Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-08-17

herself and husband over the open
campfire burning IN front Of the head
quarters. For weeks a desultory firing
had been kept up between the two ar
mics. Suddenly yell went up from the
camp and an orderly on smoking
horse dashed into camp bringing infor-
nation that the rebels had made an
attack I'm force and conveying orders
for the Seventeenth to fall In and move
forward, Amid the roll OF drums and
the bugle calls, the shouts and rushing
20 and fro of the wildly excited men,
arming and making ready for instant
battle Mrs. Reynolds emptied the con-
tents Of her frying pan into her hus-
bands haversack as he came out of the
tent ready for the advance,
Tuesday morning was cleac and cloud
less Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. Norton and
Mrs, Cunningham, O professional nurse,
who had In the meantime arrived left
the boat and made their way between
the dead OF both armies 10 the little
log church OF Shiloh, which had been
turned into hospital, and presented a
CHASTITY sight, Here the army surgeons
were at work In the small ante-room
attached 10 the church, their operat-
Ing table being improvlsed OF a plank
| placed across two barrels II was a
/ frightful scene wagon load Of human
arms and legs had been cut away from
the soldier boys. Many a strong man.
! now used 10 the horrors Of war could
not remain In that building and hastily
got out into the fresh air on the
floor OF the church were men writing
and cursing and pleading for water,
which nobody had undertaken to bring.
PROVIDES WOUNDED WITH
WATER.
Mrs. Reynolds stepped outside and
called for volunteers TO 90 with her to
the river for water Fifteen soldiers re-
sponded, and at the boat they were fur
nished with buckets, coffee, and hard
tack not the prescribed diet for inya-
lids, but a blessing 10 the wounded.
many OF whom were starving. That
night the women returned to the boat,
which had taken on another load The
little vessel needed constant guarding
from the enemy.
When Sunday came once more Mrs.
! Reynolds had not been In bed for sew
en- nights and days. The little rest she
| had caught had been while sitting with
| her head resting for a few minutes on
| the rail OF the boat, when she would
| again be reused 20 care for the wound
| ed On this day Governor Yates of IL
| linois arrived, accompanied by a corps
Of physicians. Among the latter were
Drs. Guth and COlburn Of Peoria, her
| home. men who had known her year
| before as a blooming bride. They were
| shocked by her changed and haggard
appearance. and insisted upon her re-
turning home for rest.
Too worn out and feeble for resist
ance, she assonted 10 the plans they
| made for her 10 return on the following
| day with the gubernatorial party In the
| steamer Black Hawk Twenty members
Of her husbands regiment, all OF them
| severely wounded and some Of them
| going 10 die. were on the steamer. Nat
uraliy the battle Of Pittsburg Land
| ing, OF which she had been an eye wit
| ness was the chief topic Of conversa-
| ton, She was called upon to answer
| many technical questions. She drew
! map OF the locality OF the fight
| showed the maneuverng Of each corps
| and the purpose of the movements
| She gave such an accurate description
| OF the engagement that Governor Yates
! Cthe man who gave General Grant his
| first commission In the war of the re-
| belliOn) exclaimed as she concluded:
why, this woman Is more deserving
OF commission than half the men who
| have them"
YATES ISSUES HER COMMISSION.
why not give her a commission.
! them asked DR.. C0lburn.
! Governor Yates called for blank
! commission and for pen and ink, and
/ made her a colonel.
Two weeks later, rested but far from
| recruited she returned to the corps
| General McClernand used 20 tell OF
the scene In the camp OF the Illinois
| volunteers the day the first woman
| commissioned In an American war
| (perhaps IN the world showed her COM
mission to the soldier boys There was
shouting and yelling with delight and
over 5000 soldiers marched past Major
Belle Reynolds tent and sauted her
as they passed.
In spite OF the entreaties OF her
friends In Illinois Major Reynolds re-
| NAMED with the Seventeenth Illinois
| Her relatives urged her TO abandon
| her life amid scenes of carnage and 20
| home. But she felt that she had a mis-
| sion to perform at the front Of war.
| She gave weeks to alleviating the lot OF
| the Union prisoners that were restored
TO the army at the Yicksburg surren-
der. She was the soldier boys COM
| rode, their friend and fellow soldier.
| and they stood on no ceremony with
her, although she was major. Yet she
| exeried the strongest and most cheer
| ing influence upon them because Of this
very feeling Of comradeship. She was
the soldiers comforter and counselor
Hundreds Of letters were written by
| her for sick and wounded men TO dear
| ones at home, and many last word OF
dying man was impaired by her 10
a mother, wife or sister at home. All
through the war she sat with sick or
wounded men until death or health re-
lieyed them. Once when she had almost
to go home, General L. f.. Ross wrote to
90 home, General l.. T.. Ross wrote 10
her:
| Il wish you would stay II you possi-
bly, can, Mrs Reynolds. Your influence
Is so good upon the boys
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