The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-28
STORIES or
a FAMOUS
WAR Nurse.


who are volunteering 10 go TO the front
to nurse wounded soldiers have any
idea OF the hardships which women SO
pledging their services may have to
face. They may be interested to read
some stories OF Mother Bickerdyke.
the idol OF the Army OF the Tennessee
and one of the most famous and re-
| markable women OF The civil war.
Mrs. Bickerdyke will be 81 years old
on July 10, her next birthday, which
will be celebrated with appropriate GER
emonies by the q. A. X. at her home.
Bunker Hill, Kan. Her eightieth natal
anniversary was made fete day in
the town and brought telegrams OF con-
graduation from famous army officers
all over the country. An address OF
| congratulation was forwarded from the
Army OF the Tennessee.
Before the war broke out Mrs. Bicker-
| dyke had lost her husband. and. leaving
her children in the care OF friends, she
volunteered. Good women nurses were
hard to get, and she was gratefully ac-
cepted.
During those eventful days OF the
| war Mrs. Bickerdyke had certain pet
| plan which she wished TO carry out. II
was opposed by the commanding offcer
| of the division. His opposition was bas-
ed on a misunderstanding OF the case.
| Mrs. Bickerdyke had no fear of author
| ity where the interest OF her "wounded
boys was at stake. and one morning
she marched into the generals tent to
| protest.
Il cannot permit anything of the kind.
| Mrs. Bickerdyke." said the officer aus
| tereiy. II shall do as think best.
have my orders from headquarters''
And I'll do as I think best. I've got
my orders from Lord God Almighty,
and guess there isn't any higher head
quarters than that"
She had her way, as indeed she usu-
ally did
| Once there was no milk in camp, and
1 the sick were sadly In need OF 1t. The
heart OF Mother Bickerdyke was wrung
that there should be anything for the
want Of which her boys must suffer-
and she complained bitterly. She erum~
bled until the commanding ofiicer. out
OF patience with thousand other din.
culties, stopped her one day with:
Look here. Mrs. Bickerdylce! I'm
tired hearing about that milk. Either
stop growing or get 1t yourself"
To his surprise she took the sarcasm
literally.
You give me q furlough." she saic
promptly, "and I'll get the milk
There was nothing for the officer to
do but grant the furlough. and 1t was
with many misgivings that the division
bade farewell to it's idol.
Weeks went by. One evening the sen.
| try spied on the horizon weary look.
ing woman driving a score of COWS. Al
| they approached something strangely
familiar was noted in the woman's bold
free stride. Suddenly soldier with
sharper eyes than his companions cried:
| "Hurrah! It's that blessed Mother
Bickerdyke!'
| Such a shout as went up from the
army! II startled the reedbirds from
their coverts and brought the sleepy
darkies to their cabin doors.
The heroine received the ovation with
a stolid face.
There's your milk" was all she had
to say TO the commanding officer, who
stood smiling beside his tent. She had
gone up into Iowa somewhere. bought
the cows and driven them all the way,
much of the time through hostile coun-
try. but her reputation as q rainisterinK
angel was known. and she was not
molested.
Mrs. Annie wittenmeyer. the famous
nurse. has been heard to tell the FOL.
| lowing story or Mrs Bickerdyke, which
reveals her In a tender light:
| 1t was after a great battle one bitter
! cold night The wind was whistiing
through the pine trees. and the wound
ed were lying on the ground In long
rows. with nothing TO proteot them from
the elements but few tern pieces OF
/ tent covering.
M. -
i'm the survivors and buryinE the dead.
There were only the two women to care
for the wounded. Mother Bickerdyke,
two, set to work gathering dead branch
es and digging UP roots OF trees. Soon
she had a cheerful fire spluttering away
in a protected corner and a kettle OF
soup simmering for those who could eat.
In the meantime Mrs. wittenmeyer
had been .rummaging among the stores
and had unearthed a barrel OF woolen
socks From this the wounded men
were supplied with warm. dry hose. At
last there was but one pair left, with
two men still to be fitted. The nurses
were in a quandsry. Where could they
get another pair of hose or how make
an impartial gift OF the remaining pairf
They discussed IL anxiously. One OF the
two wounded men caught snatch OF
the conversation. He raised himself on
one elbow to listen. Then he laughed.
IL was a shrill. mirthless laugh. inter-
rupted now and then by paroxysms OF
coughing az the red blood from the
hemorrhage OF an internal wound tric-
killed. between his lips and dyed the tent
cloth.
Every one turned 70 look at him. lt
seemed an odd time and place for mirth-
"what are you laughing at anyway"
demanded Mother Bickerdyke. q trife
sharply perhaps. for they were all
wrought To a high nervous tension.
"oh. IT'S -funnyl" shrieked the
wounded man. You are making such
a fuss over those socks. Therev' ling
ing back the tent cloth and exposing 10
view two bleeding and footless stumps.
"W'hat DO want with socks any morer
Then strong. stern Mother bickerdyke
cried like child.