The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13
WHAT THE WOMEN
OF MONTGOMERY DID
ToccoA cozART.


and powers of endurance. When the
soinh's condition and position-its true
grayity-early in 1861 began to make the
thoughtful fearful of consequences, 1t
must have been with sigh of relief That
the thought of woman's aid came to
mind. How many burdens had been thus
shnnted, and how many weak and fail
ing adventures had been carried through
to a glorious conclusion, because woman
seemingly feeble hand had been given the
pilot wheel at the critical moment! Far
be it from us to even seem to rob those
heroic men of one 1.-THE of their just
glory, but now our theme is what Mont
gomerys fair and brave women did for
the cause of the Confederacy.
Upon investigation it is found they went
to work in so systematic manner tnat
one can but feel the deepest respect for
the good sense and executive ability OF
those noble women who freely spent
themselves in every activity that claimed
their attention.
Their first efforts were naturally d.
reeted toward the army. To them man
who failed to see the glorious necessity
for joining the army was almost traitor.
So we find the beautiful young women
using the incentive of their beauty TO
further their country's cause.
Concerts were given for the benefit Of
some one of the military organizations of
the city, those same military companies
being the pets of Montgomery society.
Society leaders held secret conferences
with their merchants-to whom the trade
and good will Of those women meant for
tunes-and later the newspapers an
nounced that the patriotic merchants
were making arrangements to allow their
clerks TO join the military companies.
They would be given the opportunity to
drill, so that at any time in the future,
II the country needed their services they
would form an effective reserve from
which troops could be drawn on short no.
tice. In this case their salaries would be
continued to their families"
Many woman smiled as she read the
announcement; she said nothlng-just fol-
lowed the rule of her seX-let the men
have all the glory! She was shreWd
enough to know that she could work
more effectively in the background.
When concerts and raffies had fulfilled
their mission direct contributions of
money, provisions and anything that
would assist either the soldier in the
field or his family at home were So
licited. AuXliaries were FORMED through
out the county; boxes of comforts and
delioacies were packed and sent to the
front, for even before the first battle was
fought many a poor fellow was laid low
by fever, chills and that dread scourge
of armies, dysentery Conditions under
which the first troops were forced to ex-
ist were the reverse of their home life
Those conditions were promptly realized
by the mother instinct of the women,
and they knew they must be up and
doing" Letters of loving advice and en-
couragement went with bottles of cor
dials, wines and toncs and such cooked
delicacies as would stand transportation.
Finally arrangements for the care of
those apactated ones were first per-
fected here in the half way" ground.
Virginia was too close to the seat of
war; the Mississippi states We're too far
off; Montgomery and her promptly re-
sourceful women met the emergency!
AS time brought the realization that
war was grim monster, demanding the
sacrifice of their best and most beloved,
and consuming their efforts and straining
their resources, those heroic women
neither faltered nor failed! Clothing was
overhauled and everything that the sol
der could utilize was laid aside as sa-
cred 10 his use. Blankets were stripped
from luxurious beds and given with will
ing hands and loyal hearts, to be sent TO
the soldier at the front; only the ex-
tremely aged or the new mother and her
delicate babe knowing the comfort of a
blanket when the bitter winds of win
ter howed. Cotton comforts" became
quite the fashion and quilting parties
were frequent. Many times as the bellies
sat lacking" the quilts, gallant soldiers
clumsily threaded needles, the while
they gave graphic accounts of their ex-
periences in the trenches where their
only protection from the driving sleet
and snow had been those very blankets.
When the blankets had gone the way of
all army supplies, in time of advance or
retreat, then did those women give their
carpets--hardly a carpet remained upon
their floors Velvet carpets would not
answer; so every "three-ply.' ingram
or smooth woven fabric that could be
persuaded to take the place of the lost
and not to-be-replaced blanket was
pressed into service.
The wide colonial fireplaces that owned
historic brass furnishings were stripped
of their treasures and those andirons
shovels, tongs and quaint bellows were
given TO the confederate foundry to make
cannon, while the home blacksmith was
uuickened in his inventive genius by the
urgings of the housewives, who compelled
him to his best efforts to replace the fire
side treasures that had gone to noble
cause. Some of the results were credita-
BILE enough to have had their origin win
the "Roycrafters."
From these small beginnings grew the
manufactures that held the confederacy
to a possibility of future victory through
a length of time that astonished the
world.
In June of 1862 the papers comment
upon an elegant specimen of fine black
broadcloth hat "futed, ribbed and made
by Mrs. James Merriweather of Mont
gomery." While esquire Gushing has a
neat and comfortable hat made of long
leaf pine. the hat being the work of a
Macon county lady-name not given, but
living near Notasulga"
Spinning wheels were in demand; looms
added their "clack' to the general hum
of industry. The papers announce that
the honor belongs to a little girl of nine
years of having succeeded in spinning
most beautiful article of fine cotton
sewing thread on a common spinning
wheel"
Even the "player folk"-those people
without an abiding place-caught the en-
thusiasm of the women, and we read
where Maggie Mitchell-she whose genius
made Dickens Cricket on the Hearth
an everyday thought with the common
people, presented the True Blues with q
silver goblet for competition. while Harry
Mccarthy. after making "The Bonnye
Blue Flag immortal shared his prosper
fty with all the ladies' aid societies.
In that year of 1862. when the south saw
the star of victory just above the sun
rise horizon, what q stir OF activity
among the women. And how manfully
the citizens of all communities responded