorrow blending we turned
away to see what resources We could mus
ter to meet the demand. a box OF tea
barrel OF corn meal sundry parcels OF dried
rusk and jars OF jellies and pickles were
seized upon. Soldiers and cuntrabands were
impressed into service. All the cooking ar
ranCements Of three families were appro-
priatcd (by permission. and soon three
pounds OF tea were boiled and many gallons
Of Cruel blubherinE In the meantime,
twenty-five loaves Of bread-all We could
buy-were cut into slices and Jelhed
pickles were put In readiness, and in an in
crediby short time we went back TO our
poor sufferers"
The graphic account OF the wav the
wounded men received the relief thus speed
lily brought would fill q chapter. Many had
been several days without q particle Of
nourishment. In delirium, some took Mrs.
Harris FOR mother for sister or other pre-
cious friend and died in the happy thought
that their own sweet home had actually
come TO theln-and. indeed, the spirit OF
home was there.
From my own state Mrs S 5 Sampson
the wife OF the Lieutenant colonel OF my
regiment. went out with her husband in the
beginning of the war. What Mrs Harris
did for the ladies OF Philadelphia, Mrs.
Sampson did for the ladies of Maine. She
devoted her whole time and talents to the
interests Of our soldiers. At first she aided
the sick and the overworked by writing let
ters FOR them and after the first battle by
assiduous labors, night and day. in hos
pitfalls. She was a swift and CHEEKY worker;
the faces OF the men in field hospital. or
the sick and wounded would always bright
en- they saw her come with a kind word
and a sympathiziuE tear. with sunshine be
hind IT, and Just the needed soup tea. bread,
or socks or other requisite garments in her
hands. Her entrance was o home reminder.
n JOY. a blessing she could write and get
of more letters in a given time than
stenographCr and so linked hundreds OF
soldiers with their cherished homes. No
gallant officer from Maine closed W the
four years service with better record
than Saidie Sampson. After the war, now
a widow, she put in operation and kept up
as long as needed an asylum for the or
phaus OF soldiers near her home In Bath.
She commanded universal love and respect
among all classes where she laborcd After
time she became the soldiers efficient
/ friend az the great pension Office in Wash
| ington. There was no official then who
could more promptly got a wrong riEhted
! than this unsclfsh intelligent ardent work
| er. Her usefulness has been so great that
/ she has been kept In the Office in spite OF
! radical changes OF administration
| When ! organized my brigade II Camp
/ California. the winter OF lSGl-62 pi,ched
about four miles IN front o! Alexandria. my
own headquarters tents were near the sixty
/ first New York regiment Francis c. Bar
| low. then apparently but youth. was the
! lieutenant colonel. Very soon after we went
! l-|O camp his wife took q room al Mr.
/ Richards house, situated lear my brigade.
! Mrs. Barlow was a woman OF culture and