The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-10-08
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
ARMY NURSES OF THE CIVIL WAR
MONG women of all climes and

NUM- women OF all CltHltS anu
~ all countries throughout the
- ages of human history an in
tense and passionate love OF
country, holding for the time all other
loves in allegiance has been a common
trait of character. hut in no instance
was this ever so conspicuousIy or con
cIusiveIy demonstrated as in the days
OF the civil war. It is impossible 10
overestimate the amount OF consecrated
work they did Il was not hard mat
ter at first for the men. buoyed up with
enthusiasm. martial music and the
Dlaudits of the people 10 march to the
lannon's mouth under iron hail, but Tor
the women who waited in the desoIate
homes il was the most exquisite sui
fering- For them the sun that set On
Sumter at the end OF that mid-ApTil day
in 1851 carried into starIess night the
light Of their lives In the dull round
of existence. North and South. where
all energies were paralyzed for the first
few months, days OF anxiety succeeded
sIeepIess nights and eOrroding suspense
ate its way into tender women's hearts,
leaving scars that time can never ef1ace-
Then the reaction set in
Organization for Relief.
After giving all they had TO give, nus
bands and lovers. fathers and sons 10
feed the monster of civil war. they pro
ceeded to organize for relief. and they
did 1t with q selT-control and rational
consideration Of the wisest and best
means Ct accomplishing their purposes
that aetonished the world There was
visible 70 mawkish sentimenIaiity, 10
spasmodic display Of self-emulatingI
pride. They demonstrated American
women TO be in high degree the products
and Representatives Of a new social eTd
and new political development They
forgot the ban OF sex, the bar Of social
custom.
All other interests were oveTshadoTed
by the one idea. loyalty to their flag and
succor for its defenders.
Many women shouldered guns, AID
carried colors while stormins redoG5ts
or raiIying stampeded forces. but a far
nobler though less demonstrative mani
festation Of patriotism than this is that
which prompted women to 90 among the
SICK G-l NOll-4E1- ~ li1L144otcA ~ t-AS.--
in the field and hospital To do this re-
quired force Of character OF rare
kind. These war women were really
heroes. They conquered their feminine
sensibiIity at sight OF blood and wounds;
their native antipathy to disorder, con-
fusion and violence subdued the rebel
Hous delicacy Of their more exquisite
senses lived coarsely. and dressed and
slept rudeIy.
Miss Dorothea Dix,
Thus 1t came about that Miss Doro-
thea Dix, Of Worcester. Mass, was ap-
pointed by Secretary Of War Cameron
Superintendent OF Female Nurses.
Miss Dix was 4 unique character. She
was OF a phi1anthropic nature. and had
spent many years Investigating the con
ditions OF prisons and insane asylums
and poorhouses. and was a born man
ager. She was little woman. with
soft, low voice, gently cadenced, and q
viii OF east iron. She was the embodi-
ment Of push and energy. and had no
use In the world for men. and they had
less for her, so that she was never able
TO work tremendously with them. They
were probably jealous Of her power,
which was great; certainly impatient Of
her authority. and accused her OF being
arbitrary, opinionated. severe and ca
PRECIOUS. She was probably little Of
all this, but she was, withal, pretty
sure to be righL Miss Dix. like SO many
hundreds Of the women who entered the
hospital work, drew no salary, but de-
voted her life and energies to the grand
work without remuneration. As Super
intendent Of Army Nurses Miss DIX was
authorized TO receive ali applications
and pass upon the qualifications of those
DESTROYS Of taking upon themselves the
duties Of hospital service.
4 Committee Appointed.
committee was appointed TO visit
the hospitals IN and around Washington.
early in the fall of 1851, and Mrs. Mary
a Livermore. who was one OF the com
mittee, says:
The awful condition Of the wounded