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

NaJoI pellc heynolus, formerly OF IL
lnois, the only woman ever commits
stoned as an officer Of the United states
army is now spending her declining
years IN this city, says a San Fran
cisco writer. Major Reynolds received
her commission from Governor Yates Of
Illinois, the father Of the present gov
ernor, as a mark OF recognition of her
conspicuous service to the soldiers dur
Ing the civil war, and especially those
from Illinois. Few OF the veterans Of
The union army saw more Of the hor-
rors OF the war than Major Reynolds.
ana When Gen. Sherman was writing
MS memoirs he twice took occasion TO
mention her valuable services TO lthe
soldiers The official record OF the ar
mics OF Illinois In the civil conflict gives
several pages TO Major Reynolds and
General Grant and John A. Logan FREE
quentiy spoke in terms OF eulogy of
her Major Reynolds IL now the presI-
dent Of the WOmans Parliament of
southern California
Major Reynolds maiden name was
Arabella Macomber She was born In
Shelburne Falls, Mass, in 1913. When
she was II years old she moved with
her parents to Iowa. which was then a
wild and unsettled country Two years
later she went east to complete her
education. and upon her return taught
the first school In Cass county. Iowa.
In April, 1850, she was married to John
c. Reynolds, and with him she moved
fA pgIafu -. a..
already rife and on the first annlver-
sary Of her wedding day the north was
thrilled with he news that Fort Sum
ter had been fired on. MIR. Reynolds.
having determined some time before to
be the first TO enlist In case OF war,
was among the first four men enrolled
in Peoria, enllstlng among the Seven
teenth Illinois volunteers three months
men, and soon was ordered to the front.
JOINS HUSBAND IN CAMP.
In the following August Mrs. Rey-
nods decided TO join her husband. who
Was then in camp al Birds Point, Mo.
Friends aud relatives by the score ad-
vised and entreated the young bride 10
keep at home and not TO take the awful
f'tfA' ~ q 0NAAiNl III lIt ltlus bul IL
was all TO no avail. She arrived in
camp on the nth Three days later
orders came TO break camp and she
went along.
She was but i9--tall handsome and
vlSaclous. The whole camp was de-
lighted to have her there, and among
the sick and wounded her presence was
as a visit from a guardian angel
At Cape Girardeau the regiment went
into garrison duty for a month or so.
The battle Of Frederckstown followed.
and In II Mrs Reynolds tasted for the
first time the horrors Of war. During
the battle she remained In the rear
suffering the anguish Of uncertainty as
TO the fate Of her husband. Twice
there came the news that her husband
had been mortally wounded al the
front but later she found that the re-
port was false
When the battle was over she went
on the field. mlnistering TO the needs Of
the wounded and dying She helped set
up the first amputatlon table IA a log
cabin there and she has related that
the amputations were 80 numerous that
several grea wooden buckets OF the
crimson blood from the mqngled gun
shot wounds OF the agonized solIlers
were emptied out IN the course Of a few
hours. She was the first woman on
~ field, and the rood she did there Is
ineNnrcssible, The official war dis
patches TO Washington all told OF her
labors for the wounded and dying.
Almost Immediately the Seventeenth
Illinois was ordered TO move southwark.
The great camp was full Of excitement.
Mrs, Reynolds request 20 go with the
troops 10 what every one felt was TO be
the mightlest battle OF the west. was
denied. The officers believed the cam
paign was too'rabid and severe for any
woman So. while the Illinois regiments
marched hastily away. with no camp
! outfits or extra baggage Of any descrip-
ton. Mrs Reynolds remained at Fort
| Henry and labore1 for the comfort of
the men in the hospitals,
ENTERS THE HOSPITAL SERVICE.
A week later. February IS. 1862. the
| nows Of Grants wonderful victory at
! Fort Donelson on the Cumberland riv-
| or, thrilled the north as much as did
| the news Of the battle Of Manila. and
! Mrs. Reynolds hastened there with all
speed to help soldier boys There were
! over 900 wounded In the hospitals and
| In the country homes OF that locality,
and the woman-then Just 20 years old
threw all her vigOr into the hospital
service She washed gdnshot wounds.
/ listened TO the faltering words family
lispcd by dying soldiers. and she helped
at the amputatlon tables which we're
hastily constructed by placing nine
| boards across barrels She was relieved
on March y and went southwark to
! join in the fortunes Of the camp OF the
Seventeenth Illinois. Those were
| great days In warfare The army OF the
southwest was massing 10000 strong at
| Shiloh church near Pittsburg Landing.
| The Confoderates. $4,000 strong. under
| Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and
| Beauregard, were coming from the
south The belief that tremendous
| battle was at hand was shared by
| everyone. Three weeks before Shiloh
was fought Mrs REYNOLDS met her hus-
| band In camp, Col. Reynolds had mean
/ while been made assistant adjutant
| general upon McClernand's stan. Here
| In camp, insufiiciently fed. through
| chill and frost and rain, the troops silent
on the ground, and Mrs. Reynolds
| shared the common lot 1t is Won
der that all did not die OF pneumonia.
There were sounds OF cannonading and
skirmishes in the locality OF the camp
every day. once a small cannon bail
tore through Mrs. Reynolds tent and
smashed the tent pole In splinters.
Every one felt that the battle might
begin al any hour Mrs Reynolds never
left camp.
COOKING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
on Sunday morning. the 9Th Of April.
the camp was all excitement Never
! theless Mrs. Reynolds was bound TO
have one good meal for her husband be-
fore the battle. SO she procured a can
/ --------- --------------------