Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-07-08
TIE BATTLE FIELDS.
CID SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES
The Blue aud the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, aud in a
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell OF Camp, March and Battle.

made as great change in the young
women Of the period as II did III the
young men. have often thought that
the impulse that has Carried so many
girls into employments formerly mon
opolized By men was bprn in the first
years Of the war. The girl of the
period was proud of her iemininity ami
was extremely particular ia the mat
ter of employment. Even the father
Of large family of girls might not
ask his daughters to do what WIS re-
garded as mems work without exciting
criticism from both meii and women.
'.The girl of the smaller city. the vii
lage, and the country drew sharp line
between what she night do aud what
her brother might 10. She WIS re-
action from the girl of the pre- Gus
generation, who lad been trained 10 do
all sorts of work in and about the
farmhouse ana was jealous of her pre-
rogative as gill. Her mother had
been trained TO spin and sew, TO weave
cloth and make coats as well as
dresses; to raise vegetables as well as
rock them. and therefore the girl of
1860. if circumstances permitted. was
hot inclined TO do any of these things.
The men were to do their work aud
she was TO do hers.
when the war came and swept the
men of the farms and towns south
ward, however, the women were ready
and willing to take up mems work,
Even those who had been taught to
believe THAI % be Il lady was TO be
idle became c. ger to help the soldiers.
Young women who did not know how
TO sew organized sewing circl.s, and
in the first months Of the war the
woollen shirts and other garments re-
ceiyed by the soldiers We're fearfully
and wonderfully made.
Buttons at the collar band, in trent.
and at the cuff bands were on the
wrong side. and not infrequently the
sleeves were finished with a fancy
stitch that made them look like the
sleeves of a lady's dress. The boys
were went to laugh over the dear left
handed shirts. but they swore they
would wear them IL they had 10 stand
on their heads to button them. And
these girls stitching. stitching in mis-
directed zeal, with tears q doing ON
their work. as they thought of the
absent men. were transformed into
workers. They learned to do things
and to DO them well.
"Many Of them had never bridled or
sadled or hitched horse. They soon
learned to care for horses as we'll as
the men had. Few Of them knew
anything of farm work Man, on -.~.l
went without hesitation into he corn
fields. and not few of them into the
wheat fields in harvest time Going
home in the second year of the war,
a girl who had seemed to me a year
before of such delicate mold as to
shrink always from a mannish act,
ran to the stable while talked to
my mother. threw the harness on a
horse that | had called mine, hitched
him to the spring wagon. and drove
around to the front door for me, stand
ing up Ike boy, and driving like a
jehu, her bright hair flying and her
blue eyes sparkling.
/ could not believe she was the
same girl then and when | caught her
currying the horse the next morning,
Twelve months before she had shrunk
from riding behind a spirited horse;
now she was driving one every day
and enjoying all the unusual work that
came to her Another girl of the same
type drove ten miles and sold not only
eggs and butter but potatoes, cab
bage, corn and hay in the market pl,,ce.
When came home In 1864 an old
cemrade. met me ut the station and
drove me along the familiar read to-
ward my old home.
las we passed Farmer Browns.
where | knew there were half dozen
pretty girls. sugeided that we stop a
few minutes. My friend looked en-
barrassed and hlnteil that my mother
ought TO have my first call. This ex-
cited my suspicious and l asked If
there was any trouble. He said there
was not, but that the girls We're Just
cleaning up their wheat harvest and
We're not in shape 10 receive callers.
Thereupon | jumped out Of the buggy
and started for the wheat field, where
l met five girls coming In, little the
worse for the work and sun, but
ready to greet me. The next night
/ called on Them and would not have
suspected they had ever seen a wheat
field"
at must be remembered, said the
doctor, that in 1860 very few young
women were employed in diy goods
establishments and more at ali in gro
ceries and general stores There were
no girls in offices of lawyers or bust
ness men, and there rsere not one.
third as many employed as teachers as
now. The trained nurse had not arriv-
ed and the stenegrapher. was nat in
evidence. Girls were disinelined TO
Homework outside their own families
and work in the factories was not pop
uiar. Remembering these things. the
change that came over the girls in the
AFst Two years Oh ttue Waf Was III :
more remarkable In many neighb9r-
hoods 30 per cent. of the young men
went into the army. The remaining
80 per cent. could not do what the fu |
100 per cent. had done before the war,
and the men at home assumed an at
titude toward the young women TAX
ing up new burdens that was defer
entail and helpful. Inter
Ocean.