The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13
DALLAS COUNTY, ALABAMA,
WOMEN IN THE WAR
BY HENRY S. HALBERT.

, made large donations to the southern
cause in 1851 and 1867 Among these do
nations WAS contribution OF bedding
and clothing to the Delevan hospital IN
Virginia and two large bales OF supplies
to the Twenty-eighth Alabama regiment
at Corinth, Miss
The records of the Summerfield Ladies'
Aid society of 1862 have been better pre-
served than those of the other Dallas
county societies. While this record testi
fies to the efficient work Of the summer
field ladies. it should not be inferred that
they eXcelled the patriotic labors OF
others.
In addition to their regular member
ship in the aid society, the ladies' of SUM
merfcld also enrolled themselves into
company called the Ladies' Reserves.
They dressed in uniform and had regular
drills and were ready at moments
warning to resolve themselves into hos
pital corps or engage in any other good
work that presented Itself. The little
girls of Summerfield were not behind
their elder sisters in their devotion to the
southland They, too, organized them
selves into a society and were untiring in
their patriotic work. They made many
articles to be sold to purchase hospital
stores and supplies for the soldiers. How
pleasing 1t would be could one but re-
cover the names of these patriotic little
madens of Dixie.
The oNtant recOruS SNOW That lHc
women of Dallas county, in the spring of
1862 were liberal contributors to the fund
for building the ladies gunDoat," an en-
terprise projected by patriotic lady OF
Mobile. When 1t was deemed expedlent
to abandon this enterprise the ladies OF.
Selma formed what was known as the
Ladies' Hospital association, with board
of managers. This association unani-
, mously agreed that all the gunboat funds
in their possession should be converted
into hospital fund to be used by the
board of managers for the RELIEF of SICK
and wounded soldiers in such manner
as to accomplish the greatest amount or
good. The association called upon all the
patriotic associations of ladies through
out the state to cooperate with them In
taking similar action with regard to their
respective gunboat contributions. Ihis
call was universally carried into erect.
The records show that the Soldiers
hospital in Selma, often called the Ladies
hospital, was kept continuously supplied
with everything needful for the sick ana
wounded by the women of Dallas county.
And their benefcence was not confined to
their own county. When the Confed-
crate government established the hos
pitaI at Gainesville for the SICK ana
wounded soldiers of the Western army,
the ladies of the Military Aid society OIL
Selma appropriated the rooms of thelr
society as Il depot lpI inc icNVPei"'i
all supplies designed by the contributors
for the Gainesville hospital. preparatory
to their being shipped to that place
The following paragraph is from the
Selma Reporter of December 4, 1867;
'rhe ladies of the Military Aid society
are all the time hard at work, and the
generality of our citizens cooperate with
them, We hazard nothing in saying that
Selma has done and is yet doing moro
for tho soldiers in the service than any
other city of its size in or out of the Con-
federacy."
The articles enumerated in the eXtant
reports of contributions from the uliler-
ent aid societies of Dallas county dur
ing 1862 perhaps do not represent the
twentieth part of the various articles
sent by the women of the county that
year to the soldiers In the field and to the
sick and wounded in hospitals in Ala
bama Mississippi and Virginia.
This same good work was kept up dur
ing 1868. In the growing dearth or ma
terials, carpets were taken up from the
floors and converted into blankets for the
use of the soldiers. This idea of convert
ing carpets into blankets was first suS-
gested to the ladies' aid societies by
Mrs A. A. Lapsley, in October, 1867. The
carpet of the Shady Grove church, near
huntsville, was thus used for some needy
Alabama soldiers in the army OF Ten
npSSpe, MANY OF tUe WOIltil III thV ~
cletles had by this time become sklllful
at the loom, and it was not unusual to
see citizens of Dallas county dressed In
full homespun suits.
February y, 1863, the term of those in
ofne having expired, the Ladies Mil
itary society of Selma met and elected
the following officers: Mrs. William
Plattenburg, president; Mrs. William
Norris. vice president: Miss Endora Con-
oley. secretary; Miss Emily Ferguson, as
sistant secretary; Mrs. McConico. treas
rrer: Mrs. lIendree and Mrs. TreadWell,
purchasing COMMITTEES: Mrs. Naples, gen
eral directress Mrs. Cater, Mrs. Nllllam
Norris. Mrs. Waller, Mrs. Lindsay MIS-.
Kent Mrs IIendree. Mrs. Ferguson, Mrs.
Conolcy. Mrs. Watts, MIS- FelloWs' ME-
Small, directresses.
The following notice of the ladies of
Selma is from the Selma Reporter of Feb
ruary T., 1863:
"1he generality of the ladies of Selma
have shown great devotion to the cause
OF the Confederacy and have done much
for our soldiers, but the amount as well
as the manner of the work of the Ladies
Military Aid society has ELECTED especial
praiss for those so nobly and periodically
engaged From what We have seen we
are satisfied that the ladies OF this so
ciety have the taste, skill, energy and
patriotism to do more and better work
for the soldiers, IN shorter tlHlt, IMAM
any other like number of ladies in the
southern Confederacy.
"They do not weary in we'll doing, but
are all the time calling for more work
more means to purchase materials to be
made into garments for the use of our
brave defenders. And we are glad to
see that many of our citizens are open
ing their purses with liberal hands in re-
Spouse to the calls made upon them
The secretary's itemi2ed report of the
Selma society from October /, 1862, to
February p, 1868. shows the sum of 1872
articles made for the soldiers and re-
ceved from other sources. In addition to
this the report shows a large amount OF
supplies sent to the hospitals.
About the last of June the four months
of the Ladies' Aid society having expired,
new officers were elected as follows: Mrs.
William Norris, president; Mrs. Sarah
Nance, vice president: Mrs. Jane Kent,
secretary, and Mrs. s. +. Hobbs, treas
urer The same directresses were con-
tinued in office. The partial oxtant re-
port of the secretary shows the various
articles received and the purposes TO
which the donors wished them applied.
Toward the close of September, 1868, the
patriotic ladies of Selma urgently pressed
upon the consideration of the people of
Dallas county the propriety or establish
ing a wayside hospital, or, rather way
side home, in that city which should
serve as a suitable resting place. not
only for the sick and wounded Confed-
crate soldiers, but also for unfortunate
female refugees and other deserving Con-
-. 1T