The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-02-01
=. AUNT LIZZIE AIKEN.
Death OF One OF the Best-Known Of the
Army Nurses.

Army Nurses.
Jan. Is Mrs Elizabeth Aiken died at
the age of 80 at her home in Chicago
She was one of the most noted and
best-remembered OF the Army Nurses.
being known throughout the Army of
the Tennessee as AUNT Lizzie" which
was the name by which she was usually
addressed by Gems. Grant, Sherman and
their subordinates. She was particu-
larly proud of the fact that she came
OF a long ancestry Of Baptists. She was
born in Auburn. n. Y. in 1917, her
mother being Ward and q member Of
distinguished Revolutionary family.
Her mother was prominent in the
church and a leader in the choir, while
her father, whose name was Anterior,
was an Elder. The death of her grand
father turned her attention to religious
things, and She decided to become a
missionary. and In December was bap-
at once interested herself i'm religious
work, but in 1897 married Cyrus Aiken
who was nine years her senior and
they went to the West and settled on
Rock River, ILL.,, Of which section they
were pioneers and their nearest neigh
bOrs the Indians. There was no Bap-
fist church near there. but a Methodist
organization. This did not deter Mrs
Aiken, who succeeded In converting not
only the Methodist minister. but all his
flock, and established a f1Ourishing
Baptist church at Brimfield. She mount
ed her horse and rode through the
country hunting for Baptists to increase
the congregation. This gave her a wide
acquaintance prior to the war and
when her husband enlisted she went to
the front as nurse, reporting for duty
first at Camp Butler. near Springfield
Ill. There she found plenty to do. be-
cause the measles had broken out in
Yates's Legion, and woman nursing was
Of much more Importance in saving
their lives than medicine. Aunt Lizzie
and Mother Sturgis appealed to the
women of the surrounding country for
enough to supply hospital, in which
there were 80 patients. The next call
for her services was to meet the wound
ed from Fort DOnelsOn, which she did
at Paducah, and was In charge Of ST.
Marks Hospital at that place with 500
inmates. These were soon increased by
the wounded brought back from Shiloh
Her next field Of duty was Memphis
where she was in the Overton Hospital
for long time. She took a brief fur
Tough home at one time. and came back
with $1,000, which she had raised to
in Memphis at the tntea.d Of the shock
ing disaster to the steamer Sultana,
and organized patrol to look for the
victims who managed tp reach the
shore, and gathered up about 100 of
for a month. i 20
After the war she returned 10 Chi
cago. connected herself with the Sec
ond Baptist Church there and became
church visitor, in which capacity she
| served for 40 years. 23Tffe Office of
| church visitor. as 1t is Known in Chi
cago, is unique. She III the dispenser
of the charity Of the church and also
the visitor. adviser and 'ceheoler of the
sick and sorrowful, whether rich or
poor. In this capacity Atfht Lizzie had
welcome entrance into1a Aarge number
| OF the homes Of the VePy@ wealthy of
the city, and President Mckinley never
| went to Chicago without paying a
| friendly call upon her. The charitable
selected her to dispense their contribu-
tons where they would do the most
good, and In spite Of her nearly so
years she was most of the time during
the day upon the street going upon her
errands Of mercy. She was q great
favorite with the G.. A. r. comrades,
thousands Of whom remembered her
personally and her kindness to them.
She never missed q Memorial Day pa
rade or other public function of the
Order. She received a pension under
a special act Of Congress before the
regular bill pensioning Army Nurses
had been enacted, but most OF her pen
sion money went with the other sums
that she received to the relief OF the
needy The body lay In state I'm the
Second BAPTIST Church and the funeral
was largely ATTENDED by veterans and
members Of the w. r. CT