Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-06-30
A FAMOUS WAR NURSE.
How Mother Bickerdyke Secured MIN
For Wounded Soldiers.

y" 'He ItoHt ~ lIulSc NUuuutu sUl
d'ers have any idea Of the hardship
which women so pledging their ser
vices may have to face. They may b
Interested % read some stories O
Mother Bickerdyke, the idol of tn
Army of the Tennessee and cne o
tle most famous and remarkabl
women of the civil war.
Hefore the war broke out Mrs
F'cksrdyke had lost her husband
ard, leaving her children in the car
Of friends, she volunteered. Goo,
women nurses were hard to get, ann
sac was gratefully accepted
During those evemtful days of th
WIZ Mrs. Bickerdyke had a certain
pet plan which she wished to carr,
out. 1t was opposed by the com
handing officer of the division. Vii
opposition was based on ms,nler
s4Afaing of the case. Mrs, Becker
dyke had no fear OF authority wher,
The interest of her wounded boys
was at stake, and one morning sh,
marched unto the generals tent tt
protest.
Il cannot permit anything of the
kind, Mrs. Bckerdyke,' said the Off.
Ger austerly. 81 shall do as | think
best I have my orders from head.
quarters"
And I'll do as I think best I've
got my orders from Lord God AZ
mighty, and | guess there isn't any
higher headquarters than that"
She had her way, as indeed she
usually did.
Once there was no milk in camp,
and the sick were sadly in need of it.
The heart of Mother Bckerdyke was
wrung that there should be anything
for the want of which her boys
must suffer, and she complained bit
terly. She grumbled until the com
manding officer, out of patience with
a thousand other difficulties, stopped
her one day with:
look here Mrs. Bickerdyke. I'm
tired hearing about that milk. Either
stop growing or get it yourself"
TO his surprise she took the sar-
casm literally.
You give me furlough," she said
promptly, land I'll get the milk
There was nothing for the officer
to do but grant the furlough, and /.
was with many misgivings that the
division bade farewell to its idol.
Weeks went by. One evening the
sentry sped on the horizon weary
looking woman driving a score OF
cows. AS they approached some
thing strangely familiar was noted
in the woman's bold, free stride. Sud-
denly a soldier with sharper eyes
than his companions cried.
"Hurrah It's that blessed Mother
Fckerdyke!"
Such Shout as went up from the
q@my! 1t startled the reedbirds from
1elr coverts and brought the sleepy
trr'les to their cabin doors.
ME heroine received the ovation
with a stolid face.
here's your milk!" was all she
v J to say to the commanding Off
sa". who stood smiling beside his
'spt, She had gone up into Iowa
anwhere, bought the cows and
e''yen them all the way, much Of the
ire through hostile country, but her
'Nutatlon as a minstering angel
"s known and she was not molested.
Mrs. Annie Wittenmeyer, the ia
" Gus nurse, has been heard to tell
y" following story of Mrs. Becker
'r''e which reveals her in tender
mt:
II was after great battle one bit
fr cod night. The wind was whist
ing through the pine trees, ana the |
Wounded were lying on the ground in
ong rows, with nothing to protect
lem from the elements but few
orn pieces of tent covering.
The tired soldiers were busy carry
ng in the survivors and burying the
cad. There were only the two wo-
hen to care for the wounded. Mother
'ickerdyke, who was physically the
tronger of the two, set to work gath
ring dead branches and digging up
cots of trees. Soon she had cheer
III fire splnttering away in pro-
ected corner and kettle Of soup
for those who could eat.
In the meantime Mrs. Wittenmeyer
ad been rumaging among the stores
nd had unearthed a barrel of wool !
m socks. From this the wounded /
ZEN were supplied with warm, dry
ose. AT last there was but one pair
1T, with two men still to be fitted.
he nurses were in a quandary.
there could they get another pair
hose or how make an impartial
1T of the remaining pair? They dis
Used IT anxiously. One of the two
ounded men caught snatch Of the
He raised himself on
he elbow to listen. Then he laughed.
was a shrill, mirthless laugh, in
now and then by parox-
SINS of coughing as the red blood
ON the hemorrhage OF an internal
ound trickled between his lips and
red the tent cloth.
Everyone turned TO look at him. II
emed an odd time and place for
firth.
What are you laughing at, any
ay?" demanded Mother Bickerdyke,