The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-05-28
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING REMiNICENCSS
OF THE WAR.
Graphic Account of Stirring Scenes
Witnessed on the Battlefield and in
Camp-Neterans of the Rebellion Re-
A War Woman of Note.

UecOule SOIUleTS, Sdiu one oI tuoSe liieH
who think there is only one place for
woman.
1t would be interesting to know how
many women served as soldiers on
both sides in the civil war. There We're
many of them. enough for several COM
panies. without doubt. and some of
them distinguished themselves. won
promotions. though 1 believe only one
received a governors commission. Let
me tell you about her.
An Iowa gentleman. T. W. Burning
ton. has sent me something about Ma
jor Belle Reynolds. OF whom and her
service much has been written that l
do not remember TO have seen in print
1t is that the gallant major was a
school teacher. the very first one in
Cass County. Iowa Her father. X.
w. Macomber. was an early settler in
that county. going there in 1870. The
fall of that year the future woman SOL
der of high rank taught in q house 10
Gated on ground upon and around
which the city of Atlanta has been
built. Her father had ancestors in the
war of the revolution. and her mother
who came from Connecticut, was rel
ative of the late Ex-Governor, eX-mem-
Der of Grants cabinet and eX-AIiniSter
to Russia. Marshall Jewell. The bright,
handsome, independent young lady was
a great fayorite in the new county and
her work as a teacher highly apre-
cated. One of her brothers, ]. X. Ma
comber is a prominent lawyer Of Des
Moines, whose wife is a writer and
lecturer of note, and has taken a lead
ing part in advocating the rights and
duties of women.
From 1866 until 1860 pretty and vi
vacious Belle Macomber did not have
to hunt for schools; her fame was
abroad and school officials did the
hunting. She never had to take up
with Gull school. where the building
was barn and the salary fit only to
starve on; she had her pick of the best.
received the highest wages paid any
teacher in the county, and was always
one CT the first in the new sections
four hundred. Among the young men
WHO regarded the popular teacher
with jealous eye was William S. Rey-
nolds. and in 1850. the year in which
the old ship of state ran upon rocks and
might have gone down if a modest Hi
nois man hadn't been called to the cap
taincy, Belle Macomber became Mrs.
Reynolds, and soon afterward they
made Illinois their home, where they
We're living when the war came. Mr..
Reynolds did not wait long after Lin
coins second call for soldiers, a call
which quickly followed the first one.
before finding himself the choice of a
company of young stalwarts for first
lieutenant.
When the new soldier informed his
young wife that he had enlisted, cx-
pecting to see her break down and
then brace up and declare that he
should not go. he was surprised to see
her face wreathed in smiles, joy
prompted. glad smiles.
what do you think Of it. Belle?'
asked Soldier Reynolds
Think Of it-what do I think of
your going to the war? Why! am de-
lighted. 1t is what you ought to do"
''Then you will not object to my go
ing?"
Not I. 1t is of all things that which
l have most wanted you to do since Mr..
Lincoln's first call"
Don't you think you will miss me
and wish hadn't gomez
Not for one moment
1t was getting serious. The lieuten-
ant wanted to serve his country, but he
didn't quite like to see his bride so con-
foundedly happy at the thought of his
going to war for three years; going,
may be and quite likely never to re-
turn. He would have preferred a few
tears and an assortment of chidings
for proposing to leave the woman he
had recently married. to the gladness
she manifested. Seeing that her hus-
band was in deep water. was distress
ed over the turn of affairs, she threw
her arms about his neck and proceeded
to give him a new shock.
y will tell you why l shall not miss
you and shall not want you to come
home l am going to the war with YOU.
Now, don't protest
But think of it! Think of the long
dangers in battle. 1t will not do"
Eyes, it will do. 1 am in perfect
health, as strong as you and as pa-
triotic."
When the Seventeenth Illinois went
South Mrs. Belle Reynolds was with it.
taking the fare of a soldier. At the
battle Of Shiloh she was under fire un-
til compelled to leave. While on her
way to the rear she saw a field hos
pital. The white faces of the sufferers
and the groans of those not so badly
injured impelled her to stop. She re-
mained all day and all night, helping to
care for and cheer the unfortunates of
battle. 'That angel of mercy,' as the
soldiers called her, spent much of her
time in the hospitals, nursing the sick.
reading to them and writing their let
ters.
The work of this Iowa teacher of a
year before came to the knowledge of
Governor Dick Yates-Yates of blessed
war memory-and he sent her COM
mission as major. She was provided
with horse EJn, uniform 1x,oc ,,,,,,