The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1914-07-03

the furnishing soldiers who called at the house
for food.
Every week vegetables, poultry, mutton, etc.
were brought to Valley Forge by the generals
own people, either from his farm eight miles
from Morristown N. j.. or from the Livingston
manor house, for our heroes of the Revolution
had to supply their own ratlons, and this one In
particular who raised regiment and equipped
1t at his own expense, was never repaid for food
or services, by an ungrs.teful country.
Daily Lady Kitty wouSd sally to the camp with
a basket filled with goodies on her arm, followed
by servant laden with clothing for the soldiers
1t was a long, cold walk from her home to the
camp but the young girl braved 1t In spite of
snow and storm. The doors of hut after hut
would be gently knocked at and the inmates ques-
toned as to their most pressing needs No one
can imagine what a blessing these visits were to
the suffering men. There hardly one who
was not afflicted with frostbltes. and for these
Lady Kitty had sovereign cure learned from the
old squaw. THIS, with other remedies drawn
from the handy reticule. were lavishy given with
many CHEEKY word or laugh at the travelling
drug shop. The baskets containing delicacies for
the very sick were soon emptied and besides
many mans heart was made glad by the gift
of worsted conf orter for his neck or
pair of knitted stockings or mttens Then there
were underclothes made from the fleece of the
sheep raised on the Jersey hills the wool having
been spun In tenants houses and woven on the
looms that groaned and creaked increasingly.
This was the work of the women who stayed at
home while the men folk struggled with the
horrors of army life
The fingers Of the women of the day were
never idle. We are told on page AIT of Mr.
Irvings Life Of General Washington" that his
wife, "set example to lady visitors by dligent-
ly plying her needles knitting stockings for poor
destitute soldiers" And. indeed, womens busy
needles clicked far into the night, when
frugal housewives only permitted the blaze of
the fire to light the rooms, for candles were luxu-
ries in those days, alth ough they were home
made and these selfsa crihcing women denied
themselves every comfort they could in hopes Of
being able to relieve the needs of the soldiers,
and many candle that had been made in the
family kitchen, and perhaps from bayberries
picked by delicate fingers, found its way to the
huts of the men. Most Of these were lliterate
fellows who had obeyed the call to arms, leaving
their families in distant parts of the country
Lady Comforter" as she was called by the men,
would ask each one about his life. and suggest
that she would write letters to his home-bound
family friends Pen, ink and paper would be
whipped from the great retlcule hanging by her
side and dictation taken down, which must
have given pleasure and hope at many desoate
f1reside. The ladies cheered in their benevo-
lent work in the camp by the concentrations OF
the commanderinchef, who could not be suff-
ciently grateful for these illustrations.
The young aide-decamp, James Monroe (who
was recruiting his strength after severe wound
received during late Battle) was detailed to
accompany the young lady on her daily rounds
to report officially the condition of the men.
This duty was not uncon genal to the young vir-
ginian and the one bright spot in the dark days
of suffering for the men in camp was watching
the courtship Of their fu ture president, and his
engagement to Miss Nanny Browne was soon
duly announced and hurried arrangements made
for wedding in the spring at the home Of her
aunt, Mrs. Van Horne she could not have asked