Evening star., 1909-05-05
STATUES OF WOMEN
One to Be Unveiled at "Home-
coming" in Michigan.
IN MEMORY OF QUAKERESS
Aunt Laura Haviland Possessor Of
Ability and Courage.
TRIBUTE TO AN ARMY NURSE
Monument to Revolutionary
Heroine-Rode Horseback All
Night to Reach Son.
TRIBUTE TO AN ARMY NURSE
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
| Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald
| At the annual home-comers' festival
at Adrian. Mich, June "a, will be I'M
veied and dedicated statue to Aunt
| Laura" Haviland, Quakeress of simple
| life. unassuming manners and quiet de-
meanor, with a soft voice and a tender
| touch, of whom Gen. Grant once said
that If he had a few more women like
her he could dispense with half his gen.
| erals and soldiers and put down the re-
| belion in few months.
She was a woman of extraordinary ex-
ecutive ability and physical and moral
courage. combined with remarkable gift
of oratory and determination Of pur-
pose which never yielded to difficulties
nor obstacles which others could not
have overcome. She had broad and noble
views of life. a deep religious spirit and
the most exalted conceptions Of duty. She
spent fifty-three years in the relief of
| suffering. in the rescue of the distressed
and in the correction of wrong. Towns
| have been named In her honor; portraits
of her kindly face, enframed in Quaker
cap. with broad ribbons tied under her
chin, hang in hundreds of schoolhouses
and thousands Of homes on both sides
of the Atlantic. Her dust lies beside
| that of her kindred in Raisin Valley Gem
etery. near Adrian, where she died April
20. 1898, in the ninetieth year of her age.
The last task of her life was to write
an autobiography, which was published
under the title of "A Woman's Life
| Work.. and it records many historical
events that are not printed elsewhere.
modest monument, corresponding to
her simple dignity. marks the place where
she sleeps. but the citizens of Adrian
\ no tnl de- hx-v
ton to erect a tribute to her memory
that shall endure for the ages, in order
that all who come after them may know
who she was and what she did; that
the memory of the just shall not per-
| ish. Will Carleton, the poet, will pro-
nounce the eulogy and appropriate cere-
monies will be held.
Born in Kitley, Canada.
Laura Smith Haviland was born in Kit
ley, Ontario. Canada, December 30, 1903,
the daughter of Daniel and Sene Blancher
Smith. Her father, native of New
York, was an approved minister of the
Society of Friends, man Of strong con-
victions. deep spiritual feeling, but reti-
cent of speech. Laura married Charles
Haviland, jr., of Lockport. N. Y, the
I'd of November, 1875, and became the
mother of seven children. of whom five
survived her and are still living. In
1929 Charles and Laura Haviland came to
Michigan and took up a farm in Raisin
township, Lewanee county. within three
miles of where her parents had settled
two years before. Mrs. Haviland was
a good homekeeper. brave wife, a de-
voted mother and the best kind of a
pioneer, being capable Of great endurance
easily adapting herself to all circum-
stances, having a clever faculty of over
coming difficulties and cheerful. help
full spirit.
Not long after she was settled she start
led school in a little building adjoining
her farm home. where she taught the chill
ldren of the neighborhood, there being no
other person in the community able to
undertake that duty. Later her brother,
Harvey Smith, sold his farm OF 100 acres
and with the proceeds built what after
ward became Raisin Institute. the first
manual training school in Michigan. and
probably the first in the west. 1t was in
tended for the education of orphans and
the children of parents who were not
able to support them. The first pupils
were nine children from the county poor
house.
This school became famous, was uiti-
mately adopted by the state legislature,
trial schools. one for girls at Adrian and
the other for boys at Coldwater. Their
existence Is due to the labors and in
fuence of Laura Haviland.
"Underground Railroad Station"
She was one of the organizers Of the
first anti-slavery society OF Michigan, and
her home was the first Underground rail-
road station in that state. She cooper
ated with Rachael and Levi Coffin in as
sisting slaves to escape from the planta-
tions of the south and helping them on to
4 Canada. She made frequent visits to
points on the Ohio river to establish lines
of communication. and underground sta
tions.' and became SO effective in this
work that reward of $1,000 was offered
| any one who would deliver her in Ken
lucky, dead or alive. Shortly after this
offer was announced she visited Louisville
without the slightest attempt at conceal
ment, and did not permit it to make any
difference with her work. She continued
her Jealous efforts to release men and
women from slavery until the outbreak of
the civil war. when she went into the
Union army as nurse, and with mas
| terly energy and ability organized camp
and headquarters hospitals, corps of nurses
and dispensaries for medical supplies.
! She worked under the Christian COM
mission until 1864, when she was appoint
ed agent of the Freedman's Relief Asso-
citation at New Orleans to distribute sup
plies and relief to the newly emancipated
negroes. While in performance of this
Ship Island and Dry Tortugas in the Gulf
| of Mexico, and there learned of the
| treachery of Capt. Attocha, formerly of
the Confederate army. who, having sur
/ TeHueTcu anu tdhcu Tie OdIH OI dIl0SldnCe,
was employed by Gen. Banks as a spy.
This gave Attocha an opportunity to prac-
ltice almost unlimited blackmail, and upon
his testimony many innocent persons were
sent to federal prisons. Having learned
of these facts, Laura Haviland quietly set
about a work of investigation, and sue
ceeded in having Attocha convicted and
punished.
| She was frequently at Washington, and
was personally known to President Lin
coin. the members of his cabinet. to all
of the commanders of the Union army. and
to the leading public men throughout the
country.
After the close of the war she devoted
| her energies to relieving the distress
among the pioneers in Kansas. and in
doing other works of benevolence through
out the nation. After she had passed her
eightieth year she made visit to Europe,
and was lonized everywhere she went.
Famous Army Nurse.
! In the courthouse grounds at Galesburg,
| H., upon a massive square block Of gran
ite, is bronze group of heroic size, rep
resenting a bareheaded woman supporting
| a dying soldier with one arm and giving
him water from tin cup with her right
hand 1t represents Mother Bicker-