A Woman's Life-Work Labors and Experiences

ost of my supplies to that place. While waiting for their arrival I visited the United States Hospital at Mound City, a few miles up the Ohio River. Here, too, were dying soldie

ought to have attended to long ago, but I d

ber the thief on the cross looked at him with repenting spirit and living faith, and said, 'Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom;' and the quick reply was, 'This day thou shalt be wit

forgiveness of all his sins, that he might receive an evidence of acceptance, he seemed encouraged and gave

and very loath to go back "an inch," as one of the officers expressed it. I took the names of these almost nude people, whom I instructed to come to my tent; as the officers said I should have one for the purpose of giving out clothing to the most needy among them. They assured

business the quick reply was, "Go back and I'll see to it." As she left the office he turned to me and said, "I don't know whether it is so or not; they get up all so

dead baby for de wharf-rats to eat,

f the child and of the

fficer, "we will see t

ant her to go on this b

and that I would see th

n' dese wharf-rats are awful. Da eat one dead chile's face all one side off, an' one

ng, as she had never heard a word from them since they were taken from her. Those sad separations, she said, were much harder to bear than the death of this child. But she consen

d shouldn't be buried this afternoon

woman I would see that it was done; and I see no other way than to hold you t

metimes is the case in these large camps, we can not make coffins for them, but we roll them up in whatever they have. If we can get a piece of board to lay them on when we put them in their graves we do well." "But here you have lumber and plenty of carpenters, and you can have a plain coffin for the dead, and I do hope one w

t post. They said he was a cross old bachelor, and had said he would not give another woman transportation to go into the army

s that could have been placed in my hands, so that I could use it in an emergency if I should be refused transportation. With some misgivings I entered

o Island No. 10, and to Memphis, Tennessee, for my

ers are worthy of attention, a

ut how changed his tone when he called his adjutant, who in an instant stood before him. "Go tell

here has

ew minutes a

ch, or anywhere else, without my permission; he h

ner that I wished myself out of his presence

on tonight. You come to-morrow morning at n

Thomas and the captain anxiously waiting to learn the result of my c

is the

ansportation for mysel

to Memphi

from the army. I found they too felt the weight of responsibility in this, as

go with supplies to Island No. 10 and to Memphis, but had the promise from the general to have the papers at nine o'clock. A captain in the army, standing by, told him he could

said; "where are

and he ordered them to

sportation from Cairo to places of destination. Now I thought al

. The captain-quartermaster is to fi

the provost-marshal. That, too, I knew nothing about; but the army captain came to my relief, taking my papers and getti

harrows, hoes, axes, rakes, and garden and field seeds, from Indiana and Ohio. Their superintendent, Chaplain Thomas, told me that he never saw a more willing and obedient people. They mostly lived in tents. Government had furnished lumber to erect a few temporary buildings. An old dilapidated farmho

even or eight feet deep, and nearly covered with planks and two or three feet of earth, in which they dropped themselves, after firing, to reload and be secure from flying shot and shell. I picked up a couple

ho appeared quite intelligent. Hard treatment and cruel separations had filled the greater portion of their lives. As I was making remarks on the wickedness of slavery, said the old man, with tearful eyes, "Please stop till I bring in m

o his feet, and in the most pathetic

he would send me as far as wind and water would carry me, so I would never hear from them again. I remembered the words of my poor old father upon his death-bed, when he gave me this Bible: 'My son, the same God that made that Bible learned me to read it, and learned me to endure hard trials patiently. Remember, my son, the same God will do the same for you if you go to him for help;' and so he has. Praise be to the Lord forever!" He took from a box a Bible, all spotted over with mold, without and within: "This Bible has been manna to my soul for many years. God has learned me to read, as he did my poor father. He has been my support. I have prayed these many years

ity of a patriarch he assumed his new relation. He was evidently a self-taught man,

, making amputation necessary. He was beginning to use his wooden leg. His master was taken prisoner by our men a few days before, and he, with one hundred fellow-slaves, fell into the hands of the Union army. He was fitted with a whole suit. This was done in but few instances, the general destitution

g, fitting, and handing out, when up stepped the little fellow of eight summers with the tall man's pants, rolled over and over at the bottom, with one suspender tied around him, the other placed over his shoulder to hold them on. His eyes sparkled as a new suit was thrown over his arm; calling out, "See here, Johnnie, what I got!" "Yes, look at mine!" was the quick reply, while on the other side stood a little girl who exclaimed, in surprise, "Oh, Milla, my dress has a pocket, and see what I found,

e engaging in this mission, and it is t

oming all this distance, to see those sparkl

n that it is more blessed to giv

evening with the

clo'es come from? Does

on, "An' don't gov'ment pay

, "De Norf mus' be mighty, mighty rich to send so much money down here to carry on de war and send so mu

ry Roundtree, a missionary, was laboring among the

issus, don't pass by dis yere way." Turning in the direction of the call, I saw a very old woman sitting on a log, clad in a man's co

wheezin' like an ole hoss, an' snap a gun at me an' say he shoot my brain out if I didn't go to de Yankees. An' missus come out an' say she set fire to my cabin some night an' burn me up in it. 'Go 'long to de

in seven years." I told her if there was a woman's garment left she should have it.

missus; God

ne of the men turned to his comrade and said, "That's the same strange-appearing old woman we brought over," and he repeated the same story she related to me. Said one, "Such people ought to be ma

s and Hunters by scores. They saw that man's inhumanity to man was the outgrowth of slavery. They cl

They had quietly listened to the conversation of the officers on establishing schools among the freed men, and taking them into the army as soldi

s right to set up sc

ey have as good a right to become inte

is right to make sol

is right for any

see whether any officer

to rob us of our niggers,

robbery to allow the negroe

frighten her. She would take a look to see whether an officer

or our niggers; and that's not all they've robbed us of. They

ad, "Fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men."

madam, its migh

place even in a whisper, and slave-holders were cursing and threatening abolitionists. What a turning of tables! Now I could say all that was in my heart on the sin of slavery, and the slave-holder was now hushed. The coal-barge "L. S. Haviland," that I saw on my other trip tied up a little way above Memphis, was not now to be seen. I had not yet learned the

had anticipated, except the Jackson Hospital, which was one of the largest in the city. I asked permission of

lease inform me where I

ecure a

ance, and the guard introduced me. I informed him of my wis

ou a so

not," I

r? It is no place for a lady to step he

y fitness to visit your patients, you can examine my papers fro

e, I don't see that you

d I wish to visit them, and here are my

his hand angr

, then; g

ook good care to

pursuance of an order. I had made it a point to shake hands with every soldier that was awake and conscious, but the surgeon hurried through without giving an opportuni

et that onion?"

wn money for

you might

Spe

then;" and

me; but when he treated a helpless soldier like this I could hardly keep my indignat

to go into

ss through your kit

, madam-very unfavorab

caldron of potatoes was boiled half an hour too long. Their bread looked well,

e hospital. How many

few, very few at present, only

nurses h

ty-th

male n

a woman has no business to

Where I have found judicious female nurses it seems m

few judicious

hstanding. How many

our at

n in charge; please

Powers, of the Seven

ere he turned a perfect somersault, if words could perform the

me; call in the middle of the forenoon or

days longer in the city,"

ave you call again, madam;

five unvisited hospitals. I found the room filled with officers and a few generals of hig

etc., are you? I am glad to see you, as we have had

re satisfactorily conducted than I a

visited th

st come fr

isiting day. Did you

d

o that hospital

d a pa

d he say

ow tone. To my annoyance, the doctor rep

ason than that every soldier is some mother'

y second thought was, no matter whether the Pres

uch a man to occupy the responsible position of surgeon

failed. You ought to see the medi

ering the promise I made my son Joseph, I returned to head-quarters, a

reached his hand with a smile, saying, "You do not recognize me, but I recognize you as

u thought me severe i

on Po

weeks, and they both declared they would rather die in the op

on to have the care of the sick

there is the medical director just ahead of us; you ought to

medical director, after

ckson Hospital? And did

such haste, by Surgeon Powers, that I could not speak to any of the sol

think of Su

ry unpleasant. Besides, his ungentlemanly, morose treatment of helpless soldiers indicates his entire unfitness for the position he occupies. If the

of us in this division, next in rank to Grant himself, is determined to hold him here. But if you will make out your report, with the re

at post, and on my second visit to the Jackson found Surgeon Powers filled to overflowing with affect

geon Powers was relieved of hospital work altogether very soon afte

re she was taken violently ill with typhoid fever, and for the first time her sex became known. She was large and rather coarse-featured, and of indomitable will. She said the ca

not enlist. I comforted them by telling them that I presumed there would be another call soon." I had built a bed for myself in one corner of the commissary building, and as we were occupying the weakest point at the post, we were ordered to have no light in our tents, but before dark to have every needed article at our bedside, ready at a mom

hed, saying, "That is right; if I had taken one step after you cried halt the third time

guard last night on trial, and not one sleepy head was found among them. Since we accept these men as

ers. When he asked my name, he wanted to know if I was a relative of Rev. D. S. Haviland, in Kent County, Michigan. When I told him he was my son, he held my hand in both of his and burst into a flood of tears, and said he had heard him preach many times, and thought he was such a good man. I saw his feelings were deeply affected, and I feared it would increase the fever, and I promised to come and see him again in a day or two. I sat by him with my hand upon his head and consoled him as best I could. When he became calm I left, and called on his physician for his opinion concerning him

cents said, "Frank, here is that woman y

om Michigan

he was meeting his mother. "O, how much you remind me of my mother! Your advice to us boys is almost in the same words my moth

ousand, with daily additions. Forty came into Bethel Camp one

your freedom in coming

looking up

ent Lincoln has procl

dat

have heard about

to kill; an' da boils 'em up in great caldrons to eat, 'case da's starvin'. But all de white men gone into de army, an' lef' us all wid missus, an' da locks de bac

act until their own people confirmed what I had told them. Rations were given to that

live, instead of killin'. God bless s

y in the sight of all men; that our Heavenly Father looks upon all his children alike, and that our Lord and Savior died upon the cross for all alike, because he is no respecter of persons. The young men,

lligence, could read quite well; and perhaps there were nearly or quite one hundred of our soldiers in attendance. I spoke to one man near the stand while they were singing, informing him that I would like to make a few remarks if their minister was willing. The min

who accept salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; that our Heavenly Father made all the nations of the whole earth of one blood, and never designed that one race should hold another in bondage. I had hardly finished my first sentence before the minister and those near him were urging

ions came to me, and many tears were coursing down the sable cheeks of many gathered a

ike an angel dropped down 'mongst us, in pla

her too well-she's mighty hard on us. Den she went back to the general, an' begged an' cried, and held out her han's, and say, 'General, dese han's never was in dough-I never made a cake o' bread in my life; please let me have my cook.' An' she tuck on so I jus' trimble; I's feared he

before. They had not heard from each other till just here they met. "O sis' Susie, you know my two nice boys was sole from me two year afore I was sole off dat plantation down de river, an' it 'peared like my heart was broke; an' missus had me hit fifty lashes 'case I cried so much. An' de Lo'd has been my sun an shiel' all dis time

of them had been married a number of years, but only according to slave law, which recognized no legal marriage among slaves. At the appointed hour the twenty couples stood in a row, each couple with right hands clasped; and among them one young couple, that being their first marriage.

omin' wid a basin, an' I reckon I dip fas' enough to keep us 'bove water. An' da let me come, an' it tuck all night to come seven miles up de river. Dar was forty of us on dis plantation. Massa is a big man in Secesh army, an' sent more'n a hundred of our people 'way off to de big plantation: an', missus, da all wants to come mighty bad, an' begged us to go see de big man right soon, an' tell him da wants to do any thing he wants 'em to do, if he w

tanding outside our door. I approached the young men, who were between twenty and thirty years of age, and shook ha

er every lick;" and another said, "I reckon he'll fi

emaining thirty-three, and how she backed her pleading, with enumerating the abundance of every thing her

ll get transportation or not. After reading your papers he asked where you were, and I told him you looked tired and were resting in my office, and I offered to do this errand for her, as it would save her a mile of walk. 'I'd like to see the lady,' he said, as he handed back your papers; and you'll have to go and see him." Here was another narrow place. I took my papers to General Veach in haste, as there was a boat which I was anxious to take going up the river that

me when I gave him my papers, and passed

me; but the general hadn't seen a Union woman f

scenes. Here I learned the sequel of my Tennessee correspondents, forme

r lines. They took two mules and two carts to bring their bundles and little folks. Men, women, and larger children walked twenty-five miles, to get to Fort Pillow. "What time did you start?" I asked one of the tired women. "Early moonrise," was the reply. That was about 11 o'clock P. M., and they had

th all her might, when a second ball entered the lungs of the son. They were met by a few of our soldiers, who took him from the skiff to the hospital, where he received the best surgical attendance, but without avail. Much sympathy was manifested in behalf of the bereaved mother, who was left with two little girls. Bereavement was no new trial for her. Her husband had been sold from her a few years before. I asked her if these three children were all her family. "O, no, honey; I had two big boys sold jus' afore the war. Don't know whar they went. An' now my poor boy is shot dead by that young m

I stood looking at the black soldier walking leisurely beside the white man in irons, an officer accosted me with, "Madam, that prisoner you see wheeling brick to our camp is a strong secessionist, and was a hard master over a large plantation with more th

ning of tab

turning of tables within ou

on, weighing sixty or eighty pounds, to which was attac

d when we hoed corn we'd hoe the chain's length, then the one next the block had it to tote the length of the chain, and so on till we did our day's work. Since we've been here we've seen n

eel to witness

ou, madam; but I c

id you

hings God is doing. Man c

hers feel a

d, 'Ah ha, you see now how sweet 'ti

that in hi

's five r

, and one from each of three adjoining plantations escaped at the same time. After a consultation over their loss they placed the blame of their escape on a carpenter from Illinois, who had been a few weeks working at his trade in their midst. To be avenged on the poor carpenter, a band of men came upon him in the night, took him out of bed, gave him a coat of tar and feathers, and treated him to a ride on a rail-horse. Then they furnished him with soap and lard with which to disrobe himself, and charged him to leave the State within twelve hours, never to be seen there again, or a calamity far exceeding this would be his portion. All his assertions that he knew nothing whatever of their slaves were of no avail. He left the State as requested, but wrote

p, one of whom was the mother of three fine-looking children. I remarked to one of them that they had

eft our plantation seven miles below Memphis, 'bout three weeks ago,

cital, she became more excite

't that silver plate when you sole my three children.' 'Now, Jule, you'll say it's yourn, won't you?' 'I can't lie over that either.' An' she was cryin' an' wringin' her han's, an' weavin' to an' fro as she set thar. 'Yes, here they come, an' they'll rob me of every thing. Now, 'member I brought you up.' Here come in four sojers with swords hangin' to their sides, an' never looked at mistess, but said to me, 'Auntie, you want to go with us?' 'Yes, sir,' I said, an' they look to Jule an' say, 'You want to go?' 'Yes, sir.' 'Well, you can all go; an' hurry, for we shall stay but a little while.' An' Jule jus' flew to the quarters, an' they all tied up beds an' every thing, an' tote 'em down, to the gunboats in a hurry. An' two sojers went up-stairs an' wa'n't gone but a few minutes, an' don't you think here they come, with that tin trunk o' money an' ches' of silver plate, an' broke 'em open an' tuck out a big platter an' water-pitcher an' a few other pieces an' say, 'See here, Tom, haven't we foun' a prize of solid silver for gov'ment,' an' he put it all back. An' another open the trunk,' O, see here, Jim; see what a mine of money we foun' for General Veach,' as he tuck up a han'ful of gole an' silver money an' sif it through his fingers, droppin' in the trunk, sayin', 'Ain't we got a pile o' money for gov'ment.' An' he han' it over t

ress admirably in the half-bent, whining, crying, an

t was bought with the price of your three chi

oor dear childern; but I didn't want mistess to

worn cheeks as she related the s

stop my noise, or he'd have me punished. An' mistess say she won't have all this cryin' round her. 'Your childern belongs to us, an' you know it; an' it's not for you to make all this fuss over it, either.' I s

e finished her story I told her I saw the seven she said went to Memphis, a few days before they left, and how Aunt Peggy begged me so hard to tell the big man that they all wanted to come. And to impress

He was the father of the great-grandmother, and of each generation to the fourth, and master, all in one. As revolting as this fact was, I was compelled to believe it, as his former slaves told me of his licentious character from his early youth to eighty years! He was never married, and was the owner of a large plantation, and his many slaves sought the first opportunity

I could not bring them quilts and pillows. "Madam, you can bring them milk, or any thing you've named; but I tell you, if you undertake to listen to all these soldiers' teasing, you'll have your hands full. As like as not, any way, they'll trade whatever you give them for whisky the first chance they have." I could not sleep until I secured the aid of two soldiers to go with me to carry milk, p

sing the Spring term of our school. Preparation for another school-year was before me, beside the necessity of calling on friends in various places for supplies. I was informed by officers that I could now secure passes and transportation for an assista