The National tribune., 1902-01-02
MOTHER BICKERDYKE.
Her Experiences at Donelson and Shiloh
BY ISABEL woRBELL BALL.

The battle of Fort Donelson was al.
ways recalled by her with tears. She
told the writer Of her search there for
wounded. 1t was late at night, and all
the living wounded had been brought in
it was reported, and cared for. When
quiet finally came upon the camp and Its
hospital filled with gastly inmates, Moth
er Bickcrdyke, worn and heartsick, went
to n window overlooking the battlefield
To cool her feyerish head she opened the
easement, and peered out into the gloom
The air was pierceingly cold and all was
still. Suddenly there came TO her tense
hearing low moan from the battlefield
| Instantly she ordered two men to follow
her with stretcher, and with eanteen
of brandy and lantern she started out
| i'll spite of the expoStulation of the officer
| in command, who insisted that all the Iiv.
| ing had been rescued. Hour after hour
she spent turning the dead faces to the
| light of her lantern. ''Oh, those hundreds
| of faces that lay with wide-open, sight
less eyes; | can see them yetr' she would
| say with shudder.
When her two men were mutinous anC
| she almost exhausted, they found two
young soldiers under blanket, both
breathing, but one past moaning. She
had them carried to the hospital boat
One died; the other lives in Dayton, Ohio
This incident has been the theme for
many poem and story. 1t is but one
however, among hundreds that filled hel
life to its last moment.
a MAMMOTH LAUNDRY.
Up to that time no attempt had been
made to save clothing and bedding used
by the wounded men on the transports
and in the temporary hospitals. Foul
with blood, with the discharges from
wounds, and often swarming with YER
min, it had always been burned or buried.
ITS shameful waste, and, then, we
need it," declared Mother Bickerdyke. So
she had all the horrible clothing about
Fort DOnelson collected in big boxes, over
which she poured disinfectants, and
all placed in the boats bound for Pitts
burg Landing. Then she sent to the Chi
cago Sanitary Commission for washing
machines, kettles and mangles, and they
came as fast as steam could bring them.
Mother Bickerdyke never asked the sec
und time for anything.
After the troops were landed her boxes
of SOlled clothing were sent back to Sa-
7aHnah, Tenn, and here she set q big
detail of "contrabands" at work on them.
The immense pile of clothing, after
cleansing, was packed in boxes and was
If inestimable value after Pittsburg
Landing, on April 6, 1862, and Shiloh on
the 18th, when there We're nearly 5000
wounded to care for. After that the ex-
tcmporized laundry followed Mother
SicEcrdyke to the end.
Julia Chase, of Hiawatha. Past Depart
lcnt President, W. r. c., herself wom-
IA or rarely sweet character, wrote the
life story of Mother Bickerdyke, its one
fault being that she did not get enough
in il, and the book was sold for the ben
eft of it's subject. Not that she was ever
an object of charity! Her fine sons took
care Of her with tender solicitudc to the
end, one a prominent college professor
in Kansas, and the other q Government
contractor in Montana. But Mother Bick-
erdyke would have bankruptcd the sugar
trust in year and not a crumb of it
have been found on her fingers.