Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-27
BELOVEDBY THES0UTH
The Eventful Career Of Miss
Sally Tompkins.
HON0RED BY CONFEDERACY
Only Woman Ever Commissioned as
q Captain.
NOBLE WORK IN THE HOSPITAL
War Swept Away Much Of Her
withdrawing Her Declining
Years in Richmond.
iOBLE WORK IN THE HOSPITAL
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

ears In h1c0mo0Q.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.
RICHMOND, Va. August Is. 1906
Miss Sally Tompkins. the only woman
who ever received from the confederacy q
commission as captain. is an inmate OF the
Home for Needy Confederate Women, this
city. Miss Tompkins was as loyal to the
cause Of the south as was ever Gen. Jubal
Early. noted as the only man who never
took the oath Of allegiance and who from
the beginning of the war to the day Of hfs
| death never wore anything but the confed-
crate gray Miss Tompkins Is now in her
seventy-third year. is in full possession Of
all her faculties and talks delightfully."- of her
! experiences in the war and the work done
by her for the confederacy. She will not.
| however. speak except with modesty of
what she did, for what she did was with
the spirit and belief Of one who knows
duty and does it, accepting the result with
| consciousness of having performed moth
ing more than duty.
| Miss Tompkins was woman of twenty
| eight years when the war broke out. She
had ample means. but she was anxious to
| do her part-to show her devotion to the
| state and to the people Of the south. She
| believed the cause of the confederacy Just.
| She had some little experience as nurse
prior to the war; when a relative was badly
| wounded while out cunning. and she decid-
ed that that experience would be worth
something. When the hospitals began to
| fill up after the war had begun in earnest
she decided that she could do hospital work.
Judge John Robertson of this city had
moved his family to the country and
when Miss Tompkins announced her in
tention of opening hospital for the care
Of the sick and wounded the house was
placed at her disposal. She equipped the
place from her private purse and took with
her the servants from her household-the
ored women-Betsy Ashford and Betsy Cur
| tbs. Miss Tompkins declares today that
they were the most devoted. honest and re-
remained with her to the end.
President Davis Act
In 1862 the confederates promulgated an
order directing that all private hospitals
should be closed and the men assigned to
| duty in the hospitals under the control of
the war department. This was resented
by the friends of Miss Tompklns, who knew
Of the work she had done and her sacri-
flee for the confederacy. They appealed to
| the president of the confederacy, but he
saw no way by which to prevent the exc
eutlon OF the order At last. knowing the
her zeal and desire to maintain the hos
pital. President Davis called in the secre-
tary or war, saying:
Let commission issue forthwith naming
Miss Sally L. Tompkins of Richmond as
captain OF cavalry. unassigned,
The commission was promptly made out
she was at the hospital President Davis
wrote her that she would be entitled to
draw pay as an officer, saying to her that
she would have that with which to aid in
kins only smiled and said. THANK you. Mr.
President" She accepted the commits
sion, but never a cent of the pay did she
get, allowing It to remain to her credit and
directing that it be used to equip and feed
the men In the field.
Nearly 1,4OO Hospital Patients.
More than 1880 soldiers were treated at
her hospital, and as fast as the men re-
| covered they would take their places at the
front To her the work she was doing was
| unimportant. and the men could only show
| their appreciation for her by reporting for
| duty at once.
| Miss Tompkins. still loyal to the cause of
the confederacy. is spending her last days
| In ease and comfort. The war swept away
| she has always contributed of her means
! to the distress of those less fortunate than
| herself.
| She has every comfort, splendid quarters
| and servants are at hand to wait on her.
She Is modest. unassuming, gentle. Edu-
| Gated and refined. her conversation is at all
times easy and graceful Her hair Is al
| most white. yet she is as cheerful and I'M
| complaining as the merriest.
She has friends all over the south-people
| or ample means who would gladly give her
home If she would only come to them.
| She loves Richmond. the scene of her work.
| where she is best known and where she can
visit to her hearts content. She is loved
by the veterans of the home, many Of whom
| hospital. Her stories of the war are most
| interesting and are told with delightful
| southern accent.
Miss Tompkins Is a native Of Mathews
| county. and In the court house there is q
picture of her. taken many years ago,
| which was placed there by order Of the
court. That was the only picture ever
| taken of her. and when she was asked re-
| Gently to have q sitting at photographers
her reply was that she would think over
the matter.
Thousands Of Socks for Soldiers.
Miss Tompkins, in talking over the work
| done by her at the hospital. said she spent
| all her spare time in knitting socks for the
/ soldiers, turning out thousands of pairs
| every year. When she first opened the hos
! pital she had only one physician-Dr. A. "
P. Garnett of Washington. who refnquished
| large practice to come to the SOUTH and
he spent three years there, receiving not
cent Of pay for his services, Later. DR..
| Lattfner came to the hospital, and re-
| manned till the close Of the war.
Miss Tompkins spent much of her time
| In writing letters to- the relatives Of the
| men who were under her care, and today
| there are many men who remember her
and who mention her name only in praise
| She is growing feeble and cannot get
| about as readily and freely as she would
| like. She Is connected with the best fam
| lilies Of the state and Is proud Of what she
| has done. She accepts the result Of the
| war gracefully, and while 1t, cost her
| nearly all Of her fortune. she Is perfectly
! happy at the Idea that her work was and
| is appreciated.
| She wants for nothing. When she cares
| to go driving a carriage is at her COM
mand If she but makes her wishes known.
| She has visited much In Washington and
| Baltimore. where she has relatives and
friends. Today she has the commission
issued to her by President Davis. and at
her death 1t is to be presented to the con-
She spends her time now In reading,
| writing and knitting She has great
| many visitors. all Of whom are devoted to
I Ghn fo toH nd e.