The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-05-05
WOMEN WAR NURSES.
A Great Many Would BE Required
in the Event of n Conflict
with Spain.

women all over the country anxious to
be mustered into service in case there
should be an outbreak of war with
Spain.
A letter received at the white house,
and addressed: president Mckinley,
Washington. d. c." reads: 81 write
asking if | could be of any use to you
in this Cuban trouble. | am only
woman, but can nurse the sick and
wounded. l only wish | were a man. [
would go and volunteer to take one of
our unfortunate ones place who went
down with the Maine. If you need
women to nurse, or if in any way
can be of service to you for my coun-
try's sake, please let me know. I am
strong, weigh $50 pounds, height 5 feet
So inches, age 81 years, and good
nurse. Hoping to be OF service to my
God and country, L am at your COM
mand."
Another says: 81 was one of the
first volunteer nurses during the war
of the rebellion: experience on trans
ports and in hospitals. If there is am
other war, am ready"
A Canadian woman, who SAYS her
brother fought for our flag in the late
war, offers her services and adds in
her letter to the president: Failing in
the position of nurse, shall be glad to
give my services in any other capacity
where | can be of use"
From away down in Colorado an
other woman who addresses her letter
WAR Department" offers her services
in these words: 'Should there be a
war between the United States and
Spain would there be any show for us
to get transportation We are nurses,
and strong, healthy women. There
are two of us, aged 35 years.
These are but several examples of
the correspondence being received from
American women.
In the event of an outbreak with
Spain positions in the army will be
open to many women, the number
of course depending upon the extent
of the struggle. During the late war
hundreds of women served in many
capacities in relation to the army, most
of them as nurses, some as spies and
others as puryeyors, laundresses, etc.
Should a great war break out the
hospital corps of the army would have
to employ a great number of women
nurses. Secretary Alger would probably
appoint an experienced woman as super
intendent of nurses. In 1861, at the
beginning of the civil war, Secretary
Cameron appointed Mrs. Dorothea Dix
for this duty. She offered her services
without compensation. and nurses Sc
lected by her were found upon every
battlefield from Bull Run to Appomat-
tox. They were in every union hos
pital.
While the typical army nurse is al
ways described by the idealist as a
youthful. tender 'angel of mercy" with
a beautiful face, it is interesting to
know that generals in command of
armies prefer middle-aged and homely
women for such service. A circular dis
tributed by the superintendent of
nurses in 1861 read:
mo woman under so need apply. All
nurses are required to be very plain
looking women. Their dresses must
be either brown or black. with no bows,
no curls or jewelry, and no hoop
skirts"
The pay to nurses in the late war
was S12 month, but 1t is said that
hundreds of women of social rank and
position, without waiting to be for.
mally mustered in, served without pay
or hope of reward. She who is now
volunteering to aid in a conflict with
Spain is not the "new woman" but
the same patriotic creature who Of
fered herself to her flag in 1861.
Gen. Sherman called Mother Becker
dyke" the celebrated nurse of the civil
war, one of his "best generals"
The woman who would be the most
conspicuous of her sex in a great war
between the United States and Spain
is Miss Clara Barton, president of the
American Red Cross, who is now car
ing for the starving Cubans.
Should a war break OCT with Spain,
woman's valuable military service will
be done at home. AS soon as the first
gun Vi llie CIVIL war WAS HItu, NOIldu ,
work for both the union and confed-
crate causes began in earnest. With
in a month after President Lincoln
called for the first army of $4,000 vol
unteers, an association of New York
women had chosen from hundreds of
candidates 100 competent nurses to be
trained by the physicians and sur
geons of this city. At the same time
women throughout the country or
ganized soldiers aid societies, sewing
circles, fairs and entertainments Of
various sorts for the purpose of fur
nishing the brave boys both necessi-
ties and delicacies. Trains running
into Washington were weighed down
with tremendous accumulation of
freight for this purpose. Its distribu-
ton was finally turned over to the
sanitary commission, which cooperatcd
during the war with the women's clubs
and societies throughout the entire
north. After each battle agents dis
tributed the supplies as received.
Statistics show that durtAg the late
war the women's organizations raised
altogether fifty millions of dollars
among their societies jr :ke northern