Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-05-30

Philadelphia, where upwards of $4,000
sick and wounded soldiers were treat
ed. Both of these sisters were
Sisters of Charity. Another was
Mother Angela, of the Holy
Cross order, who gave up a
hourishing academy at South Bend,
Indiana, to devote herself to the care
of the soldiers. Mother Angela was a
cousin of James G. Blaine, and she al
ways maintained great admiration for
chat great statesman. Gen Grant al
ways spoke of her as a remarkable
woman. She and Gen. Grant had their
first meeting at Cairo, Illinois, where
Grant had his headquarters in an old
bank building Mother Angela went
there to report for duty. Grant was
sitting behind two iron bars, writing
busily and as busily smoking. AS
soon as hewas notified of the presence
gar, came forward bareheaded, apollo
gized for the tobacco smoke, and said
81 fully appreciate the value Of your
services, and will do everything | can
for you. ] will give orders that you do
not wart for anything" And he did.
Whatever Mother Angela called for
was always promptly forthcoming.
One story concerning President Lin
coin is told in the book, in which is
narrated the visit of the president to
Stanton hospital, in Washington City.
"None Of the sisters had ever seen
the president, but when tall, angu-
lar man, with suspicion of a stoop
about the shoulders, slowly sauntered
up the path leading to the hospital,
was President Lincoln. The homely,
wrinkled face, with its care-worn APP
pearance, and the potent, almost pa
thetic eyes. appealed at once to the
tender sensibilities of the sisters.
They knew little and cared less about
the merits of either the northern or
southern side of the bloody contro-
versy, but they had a keen apprecia-
ton of human suffering and human
sympathy. and their hearts went forth
to this plain man, who so uncomplain-
ingly carried the woes of the nation
upon his shoulders.
"The president went from cot 10 cot,
shaking hands with the poor patients,
addressing some of them with the jocu-
ar manner which he frequently en-
ployed, to conceal the anguish caused
oy seeing so much suffering. lie re-
manned at the hospital for some time,
and with the trained eyes of man of
affairs he observed the cleanliness of
the place, and did not fail TO notice
all the sisters were doing for the re-
lief and comfort of the patients. When
he departed he shook hands with each
of the sisters. and congratulated them
upon the good work they were doing"
There are stories concerning what
the sisters did for generals. and also
what they did for private soldiers in
extreme cases. There are stories, also,
of what they did for the sufferers on
southern fields, on the other side,
where poverty caused greater priva-
ton and suffering, because facilities
were lacking. The veteran who led
the writer to this volume sat near by,
as page after page was deyoured by
an interested reader, and he finally
said
"The old soldiers are dying off rap
idly. and yet you will find in every
county, probably every town. at least
one soldier of those awful days, and
he will tell you that they were in
deed angels of the battlefield, and
that they deserve monuments on
Fame's eternal camping ground along
side of the statues of those who won
trenown in battle. l venture the as
sertion that not veteran can be
| found, of any army, who will not
promptly take. off his hat in defer
ence TO the memory of the brave and
tender nurses of the sisterhoods as well
as to all of those noble women who
went forth to privation and suffering
for humanity's sake"
And who will gainsay the old griz-
zled veterans declaration of love for
the angels of the battlefield?
SMITH d. FRY.