Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1905-07-08
The Memorial 20 Mother Riekerdyke

The Memorial 10 Mother sickerdyke-
The land is dotted with monuments,
in memory of heroes of the Civil war,
but the memorial to Mother Bicker-
dyke" is the first for a woman of the
war.
The design, like the woman it is in
tended to commemorate, is strong and
simple A wounded soldier on the
battlefield has been tenderly lifted into
a half-sitting posture by the army
nurse, while she holds a cooling drink
to his parched lips. The figure of the
soldier is admirably done, and there
is fine feeling in the figure of Mother
Bickerdy ke-the plain. tender woman
whose mission it was to relieve suf-
fering soldiers wherever she found
them. Her hair is done up simply.
Her dress is that of the army nurse,
but the feeling of genuine tenderness
in the face and figure of the woman
positively ennobles her. 1t is truly
that of a mother bending over her
wounded boy and ministering to his
immediate wants.
The life-size group rests on a gran
lite pedestal without ornament. and
only the words Mary A Bickerdyke-
A1OlASis IuSCIlO0u on the AC
simple lines of this pedestal and its
shape lend much emphasis to the
group on top.
Mother Bickerdyke's biography,
strange enough. is missing from the
encyclopedias, while those of many
women less famous are given Mary
A Bickerdyke was born near Mt. Yer
non, Knox county, Ohio. July 10, 1917.
Her mother died when she was only II
months old. One of her grandfathers
fought in the Revolutionary war. She
married young
After some years of married life her
husband died and left her with several
little children. When the war broke
out she was one of the most active of
the women in Galesburg ILL.,. to work
for the soldiers at the front and when
at one time a trainload of supplies for
the army were sent from Galesburg to
Cairo. she accompanied them as a del
egate. After the battle of Belmont
she was assigned as nurse to the
field hospital, where she was indefati-
gable in her exertions to relieve the
wounded soldiers Her first sight of
real battle, however, was at Fort Don
elSon.
The inadequacy of the hospital ia
cilities and the hospital supplies
shocked her and she made several
trips north to arouse more interest in
these matters. She inaugurated the
celebrated cow and hen" mission
through which she was enabled to
send 100 cows and 1000 hens to the
hospitals of the West.
In the winter of 1S63-64 she went
home, but returned and took part in
III .-I,,
Hospital at Memphis. Tenn. This &C
-commodated about 6,00O wounded men
From this she became matron of the
Gayoso hospital. where more than 700
men had been brought in after Sher-
mans battle of Arkansas Post.
She next took charge in Memphis
of the smallpox hospital, which she
cleaned and renovated with her own
hands while nine men lay dead of the
disease in the building. She followed
the Western armies through Vicks-
burg. Lookout Mountain, Missionary
Ridge and Chattanooga, and tended
friend and foe alike.
She next accompanied Sherman with
his 100000 men in their march TO the
sea She helped care for the $4,000
men who were wounded at Resaca
Kingston, New Hope Carsville. AL
toona. Dallas and Kenesaw Mountain
When Sherman cut his base she went
north, and raised great stores of sani-
tary supplies for the soldiers
When Sherman entered Savannah
she sailed south to take care of the
liberated Union prisoners of Whining
ton She pursued her mission at Beau
fort, Averysboro and Eentonville. and
at the request of Gen. Logan and the
Fifteenth Army Corps she marched
into Alexander with the army.
Then when the last battle was
fought and all the soldiers marched in
review at Washington, she was one of
the most noted figures in the great
parade
After the Rebellion she went back
to her home and lived with her son
Prof Bickerdyke. at Russell, Kan.
But she never lost her interest in the
old soldiers, and she devoted much of
the time in her late years to attend
ing to their wants in various homes"
and in aiding them to secure pensions