The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-10
STORIES OF
MOTHER BICKERDYKE.

From the Allegheny Pa.) Record.
who are volunteering to go to the front
to nurse the wounded soldiers have any
pledging their services may have to face.
They may be interested to read some
the Army of the Tennessee. and one of
the most famous and remarkable women
Mrs. Bickerdyke will be 81 years old on
July 10, her next birthday, which will be
Kan. Her sSth natal anniversary was
kilograms of congratula ton from famous
army officers all over the country An
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
hard to get, and she was gratefully ac-
During the eventful days of the war
Mrs. Bickerdyke had a certain pet plan
which she wished to carry out. 1t was
DIVISION DIVISION His fise oppositon Vas based on Ia
misunderstanding of the case. Mrs. Bick-
interest of her wounded boys was at
stake and one morning she marched into
II cannot permit anything of the kind
Mrs; Bi.e .k said the officer aus
my orders from headquarters.'
And III do as think best I've got
my orders from Lord God Almighty, and
I guess there isn't any higher headquar-
tiers than that"
She had her way, as indeed she usually
did.
Once there was no milk in camp, and the
sick We're sadly in need of it. The heart
of Mother Bickerdyke was wrung that
there should be anything for the want of
complained bitterly She grumbled until
the commanding officer, out of. patience
with a thousand other difficulties, stopped
her one day with;
Look here. Mrs. .Bickerdykei I'm tired
hearing about that milk Either stop
growing or get it yourself
To his surprise she took the sarcasm
You give me a furlough," she said
promptly, and III get the milk"
but grant the furlough, and it was with
many misgivings that the division babe
Weeks went by. One evening the sentry
spied on the horizon a weary looking wo-
approached something strangely familiar
WaS no9ed IN the woman o0Id tree SURGE;
his companion cried:
erdyke!"
Such a shout as went up from the army!
1t started the redbirds from their coverts
and brought the sleepy darkies to their
The heroine received the ovation with a
There's your mlk!" was all she had
to say to the commanding officer, who
stood smiling beside the tent. She had
gone up into Iowa somewhere, bought the
of the time through hostile country, but
her reputa stt ton as a ministering angel was
Mrs Annie Wittenmeyer the famous
nurse, has been heard to tell the following
story of Mrs. Bickerdyke, which reveals
1t was after a great battle one bitter
cold night The wind was whistling
through the pine trees and the wounded
We're lying on the ground in long. rows,
with nothing to protect them from the eie-
ments but few torn pieces of tent cover
ing;
the survivors and burying the dead. There
We're only the two women to care for the
wounded. Mother Bickerdyke, who was
physically the stronger of the two, sat to
work gathering dead branches and digging
up roots of trees. Soon she had a cheer
corner and a kettle of soup Simmering for
those who could eat.
In the meantime Mrs. Wittenmeyer had
been rummag1ng among the stores and
unearthed barrel of wooden socks. From
this the wounded men We're 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 quandary.
Where could they get another pair of hose
naming pair? They discussed it anx-
iously. One of the two wounded men
caught a snatch of the conversation. He
raised himself on one elbow to listen.
Then he laughed. 1t was a shrill. mirth-
less laugh, interrupted now and then by
paroxysms OF coughing as the red blood
trick1ed between his lips and dyed the
tent cloth.
ed odd time for mirth.
What are you laughing at, anyway?'
demanded Mother fBieke.rrdyke q tribe
wrought to high nervous tension.
'Oh, it's so funny!' shieked the wound
ed man. You are making. such fuss
the tent cloth and exposing to view two
bleeding and footless stumps. What do
want with socks anymOre?'
Then strong, stern Mother Bickerdyke
cried like a child.