The Minneapolis journal., 1906-08-15
.EX.ARHY NURSES
AGAIN REUNITED
Interesting Stories of the Brave
Women Who Served on
~ Battlefields.

Among tne bestowed V1SlbOrS TO tie
city this week are the army nurses,
who are being entertained at the VIII
liston hotel by the Commercial club.
There are 600 women living who can
claim the honor of having seen active
service in the civil war, but only 200
are members of the organization and
teirty-hve are in the city now -Th y
met 1t the Commercial club ut pm.
yesterday and were treated to musical
program and refreshments before the
business session. Immediately after the
them at an informal dinner, at which
| the wives of members acted as
hostesses
| The important business will not come
up Until Friday, when the new officers
will be elected, but the reports of the
secretary. Miss Kate. M. Scott, and
treasurer Mrs. Salome NJ. Stewart,
Efas Of and pa hSwed aRSs he
teen applications for membership are
to be passed upon by the credentials
| committee.
The nurses had special seats on the
reviewing stand today and luncheon
was served by Mrs. E. A. Russell, an
old comrade of hospital days. The
hostess gave her guests pretty glasses
souvenirs.
A Quaker Nurse.
Practically every ex-army nurse is
| a character about whom unusual inter
Z. est naturally centers. Rebecca E.
Frick of Philadelphia is in her eighty
third year, yet she talks charmingly
of the months when she was with
doah valley campaign. Miss Friek in
variably says, ~ am so pleased to
meet thee,' after which she explains
that she was born and bred Quaker,
but that she temporarily abandoned the
dictates of her sect to wait upon the
sick and the suffering during the civil
war, first in Washington. then in Win
Creek battle. She was doing the same
noble work in and about City Point
| when Lee surrendered and Lincoln was
assassinated. Subsequently she an
swered another call for volunteers and
finished her service as an army nurse
taking care of the colored troops at
Hampton Roads.
And then there is Miss Cornelia Han
cock of Philadelphia, who went all thru
the war from Gettysburg to Lees sur
render, and who has a priceless collec-
tion of mementoes given her by the
soldiers to whose moments of suffering
she gave comfort.
Served Also as Spy.
The meeting of the nurses haa
brought forth many exciting expert.
4 ences, but none more thrilling than
those of Mrs. Margaret Emma Harris
of Denver, Col. for, besides serving In
the capacity of nurse, she also acted
as spy, assuming any character that
, General George B. Mcclellan thought
the occasion demanded. Her best char
: acter was q colored boy, and the sol.
diers nicknamed her "Joe." But Miss
: Edmonds, as she was known then, did
Irish girl, who aid not appear -verJ
t bright, nor much interested in thing
8 about her. Out Of the twenty-thye'
J.. nurses, there were four, including Mrs
Harris, who were willing to brave th'
! danger of entering the rebel lines Il
secure the countersign or password.
II Mrs Harris is a small, slight woman
and so made an ideal boy. She was also
blessed with an excellent memory and
never made her position more danger
Gus by carrying any discriminating
papers. :,
General Mcclellan gave her his blacl
mule -"Billy" for her frequent trips
into rebel quarters. Tho she had sever
al horses shot under her, she herself
was never injured. Mrs. Harris sale
told her that they had orders to shoot
her horses, but not to shoot her, FOL
thew had no real evidence that she wal
other than she appeared, a young boy
Once when disguised as an Irish girl
she found several wounded soldiers
lying near the swamps of the james
river. One of them told her he was E
captain in General MeKee's regimen
and asked her to carry his ring ant
] general &
was diving. She was tired and nearl.
exhausted when she reached the rebe
camp, but General Mckee insisted tina
she must return to show them the wa7
to The injured men. He gave her al
Indian pony for her use and when tn,
men were found he told her to keep tn
pony to take her home.
Pho we'll along in years, Mrs. Harri
still nurses the sick and helpless.
The Nurses Register.
The members of the Nurses associa
l. tion now in the city are the following
MASSACHUSETTS,; Mrs Ciarissa Dyer. Fennsy
le vania; Mrs. NJ. Scott, national secretary, Penn
N Gettysburg; Mrs. Rebeeca Friek, Pennsylyanis
e, Dr.. Dr. Nancy NJ Hi Hi Of Iowa: Mrs. Mary Brst
Dr. Marie Elizabeth Chapman of Wisconsin, tt
S. chaplain of the association; Mrs. Sarah
N Cross Ohio Mrs. Kate Duncan. Iowa; Mr.
- = Mary Gardner, Pennsylvania; Margaret Harri
o Colorado; Cordelia Livingston Illinois; Maj
u Parke McCrae. Kansas; Mary Maxheld, Kansa:
&c Jane NJ. Norton. Illinois; Rebecca Otis. lows
er May b. Pollock, Pennsylvania; Libby NJ. Pc
;s ter, Washing gton, D. c.; Runa G. Patterso'
- - Michigan; Alice Carey Risley, Mi
e, souri,; Mrs Mary E.. Smitl
eS and Helen B. Smith. Massachusetts; Amanda
b. Smyth, Ohio; Hattie r. c. Stevens, Minn,
o. sofa; Mary E. Squire, Wisconsin; Charlott
IN Thompson Wisconsin, and Cornelia Hancocl
~ Pennsylvania.
o. -a