The herald., 1897-07-25
JUBILEE FOR A WAR NURSE.
Mrs. Mary Ann Bickerdyke's Eightieth
Birthday to Be Celebrated
Throughout Kansas.

dianapolis, Cincinnati, and st. Louis
Gen. Grant gave her a pass which
would take her anywhere within the
lines of his department.. The pass was
renewed as his authority extended.
The faithful camp-angel was with
Sherman's army at Vicksburg and
Jackson, Miss, and in the campaign
about Chattanooga. Hardly had the
battle of Mission Ridge been fought be-
fore she had established a hospital at
the base of the mountain, where she
received and cared for nearly 1000
wounded men. She was the only wom-
an at work there for thirty days fol-
lowing the battle. From Chattanooga
she went to Huntsville, Ala, where the
old residence of John c. Calhoun be-
came her headquarters. She was at
Beaufort, N. c., when Lee finally sur
rendered his army to Grant. After
peace had been declared she proceeded
to Washington, and on the day of the
grand review, the now famous nurse,
mounted upon glossy saddle horse,
but wearing a simple calico dress and a
sun bonnet, was conspicuous figure
in the throng that had gathered from
all parts of the country to witness the
pageant of victory. Her services as ar
my nurse closed at Camp Butler,
Springfield ILL.,, in March, 1856, when
the last Illinois troops were mustered
out.
For year after the close of the war,
Mrs. Bickerdyke served as housekeep-
er in the Chicago Home for the Friend
less. In 1867 she conceived the idea of
assisting the ex-soldiers to procure
homes in Kansas, and a wealthy bank
er furnished her $4,000 to be used for
that purpose. Through this medium
fully 300 families We're comfortably set
tied in Central Kansas within the next
two years. In this movement she had
the hearty cooperation of Gen. Sher-
man, then in command at Fort Riley.
She built home for herself and sons
at Salina, where she also opened a ho-
tel for the accommodation of travellers
on the new Kansas Pacific railroad.
She often had distinguished guests
from the ranks of her army friends.
At one time Gems. Grant, Sherman.
Sheridan and Meade sat together at her
table. On another occasion Jefferson
Davis and party from Memphis took
supper with her when on their way to
the mountains.
| The next four years were spent in
| New York, where she worked under the
auspices of the city board of missions.
She made frequent visits to Washing
ton, and was admitted to practice as
pension attorney. She was instrumental
in securing pensions for over 800 army
nurses and for scores of veterans. Her
wonderful memory and carefully pre-
served letters and records have often
supplied the needed link in the chain
of evidence. In one of her cases before
the Department Gen. Logan vouched
for her by saying: Whatever she
wants is right, and whatever she may
say will be the truth" She has state
ment compiled by the Department
showing an annual payment through
her persona, agency of $565,O00 pension
money.
! In 1874 she returned to Kansas to
make her home with her son, and here
she has since lived, with the exception
of few years spent in San Francisco.
where she had been given position in
the United States mint. Having done
so much for others, her friends decided
about ten years ago that the govern
ment ought to do something for Mrs.
Bickerdyke. A bill was therefore in
troduced in Congress granting her
pension of S25 a month
In addition to her pension money.
Mrs. Bickerdyke derives considerable