The National tribune., 1896-08-13

woman who typifies some of the strongest wom-
anly, spiritual forces. and who made war easier
for hundreds of our tired, sick, discouraged
men. She went to the batt!efelds and did for
the men and boys there as mother might do
for her own sons; but there were tasks that
few women would do for armies Of men. She
fold the hands of the dead but she scrubbed
floors, disciplined lazy negroes into hospital
service, washed out hospital clothes, cooked
food, and defed every authority on earth and
all the red tape of armies if it opposed her in
the proper care of her boys Jenkin Lloyd
Jones, of Chicago, said of her: cat Corinth |
was one of the lpless burdens in the hospital,
when you assailed me with helpful indignation
because did not stand up for my rights when
you found me in dirty shirt and without
proper attendance. You scolded me soundiy,
threw me into clean shirt, and slapped me
round generally, but kept me in mind and
three or four days of your blessed abusivenes5
and irrepressibe cheer turned the tide in favor
Of life. Last Sunday in my sermon / thoaght
of you. My topic was, What is spiritualityY
" The praying Stonewall Jackson, vino fought
his Amens,' to his devotions, represented
splendid spiritual force as did the blunt, rus
tic and, at times terrific Mother Bckerdy IKE,
who, with flaming bandana round her head,
skirts we'll tucked up under her apron strings,
arms akimbo, wheeled into efficiency motley
crowd of contrabands, commanded recognition
among the belaced young Surgeons who began
by sneering at her, then came to fear, and at
last to revere her. She was splendid type of
spiritual power as she now defied, now COM
manded, Commanding Generals. She, with no
honor, pay, nor fame back of her or before her,
rose superior to red tape, and. like Herakles,
grapped with death and vanquished him, not
once, but many, many times-all for loves
sake"
HER FIRST WORK.
at the beginning of the war; moved to pity
by the accounts of the suffering soldiers, she
left her home to go to the armies, carrying
$500 worth of sanitary stores With these she
went to the hospitals at Cairo, III.
Gathered into these dreary places were
about $50 sick men; for camp diarrhea, dysen-
terry, measles aud typhoid fever anticipated
the rebel bullet. The drinking water was i'm
pure there was no ice, no conveniences for
bathing, no change Of clothing for the sick,
and the strong young men from clean homes
fell easy prey to the poisonous breath OF the
marshes The nurses were convalescent SOL
diers-wan, thin, weak, and requiring nursing
themselves. They were kind to their COM
rades, but were worthless nurses"
Her first requisiton was for bathtubs. She
improvised them out Of barrels. She organized
the nurses, and saw that the sick men were all
bathed, and as far as possible, given clean
clothing. Then she established sick-diet
kitchen.
Her work was always practical. All through
the war she had to cope with the most repulsive
troubles, but everywhere she went she carried
the same methods for establishing cleanliness
and comfort and good food. She did not fater
to search the battlefelds at night for fear some
that were living might have been overlooked.
ON THE BATTLEFIELD AT NIGHT.
There are some incidents that would serve
for picture or poem. After an unusually hard
10 days. when she had practically had no sleep,
and " hen she herself admitted her nerves felt
as if they were stretched Is miles," the doc
tors persuaded her to take some rest, and she
went to her stateroom; but, rs she tells the
story:
81 was standing by an open window that
looked out toward the battlefield. All the
camp was still as death, and the air was as cold
as death, but my blood surged hot in my head,
and 1 could not Sleep / heard moan out
there in the cold and darkness. They said
| that all the living wounded had been brought
| in, but felt sure some poor soul had been
| overlooked and left to die alone. | could not
| rest until / knew, so | took lantern and a
canteen of brandy and called two men with a
stretcher. We searched long time. The men
said It's no use all the living were gathered
up but knew had heard moan. serv-
ant came from the officers quarters to see what
we were doing, and went away again. Oh,
| those hundreds of faces that lay with wide
open sightess eyes ! can see them yet The
fair-haired boys. The brave young fathers!
God pity the broken hearts at home!"
They found two poor fellows lying close to-
gether covered with rubber blanket. both
breathing. but only one with life enough to
moan, They were carried down to the hospital
boat. and one lived.
She sometimes-although she was an un-
usually strong nerved woman-would shud-
sights and sounds that were continually around
her, but she prayed TO God for help, and
| went into the work again-a great awkward
figure in army boots, and with carpet, army
blanket, shawl or whatever best could be
spared for wrap and through storm and heat,
sneers and praise, never wearying she nursed
the men, encouraged them chastiscd the thieves
who stole her boys" clean shirts chicken
broth drove into the country for miles around
to get fresh milk and eggs for them, wrote
| letters to their home friends, and was as gentle
with auiverng suffering soldier as she was
stern and terrific" to a skulking, thieving
one.
GEN. SHERMAN AND MOTHER BICKERDYKE.
The soldiers naturally soon began to rely on
Mother Biclserdyke. They used to say that
she could bake bread on the back.of mule
There is cever description Of q scene with
Gen. Sherman, who was always good friend
to her. One day he issued order about sup
plies that hampered her hospital work so much
that she determined TO have it changed. She
marched into Sherman's Headquarters despite
the protest of his staff officers. After she had
told him how much she needed the change in
orders, he said:
"Well, Pm busy to-day, and cannot attend to
YOU. l will see you some other time" But
though Sherman kept on writing and did not
look up, Mrs. Bickerdyke saw q smile lurking