Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-12-27
Copyright by j. b. BowIes.)

CDR. Anita Newcomb McGee Is the one
woman in this coUntAJ who has held a
commission as an officer OF the lnlted
States army. During the Spanish-Amer-
lean war, as director OF the hospital corps
organized by the Army and Navy chapter
of the daughters of the American Revo-
luton, OF which society she was vlce-pres-
-ldent-general, DR.. MCGEE was regularly
appointed assistant surgeon OF the army.
During the war she was constantly on
duty, visiting hospitals and battleheids IN
her capacity of director and supervisor or
the army's trained nurses. She was
prominently connected with the Japanese
hospital service during the late war with
Russia. DR.. McGee studied abroad at
Cambridge and the University or Geneva.
She was graduated from COLUMBIA uni
versity of Nashington In 1883. Later she
cook a special course at Johns Hopkins
hospital. She is a fellow OF the American
Association for the Advancement or
S~cience)
An army has always two parts.
One part is the actual fighters, who
work, suffer and die and at the end
receive all the glory. The other part
is those who provide for the fighters.
They also work and suffer and die,
but at the end they are ignored and
afterward forgotten.
There are naturally very few wom-
en- who have achieved glory in the
fighting part of an army, though the
amazons are well known and Semira-
mis-, Zenobia and Jeanne dare were
commanders of armies In former
times, however, many a woman con-
cealed her sex and took her place in
the ranks as a man, though, from the
nature of the case, not many OF their
names are known. Among those who
enlisted in our revolutionary army
were Deborah Sampson, Elizabeth
Canning and Molly Macauley, and the
last-named won the grade or sergeant
before being discovered. 1t has been
estimated that during our civil war no
less than 400 wcmen contrived by
some means or other to enlist as sol
diers. The most recent instance OF
fighting women was in the Transvaal
war when many a bur2her's wife han
died a weapon at his side and many
We're taken prisoners, some OF them
being dressed as men. 1t is quite
common for the royal women Of Eu-
rope to-day to hold honorary commits
sions, generally as colonies, and al
though not expected 10 take command
In time of actual war. they do wear
their uniforms and ride with their
troops on occasions of ceremony.
But, after all. the true story OF
women Ia armies relates TO their part
| n providing and caring fer the fight.
ers. The present elaborate organiza-
ton of armies is az comparatively re-
cent growth, and originally the
greater part of the cooking and Of he
nursing OF soldiers was done by their
hardy female relatives, who were as
well able as themselves 20 bear the
fatigues of the campaign. II is al.
ways easier to procure a new soldier
than Ii is to cure one who Is sick or
wounded. and the huIale medical
corps, as one of the departments OF
an army, was a growth of the last
century. During the middle ages the
care OF the sick was largely left to
the great catholic order of knights
and the orders OF sisters who were
affiliated with them. On the continent
of Europe to-day. although a large
majority of army nurses are men, yet
in most countries there are a few
sisters of catholic orders who not only
continue to follow the troops In time
of war, but who serve as head nurses
in large army hospitals in time OF
peace.
About the beginning Of the last cen.
fury the idea OF systematic training
in the principles and practice OF car
Ing for the sick had its origin In Gers
many. where one OF the earlier stu.
dents of the art was Florence Night
ingale. Like untold thousands OF
women before her, she went forth
to the great battle with death in the
hospitals. taking with her to the
Crimea 80 women. of whom IS were
sisters OF catholic or prot slant or.
derG. Other nurses joined her later.
This war gave a gea. ss.malus IA