The Tupelo journal., 1903-05-29
BRAVE ARMY NURSES
They Are Entitled to a Niche in the
Temple Of Fame.
Crixxled Veteran Proudly Declares
His Love for the Angels of the
Battlefield and the Camp
Hospital.
Especial Washington Letter.

L is an old saying, and not devoid Of
truth, that republics are migrate
full" 1t is particularly rue that
people never give their full need of
grateful appreciation to those who go
forth to battle for their country.
The time will soon be here when the
millions of young men and women of
the land will make gay holiday of the
day set apart for the decoration of the
graves of the soldiers of the great civil
war; but only the aged and tottering
will make of that Gay what was intend
ed it should be by the statesmen who
enacted the legislation making it a ma
tional holiday. 1t was expected that
forever the people would gather an
nually in grateful and fearful mem
DRY of those who fell in battle or died
of disease that this nation should re-
main ~inseparable.
But while there is declining apprecia-
ton and gratitude for all that wassuf-
fered and done by the soldiers there
seems to be almost an entire forget
f%ulness of the angels of the battle
field, those brave ONE and true who
served their country in danger of shot
and shell, as well as in the presence of
c%ontagion and infection, in the hospi-
tails and on the terrible field Of car
mage.
II of the eminent veterans of that
great strife recently led the narrator
to the Congressional library to see a
book buried deep down in the number
less tones; a book only a soldier would
discover, entitled angels of the Bat
tlefield," a volume devoted to paying
tribute to the noble band of women
Samaritans. the army nurses. The old
soldier, who is an omnivorous reader,
and exceptionally well informed, stat
ed that this is the only volume ever
published giving full credit to those
women for the part they played in the
great tragedy.
This is history, and reliable history.
The book gives credit to all of the
nurses, but is published particularly to
give credit to those church sisterhoodS
who did so much for their country and
for mankind in need of help and ten
derness. The book has long been out
of print. 1t has a frontispiece which is
a reproduction of Thomas master
piece, depicting a sister of charity
lying wounded upon a battlefield, sup
ported by one of her sisterhood, each
wearing the peculiar white wide
spreading headgear of their order and
surrounded by sympathizing soldiers.
The veteran, as he gazed at the pic
ture, said: I'm common with thou
sands of others, looked for the white
bonnet as n would look for an angel;
and she came to me-"
Inasmuch as this volume cannot be
purchased, you will undoubtedly be in
terested in having some of its best
points laid before you. In the pref
ace the author says: "The sisters do
not have reunions nor campfres to
keep alive the memories of the most
bloody lustrum in u history, but
their war stories are as heroic, besides
being far more e~difying than the veter-
ans usually tell.
The chiyalrouS men who wore the
blue and the gray, who caused Ameri-
can manhood and valor to be known
and respected the world over have on
many occasions and in various way
given expression to the esteem and af-
lection in which they hold the women
who devoted their lives to the sick and
wounded. The ranks of war sisters