Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-12-31
ABOUT ARMY NURSES.
Stories of the Thrilling Experiences
They had in the Late War.


! the army nurses. An interesting book
has been compiled by a former nurse,
Mary G. Holland, wherein many inter-
esting stories of lives of army nurses
are told by themselves. 1t was happy
| thought which inspired her. And she
takes hold of the Sympathes of her
feminine readers by telling of the
! spirit wherewith she met Miss Dix's
order. She had heard her cali 20
go to war as nurse, and had tried to
enlist under Miss Abbie May, and also
to be one of Mrs. Lander's volunteers
for Fortress Monroe, in the plan that
failed
Miss Dix's circular read; NO wo-
man under thirty years need apply to
serve in government hospitals. All
nurses are required to be very plain
looking women. Their dresses must
be brown or black, with no bows, no
curls, no jewelry and no hoopskirts."
The Quaker Dorothea Dix little knew
what heroism that last phrase in that
order demanded Thus the nurse sum
mCned to duty. 1T was fashionable
at that time to wear immense hoops.
| had worn one for some time. and
really felt it sacrifice to leave it off
Other requirements were agreeable,
but | felt | could not walk without a
hoop. | said: Well, if | can't walk
without it, | will crawl; for | must go,
and | will do the best | can. Soon
after this | took up a morning paper
and read that the wounded We're being
brought into Washington so fast that
more help was needed at once. | wrote
Immediately to Miss Dix, saying: 1
am in possession of one of your circl-
lars, and will comply with all your
requirements. | am plain-lOoking
enough to suit you, and old enough. |
have no near relative in the war, no
lover there. | never had a husband
and am not looking for one. Will you
t; Ike me?" In few days her answer
came: Report at once at my house,
corner Of Fourteenth street and New
York avenue, Washington She label
ed me so nicely that | think if I had
been box of glass | should have gone
through safely, and gave me instruc-
tons to procure transportation.
Here is an extract from the much
detailed story of her experience given
by another nurse, Mrs. Kaiser:
EARLY Sunday morning we were
reused by the drum calling to battle
reused by the drum calling to battle.
The men responded promptly, leaving
me with only one attendant to care for
the helpless sick soldiers who lay on
the damp ground, wrapped only in a
blanket. | gave them some coffee and
hard tack, with a smile and the as
surance that | would get them out of
the way of the flying lead. The camp
was in the range of the battle, and
knew the regiment had no ammunition.
and must soon fall back, perhaps be-
fore ! could even get the men ready
to go. Several balls came tearing
through the tent, creating almost
panic. We had gone there in the dark.
and had not taken the trouble to find
our position, and what to do we did
not know. Suddenly | thought of a
lieutenant who had been sick the day
before. | sought among the tents and
found him, and he gave me the points
or the compass, and told me of a ravine
near by where we must try and get the
men. Those who were unable to walk
we carried on poles, and thus all were
transported but one old man, who was
delirious and would neither go nor be
carried
A captain came in, wounded in the
left shoulder. and so once more went
to- the camp and returned with what
| could carry, then bound up the wound
to stop the blood. BY that time an
orderly came with the command to get
the men as far down the ravine as we
coGld, and an ambulance would meet
us there. AS soon as all was in order
| took rifle and started for the battle
ground. When | reached the lines
found our men in great numbers. and
work ID as long as | could find any
thing to do with After using my own
skirt and handkerchief and everything
| could get at, | went down to the river.
There | saw such sights as | never
want to see again-wounde mem
mules and horses, tents and blankets
in the widest disorder. The surgeon
was attending to putting men on
boat, He sent me aboard to do what
| could. There were men wounded in
all imaginable ways Soon an amputa-
ton table was prepared; meanwhile. I
sat down on the floor with my back to
the PARTITION trying to rest a moment,
as had been passing through so much
since before daylight. woman came
out of stateroom. just in time to see
me there and walking up to me she
said in sharp tones. Why don't you go
10 work? As | had been on my feet
all that dreadful day withou, food and
working in blood, | thought her ques-
ton called for a reply and | asked,
Why don't YOU go to work yourself
and see how YOU like it,
She said, 1 am at work. taking care
OF my husband, who has had his thumb
shot and is in,