The National tribune., 1909-08-26
Served and Suffered Long.

Mrs. Kate L. Glasford, formerly Katie
l. Edwards. and while in the service
sometimes called Katie Kennedy, writes
from 16 Biron avenue, East Huntsville,
Ala: Il would like to hear from those
whom I nursed who now survive. I was
with Cos. A, B, C and D, 1st Neb. Cav,
afterward merged with the 5th Iowa
Cav, from Aug. to Nov. 80. 1861. My
husband was Serg't Charles Edwards,
Co. A Capt. NJ. T. Patrick issued me a
warrant as laundress, so that / could
be provided for and furnished trans
portation; but / was a nurse, not a
iaundress. 1 nursed the men both at
the Capitol, Omaha, and at Benton Bar
racks when black measles prevailed
in the command. Crossed the State
with four companies TO Keokuk, Iowa.
wonder if the man whom / cut down.
who was tied up by the thumbs, still
lives. I would like to hear from the
seven men from Andersonville whom 1
took from Annapolis. Nd, to their re-
spective homes in January, 1865, il
they still live. / do not now recall
names. My diary / lost by fire in 1876
| took one to Winterset, Iowa, two to
Sioux City, two to Glenwood, one to
Council Bluffs and one to Omaha. /
have made application for pension, and
need all the identification that I can
get. If 1 could hear from officials, en-
eral barracks and hospitals in which 1
served it would be both a great pleas
ure to me personally and no doubt a
great help to me. L served with heart
and soul, nor spared my body from
fatigue if l could relieve the suffering
or aid the sick and the wounded. I
was seven days at Gettysburg. till driv-
en- thence by the awful stencil of the
slain that purified upon the field, un-
buried or insufficiently inferred. In that
service / was known as Mrs. Kate Ken
nedy, which was my name when / be-
came the wife of Charles Edwards.
stood on hill near Petersburg, and
thru feldglass saw the mine explod-
ed. l left the Provost -Marshars office
with pass to Baltimore, and stood on
small steamer just after it left the
shore at City Point. 1t was Gen. Grants
dispatch boat. Capt Robert A. Ander-
son had just stepped on deck when the
bakehouse and dock were blown up,
and mans head fell from the air to
the deck at my feet. 1 served on the
field and in tent hospitals on the James
River, in the campaign against Rich
mond. l cared for wounded men upon
the field and upon transports and in
numerous hospitals, but l was in
neither the Sanitary nor Christian
Commissions, and l paid my own indi-
vidual expenses. ! served my country
because L loved my country, and did
what good 1 could do wherever and
whenever / could do good. / was in
front of Petersburg, at Broadway. at
Bermuda Hundred, Chapin's Farm, on
the Weldon Railroad, witnessed many
horrors and suffered many things hard
to endure. Now / am old, poor, for
saken, deserted; but the memory of
those things never deserts me. And
would do and witness and endure it all
again for my country. 1 am 20 years
old. My husband, E. A. Glasford, is a
veteran, rs years old, and served in Co.
G, 23d Ohio. He is wholly disabled by
years and disease, crippled by loss of
half of his left foot, and an inmate of
the National Military Home at Dayton,
o., having SIS a month under the Nc
Cumber law. He got but sS before, and
divided that with me, while 1 toiled
and labored hard to feed and clothe lis
both, being sheltered by a roof present.
ed by my father, who died in 1902"