The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13

pitfalls and brought into town with her
supplies of all kinds from the teeming
abundance of the plantation, to help teed
the sick and convalescent. She had near
ly 800 pairs of socks knitted on her place
in answer to the call for those 1000
pairs issued by the governor. Every
child on the plantation big enough was
taught to knit. Knitting needles by the
gross were provided, and all hands went
to work. Play? Yes, when the day
task of knitting was done. Mrs. Gilmer
organized the women OF her part OF
Coosa county into an auxiliary to the
Montgomery work; so materials were
given her for the Coosa women to sew;
thus several bales of goods were made
into uniforms, shirts or canteen covers;
large boxes were made by the slave car
penters, packed, marked plainly with
number and kind of garments contained
and then securely closed by the hands or
good DR.. Gilmer who esteemed 1t an
honor to be assistant" to those pa
triotc women. He then hauled them TO
a shipping point as directed by the
authorities In Montgomery. rms sys-
tematic aid must have been blessing 10
that sometimes congesred center.
Shipping supplies to the front did not
cover this heroic woman's idea or her
duty to her soldiers. She went out, into
the byways TO find the family of the man
at the front and see to their Welfare also.
On one of those errands OF mercy she
found a poor sick mother with SICK
babe. while two little helpless children
were on the floor crying for bread. The
bare little hut was the picture or desola-
ton. This poor woman had sold every
thing to keep~the wolf from the door--her
COW was the last sacrihce; then there
seemed nothing for her and her babes
but to starve. Mrs. Gilmer quickly sup
piled her wants and wrote the anxious
husband at the front that his FAMILY
would be taken care or as long as tne
Gilmers had anything.
Dr. Gilmer made regular trips 10 the
Montgomery hospitals to carry relays OF
conyalescent soldiers out to ms planta-
ton in Coosa and here they were nursed
back to health and strength. on one oc-
casion some sick soldiers who had just
arrived from a, northern prison We're sen
up to Mrs Gilmer ito get straight IL
was blackberry time, and those poor lei
lows were crazy about fruit and vege-
tables Both the doctor and Mrs Gilmer
warned them of the danger of so sud
den a change of fare, advising them 10
wait a few days. and grow accustomed
to the change. But how could men oe
wise in the face of such temptation
Neither history nor the Bible record any
such, So out to the berry patch they
sneal,ed and ate and ate-and we'll what
is the use? They were all very sick and
gave the good doctor and his wife a
great scare, for they believed they would
lose the whole lot" However, there was
convalescent and repentant set-all put
one poor fellow--he paid with his hfey
He was found to be entirely demehteu
he dragged his wasted form from his bed,
and dipping his finger in water drew
| patterns for coats and other garments
on the table and other articles of furni-
| ture. He had evidently been tailor and
made uniforms before going into the
army. DR. Gilmer brought his remains
to Montgomery and he now sleeps III
Oakwood His name was Cole, from
Tazewell, Tenn.
dent connected with the Ladies' Aid So
! ciety OF Coosa. She says that at one
time they had prepared an immense box
of every kind of clothing and comfort
| for the special "delectation of the COM
pany that had gone from Coosa' IN
| some way the box miscarrled ana lell
| into the hands of Il company that nap
pened to be camped right next TO the
| Coosa men. Certain things revealed the
fact To the cheated ones that that box
was theirs. After consultation they
| agreed among themselves to Keep silent
and let the needy company have IT, Sc
| they stood smiling while their more
needy comrades rejoiced over the wind
| fail" But" said Mrs. Gilmer. we
women didn't smile when we heard OF IT,
for we had put mother and sister
stitches into those things and wanted
those home boys to have them
Some of the names of the noble women
who formed the Coosa aid have been OBJ
tanned: The Gilmers, Gregorys, Greens,
Let's. Lancasters, Stewards, Ellses,
Fitzpatricks. Houses and Townsends.
The writer would be overwhelmed by
this task IL it were not true that others
are assisting In the grand work of re-
cording past glories. Mrs. Chappell Cory
has given invaluable facts in her His
tory of the Memorial Association.
The magnificent work of the Hebrew
womens Aid society will be the lovinx.