Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-03-05
Civil War Stories
Touching story of the War.


! Office, Washington, a little woman,
barely five feet tall, with gray hair and
bright, deep-set eyes, full Of human
J sympathy, who is a heroine in her way,
having done valiant service in the war
as volunteer nurse from its very be-
| ginning until its close. Mrs. X. has
had many and thrilling experiences,
and now and then in her work at the
Pension Office among the applicants
for pensions she will run across one Of
her former patients. or someone whom
she knew during the period of her hos
pital experiences, says the New York
Tribune
In the early days Of the war Mrs. Y.
was charged with the distribution Of
some hospital stores with headquarters
at a small town in Virginia, which may
! be called Sampson. The house in which
she was placed was owned by a South
ern family, the men all In the Confed-
crate service only the women, mother
and daughter. being left. These women
locked themselves in the rooms they
were permitted to retain and would
have no intercourse with the Yankees,
whom they hated none the less that
their errand was merciful one
Mrs. X made advances to her I'M
willing hOstesses, but was repulsed at
every step. Finally, she found that
these women had become so poor that
they were suffering for the very neces-
stiles of life, and left outside their door
each morning food for the day. At first
1t remained untouched, but after a day
or two it was taken inside, and one
morning the daughter meeting Mrs. y.
, on the stairs, thanked her in a proud
way for her kindness, and said she
would not have accepted it but that her
mother was Ill and needed the nourish-
ment. After this the Yankee nurse and
the Southern girl spoke when they met,
but their acquaintance, despite the eff
forts of Mrs. X, who felt that she
might help and sustain these poor wom-
en-, went no further.
A day or two before she left Samp-
to hold lint, bandages, emergency med
icines, etc. that she could carry with
her to the front There was nothing
among her stores available for this
purpose and nothing to be had in the
village Without considering the mat
ter, she boldly knocked at the enemy>s
door. and asked for a bit Of cotton.
Much to her surprise a cordial recep-
ton was accorded her, and, on making
her want known, her neighbors search
ed their belongings to accommodate
her, but nothing was found that could
be utilized. At last the girl took from
her mothers linen chest a beautiful
towel, exquisitely embroidered, and
with her own hands made the bag
which was to hold bandages and medi-
icines for her enemies. Then they said
goodbye, never expecting to meet
again.
In the Pension Office more than thir-
ty years after Mrs. x, acting In the
absence of her chief, received q call
from stately, gray-haired woman,
who had a pension case dating back
to the Mexican war pending before
the bureau There was a pitiful story
of want, deprivation, almost starva-
| ton, back of it. The case excited the
interest and sympathy of Mrs. \. and
there was something in the appearance
| Of the woman that appealed TO her
strongly. She examined the papers
carefully, pointed out some technicali-
ties that had not been complied with,
! started them in the right direction. and
before many days the pension was al
lowed the papers signed and the ap-
plicant in possession Of handsome
sum Of money. The grateful woman
again. called on Mrs. j., this time to
thank her.
you owe me no thanks" said Mrs,
X. Don't you remember me? l was
your guest in Sampson during the war.
Have you forgotten the towel with
your monogram on 1t? | still keep the
bag as q souvenir"
Yes yes" said the woman, softened
by years of suffering and sorrow, land
twice you have saved me from starva-
ton"