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

| deIcac1es suitable 10 the slSh anu Soi'
valescent.
1.-THE Ladies' Gunboat" vas subject
| of great interest to the women of Macon
county. BY April 10 they had secured for
the gunboat fund sS0S.95, and three bales
| of cotton. OF this money $172 we're col
! lected by Misses M. Sinclair and f..
Swanson, $3.50 collected by Miss T. Ora
ham from teachers and pupils of TuslSe-
gee Female college; $3.50 collected by
| Misses F.. Graham and f. Swanson, in
Tuskegee, and 500 collected by Mrs. q, NJ.
Price
After the abandonment of the plan of
| 1t was unanimously agreed by the con-
pital stores. The bale contained various
| articles of bedding and clothing the
| building the gunboat, some weeks later,
the office of the Tuskegee Life Insurance
| company.
Other donations were soon after received
and the entire amount was deposited in
tributors that the entire sum collected.
s336.95. should be used for the relief of
| soldiers families.
| The following card published in May
| 1863, is an evidence of the far-reaching
beneficence of some of the ladies of Ma
con county:
I'm behalf of the Gilmer hospital. Chat
| tanooga, Tenn, we return the thanks of
the sick soldiers to Mrs. w. Z. Lloyd,
| Mrs. John Miles and Mrs. DR.. Bilbro, for
butter, eggs, wine and chickens, con-
| tributed to Mr.. Thomas Jennings agent
| OF the hospital"
| Early in May the citizens of Tuskegee
| together with some from the adjacent
counties, sent 500 worth of clothing to
| the Missouri soldiers in the army of Ten
nessee. Along with this contribution were
| some valuable presents from the ladies'
of the Baptist church in Tuskegee, among
/ these neat uniform for the colonel of
| the Third Missouri cavalry.
| Not long after this Mrs. Joungher Of
the Ladies' Aid society of Clinton, Miss.
published an appeal in behalf of some
| Missouri and Arkansas soldiers, whose
| baggage had nearly all been captured by
| the enemy To this appeal a generous
! response was made by the Tuskegee Aid
society. In her letter of thanks, July 2,
TO Mrs. John Swanson president of the
society, Mrs. Joungher writes;
| Language is inadequate to express our
| gra titude for the articles sent You have
| assisted in gladdening many poor Mis-
| souri, and Arkansas soldier who were cit
| off from their homes and had nothing 10
wear The soldiers from the three cut
/ off states have never once WINGED in
| battle, but have fought valiantly on every
| field and>were paroled, wounded and suf-
fering to our hospitals, and as the ruth
less invader had passed through our
| midst our hands were tied, and you can
we'll imagine how we felt seeing their
! need and we helpless to aid them until
| Ala bama and Georgia came to our relief
| and assisted me not only in relieving their
own soldiers, but those who had none to
help them. ! hope you may never suffer
as we have"
AS the years rolled on they saw no
| tagging of patriotic zeal with The women
| of Macon county In January, 1854, the
ladies' of Tuskegee and vicinity especially
| busted themselves In making )cks and
| blankets and procuring shoes for Long
streets army. The first installment of
| their supplies was forwarded to the
troops January 20. There is a notice ex-
tant of go pairs of socks. which We're
sent, 1t seems, early in February. TO Long
| streit's soldiers by the ladies of rus-
| kegee and vicinity, of Warrior Stand,
| Creek Standard Union.
| February 2S, 1854 Robert 7. Coles,
| agent of the Fourth Alabama regiment.
wrote from the regimental headquarters
at New Balls Gap, Tenn. the following
| letter, addressed ITO the Ladies Of Macon
| County, Alabama which speaks for it
| self:
Il am detailed by the colonel command
ing the Fourth regiment Alabama Volun-
teers, to return thanks in behalf of the
regiment to the ladies of Macon county,
| for the very valuable and opportune do
nation of socks, blankets etc
II am also directed to say that 1t Is
highly encoura ging to all the members of
the regiment, particularly those whose
homes and relatives are now in the hands
of the ruthless invader, to know that al
IL,
and difficulties, they still have sympa-
thizing friends who are daily using their
efforts to promote the comfort of those
| in the field. Such examples of patriotism
and devotion as are exhibited by the la
dies to this, the greatest of human cause,
will not be lost upon the soldiers who
will promptly respond to their country $
call to re-enst, and with their united
efforts, hope that peace with her healing
wings will soon be restored and prosper
ity and happiness rest throughout our
devoted country"
In the fall of 1883 at the request of the
ladies of Tuskegee a hospital was estab-
lished in that place, known as Camp
| Watts Dr.. L. r. Jones, c. s. A, was
| the surgeon in charge. This hospital
was well sustained by the people of Ma
| con county.
Early in June, 1864, the ladies of Tus-
kegee organized a relief committee Ac-
| cording to the regulation adopted by the
| committee four of their number were to
visit Camp Watts daily with such re-
freshments as were suitable for the sick
and wounded soldiers
On Friday night, June 10, concert was
| given by the ladies of Tuskegee in the
| chapel OF the Baptist college, at which
some three or four hundred dollars we're
| re,iized for the benefit of Camp Watts
There is still extant, published June 16,
notice of a card Of thanks from Dr..
Jones, in which he acknowledges the re-
ceipt of various articles from the ladies'
of Tuskegee and Loachapoka for the
benefit of the sick and wounded soldiers.
| under his charge. In this notice there
! Is also mentioned the generous action of
| the ladies of Notasulga who had taken
| charge of $50 sick and wounded soldiers
and supplied them with all needful COM
forts.
In the summer of 1864, most of the cities
! and towns of Alabama organized relief
| committees, which put themselves at the
discretion OF the proper authorities TO be
ordered to the front whenever needed.
On Sunday, June Is, there was held in
the Baptist church in Tuskegee a general
prayer meeting for the country. The
meeting was largely attended. At its
close. the entire audience organized them
selves into battlefield relief association
for the purpose Of affording assistapce
and supplies for the wounded of Gen. John
ston's army The following officers were
! elected: John B. Bbro, president; Ben
| jamin Thompson, vice president; A. j.
! Battle secretary, and N. S. Graham,
/ treasurer. These officers constituted an
executive committed committee was