I WISCONSIN WOMEN iN THE WAR

By ETHEL ALfCF. MUHrl

WISCONSIN ' -^.V COMMI-
-iAL PAPERS

Cc^\,-it?

Gift of

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR

CoEDELIA A. PeEEINE HAEVET
From a photograph in possession of the Wisconsin Historical
Society

Wisconsin History Commission: Original Papers, No. 6
WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
BETWEEN THE STATES

BY ETHEL ALICE HURN, B. A.

WISCONSIN HISTORY COMMISSION
MAY. 1911

FIVE THOUSAND COPIES PRINTED

Copyright, 1911
THE WISCONSIN HISTORY COMMISSION
(in behalf of the State of Wisconsin)

Opinions or enors of fact on the part of the respective authors of the Commission's
publicabons (whether Reprints or Original Narratives) have not been modified or
conected by the Commission. For all statements, of whatever character, the Author
alone is responsible

Cc4i.323'

DEMOCRAT PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTER

Contents
Wisconsin History Commission
Editor's Introduction . . . .
Author's Note .....
Wisconsin Women in the War :
Chapter I. The departure of the Regiments
A rally ....
Drilling recruits
Flag raising ....
Flag presentations .
Banquets for the soldiers
Chapter II. Soldiers' Aid Societies
Sanitary Commission
Misdirected energies
Aid Societies formed
The Societies at work
Knitted articles
Packing the boxes .
Wisconsin regiments supplied .
Contributions for local companies

PAGE xiii XV
xix 1
2 6 7
9
1118 18
212225 29 303133

CONTENTS

PAGE

A Milwaukee donation .

34

Aid Societies discouraged

36

The National spirit grows

39

Difficulties surmounted

41

Scurvy combatted ....

42

Amount contributed

46

Chapter III. The Wisconsin Soldiers' Aid So

ciety and Mrs. Henrietta Colt

49

Visits to Southern hospitals

51

Milwaukee Society enlarged .

54

Chamber of Commerce .

55

Generous contributions

56

Work for soldiers' wives

57

Chapter IV. Conditions at Home

61

Gaieties checked ....

62

Provision for volunteers' families

63

Destitution at home

64

Promises forgotten ....

67

Philanthropic spirit

69

Pathetic incidents ....

71

High prices .....

73

The greater sacrifice

74

Women as farmers ....

78

[vi]

CONTENTS

PAGE

Women in new lines of work .

83

The sewing machine

85

A patriotic school teacher

86

Confederate prisoners

87

Extravagance rebuked

89

Chapter V. Letters for the Front

92

Letters for strangers

95

Letters from the field

96

Difficulties of letter writing

97

Chapter VI. Women with the Regiments

99

Daughters of the regiment

100

In masculine garb ....

102

Officers' wives ....

104

Mrs. Lyon's services

106

Deaths of women in the army .

107

Chapter VII. Hospitals and Nurses .

108

Early hospitals . . . . .

108

Women as nurses , . . . .

110

Opposed by surgeons . . . .

110

Wisconsin nurses . . . .

112

Sanitary agents . . . . .

117

Chapter VIII. Mrs. Cordelia A. P. Harvey

118

Early life 

118

[vii]

CONTENTS

PAGE

Governor Harvey's death

119

Sanitary agent ....

122

At Cape Girardeau . . . .

123

Secures reforms ....

125

Influence with officials

127

At Memphis 

129

Brings sick soldiers to the North

131

Inspects hospitals ....

131

Chapter IX. Mrs. Harvey's interview with

Lincoln .....

134

Seeing the President

135

Interview with Stanton .

136

The President unconvinced

137

Mrs. Harvey successful .

140

Northern hospitals ....

143

Soldiers' Orphans' Home

144

Chapter X. The Christian Commission

148

Religious awakening

149

Women's auxiliaries

150

Wisconsin Commission . .

. 150

Experiences of Wisconsin women

151

Reading material ....

153

Criticisms .....

154

[viii]

CONTENTS

PAGE

Chapter XI. The Northwestern Se

mitary

Fair 

155

Preparations

155

German women's participation

157

Wisconsin contributions .

158
Chapter XII. The Milwaukee Soldiers'
Home
and the Soldiers' Home Fair
161
Milwaukee Soldiers' Home
162
First year's results .
164
Soldiers Home Fair
165
The Governor aids
167
Wisconsin towns assist
167
The Fair building .
169
The exhibits
170
Schools contribute .
170
Special features
172
Financial success
174
Merged in Government H
ome
174
Index ....
177
[ix]
Illustrations PAGE
Portrait of Cordelia A. Perrine Harvey . Frontispiece
View of Camp Randall at Madison, in 1861 . 12
In the Office of a Soldiers' Aid Society . . 24
Women in the Field, in war-time . . .78
In front of a Field Postmaster's Tent . . .94
Wisconsin Soldiers' Orphans' Home at Madison . 1 44
United States National Soldiers' Home at Mil
waukee . . . . . . .174

Wisconsin History Commission
(Organized under the provisions of Chapter 298,
Laws of 1905, as amended by Chapter 378,
Laws of 1907 and Chapter 445, Laws of
1909)
FRANCIS E. McGOVERN
Governor of Wisconsin
CHARLES E. ESTABROOK
Representing Department of Wisconsin, Grand
Arm^ of the Republic
REUBEN G. THWAITES
Superintendent of the State Historical Society of
, Wisconsin
CARL RUSSELL FISH
Professor of American History in the University of
Wisconsin
MATTHEW S. DUDGEON
Secretary of the Wisconsin Library Commission

Chairman, Commissioner Estabrook
Secretary and Editor, Commissioner Thwaites
Committee on Publications, Commissioners Thwaites
AND Fish [xiii]

INTRODUCTION
Fifty years have passed since the Confederate attack
on Fort Sumter. The story of the terrible War between
the States, which followed that dramatic episode, has been
told by thousands of writers, who have touched on almost
every phase of the struggle. But curiously enough, the
part taken by the patriotic women of the North has thus
far failed of adequate description. Their hearts responded
to the appeal of the Union as quickly and as nobly as
those of the men. At first, however, their opportunities
for service did not equal their eagerness to help; but it
was soon realized that woman's office in the conflict was
of its kind as important as that of the marching rank
and file. They lent encouragement and helpful sympathy
in a hundred practical ways. They not only sanctioned
but urged the enlistment of their fathers, sons, brothers,
and lovers. They ministered to organized companies and
regiments before the departure for the front. "When once
the volunteers were in the field, boxes of dainties and
comforts were sent to them from home; and the ill and
wounded appealed especially to the boundless charity of
womankind. At first the efforts of the women were unorganized and
individual. But as the fruit of experience, their leaders
devised and carefully managed an admirable system of
organized aid and relief. The result was an incalculable
[xv]

assuagement of the miseries of war. To accomplish these
sanitary and curative results, large funds were needed.
Here again the organizing ability of women, never more
conspicuously evidenced, came into play. Every possi
ble source of revenue was drawn upon. Particularly
profitable were the great fairs and exhibitions whieh they
held in important centres of population.
Women likewise were found at the front as nurses, hos
pital matrons, sanitary agents, Christian Commission work
ers, and occasionally as "Daughters of the Regiment"
or as officers' wives. But the heaviest burden undoubt
edly was carried by those who remained at home. In
addition to their much-needed work of relief, many la
bored steadily upon the farms and in the shops, as bread
winners for their families, while the men were serving
in the ranks. The extent of their co-operation in this
direction can never definitely be ascertained. "With a
tireless and courageous energy worthy of Spartan mothers,
they kept the wheels of industry in motion, and thus saved
the country from economic ruin. It is probable that
future historians of the War may consider this the most
important contribution of Northern women to the cause
of the Union.
Early in its career, the Wisconsin History Commission
arranged to present at least a summary statement of the
share of Wisconsin women in these several lines of war
time activity. The task of collecting and classifying the
data, and presenting it in literary form, was (under the
general direction of the Committee on Publication) under
taken by Miss Ethel Alice Hum of Oshkosh, at that time
a student in the University of Wisconsin. The Commis
sion now takes pleasure in publishing this interesting and
[xvi]

valuable study, which amply justifies her selection for so
difficult a task.
Difficult, because testimony concerning the four years'
war-work of the women of our State was not easy either
to discover or to interpret. Their deeds were performed
merely as a matter of duty or heartfelt desire, with no
thought of proclaiming them to the world. Miss Hum's
material could be found only in scattered contemporary
correspondence and subsequent reminiscence, in pamphlet
reports of fairs and societies, in newspaper files, and in
verbal statements and letters obtained by her from sur
vivors. From these disassociated bricks and mortar of
history, she has constructed her edifice. The result is an
unusual presentation of the sympathetic and sanitive
forces underlying the terrible stress of war. She has
given especial emphasis to the work of one or two women
of unusual ability, whom circumstances placed in posi
tions of national importance. But the record is chiefly
that of the average woman, who with cheerfulness and
fidelity approaching the heroic, met and grappled with the
problems forced upon her by the War. The Commission
believes that this record will not be received with indiffer
ence in the homes and at the hearthsides of the Wisconsin
people of our own day.
The index is the work of another Wisconsin woman,
Dr. Louise Phelps Kellogg, of the editorial staff of the
Wisconsin Historical Society. Her family traditions con
nect her closely with the sanitary work of Milwaukee
women during the giant contest that not only "tried
men's souls" but fired the hearts of their womenkind.
R. G. T.
Wisconsin Histoeioal Library
May, 1911
[ xvii ]

AUTHOR'S NOTE
The author is under special obligations to Mrs. James
Selkirk of Clinton for access to the Harvey manuscript.
Among many others, the following have also been of
much assistance in this imdertaking: Mr. Peter "Van
Vechten and Mrs. Caroline Bell of Milwaukee, Miss
Mary B. Simmons of Beloit, Mrs. Martha Showalter of
Lancaster, Hon. H. W. Rood and the late Judge E. "W.
Keyes of Madison, Mrs. Mary B. Robison of Topeka
(Kansas), Miss Mary A. Lapham of Oconomowoc, and
Mr. A. C. Wallin of Prairie du Chien.
Throughout the work, frequent and helpful suggestions
have been received from Drs. F. J. Turner, C. R. Fish, and
R G. Thwaites of the Department of History in the State
University. The last named, in the capacity of Editor
of the Wisconsin History Commission, has with great care
prepared the manuscript for the press and supervised its
publication. B. A. H.

[xix]

Wisconsin Women in theWar

Chapter I
The Departure of the Regiments
After the firing on Fort Sumter the North suddenly
awoke to a realization that civil war was inevitable, and
prepared accordingly. From a peaceful, industrial com
munity Wisconsin was quickly transformed into a hive of
military activity. Every town, village, and hamlet became
a recruiting station, and whenever enlistments were men
tioned, a thrill ran through every community.
Under such circumstances the proclamation of Governor
RandaU, April 22nd, 1861, to the "Patriotic Women of
Wisconsin" was peculiarly inspiring. In it he said:
I know that you will respond cheerfully to my request that
you contrihute your aid in the present crisis. In the way of
preparing lint and bandages for the use of the army. A much
larger amount of such necessaries for an army may he pre
pared, than may he required hy the sons of Wisconsin, hut in
the long war likely to follow, there may be thousands who will
require such kindness. * * *
It is your country and your government as well as theirs that
is now in danger, and you can give strength and courage and
warm sympathies and cheering words to those who go to do
[I]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
battl« for all that is dear to us here. Bitter as the parting may
be to many, I am assured that you will bid them go bravely for
ward for God and Liberty, to "return with their shields, or on
them." I commend the soldiers to your kindness, encourage
ment and prayers, with full confidence that when occasion calls,
many, very many Florence Nightingales will be found in our
goodly land, i
No one can doubt the patriotism and enthusiasm of the
women of those days. They entered heart and soul into
every conceivable activity of the time. They followed Gov
ernor Randall's advice — scraped lint, made bandages, and
encouraged men to enlist. Many war-meetings were held
in southem Wisconsin, which were attended by women as
well as by men.
i ' A Bally
A typical rally wa.« lusually conducted as follows. A
few days beforehamd a notice was sent to the people of the
district, announcing that a war-meeting would be held at
a certain time and place, that a well-known orator would
speak, and that there would bei "an abundance of martial
music on the programme." OA the evening chosen, such
members of the local company as desired to go, entered
wagons provided for the purpose, and formed a procession
moving through the town with colors flying, drums beating,
accompanied by m;uch cheering. In the meantime a crowd
having assembled at the place of meeting, cheered lustily
as the soldiers dismounted, to which the latter responded,
and much enthusiasm was evoked. A recent writer thus
describes such an occasion :

1 Official publication in 'Wisconsin State Journal (Madison),
April 23, 1861.
[2]

DEPARTURE OF THE REGIMENTS
After the teams had been cared for, and all were settled In the
school-house, as a matter of course some music would be called
for, and there, while the shrill tones from Rube Green's flfe
would almost pierce holes through the window panes, Trume
Hurlbutt, seeing the admiring gaze of all the country maidens
centered upon him, would fairly astonish them by his dexterity
in handling the sticks; and Jim Solomon would so belabor his
old bass drum that the loosened plaster would drop from the
celling. 2
The effect of the music upon the audience was instanta
neous; all were thus put into the best possible frame of
mind for hearing the "ringing address of the captain, the
next thing on the programme. ' ' Then followed calls for more
music, succeeded by more cheers. At this psychologiol
moment the captain would give a hearty invitation for
the young men to join the company, whereupon a deep
silence generally fell upon the audience, for while it was
easy enough to use their lungs in such a cause, actual en
listment was a very serious matter.
At this point in the meeting the young ladies were generally
more enthusiastic than the boys, whether because of their more
intense patriotism, or because, however wrought up they might
become, concerning the duty of enlistment, they were safe from
any personal appeals to put down their own names, I do not
pretend to say. We all knew that, as a matter of course, every
good girl was a patriotic girl, and equally well we knew, that
had every girl of them desired to enlist, not one of them would
be accepted, s
Now and then a young girl would add her powers of
persuasion to those of the captain, and would urge the

2 H. W. Rood, Compcmy E and the Twelfth 'Wisconsin in the
War for the Union (Milwaukee, 18931), pp. 47, 48.
3 Ibid, pp. 49, 50.
[3]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
boys- to enlist, hinting that a young fellow who was as
brave and plucky as John would surely not need coaxing;
this was a most trying situation for the poor fellow, who
probably wished at the moment that both he and his girl
had stayed at home. At one such meeting a certain young
girl became very enthusiastic and
cheered with the men and boys, clapped her hands every time
the captain made a particularly good point, and waved her hand
kerchief at the band when they played "The girl I left behind
me." When stirring exhortations to enlist were brought to bear
upon the young men, she became more expressive and enthusias.
tic than ever. At last she spoke right out in meeting as follows:
"John, if you do not enlist, I'll never let you kiss me again as
long as I live! Now you mind, sir, I mean what I say." 4
Poor John! he had no sort of notion of enlisting, but his patri
otic girl had put before him an alternative that made him fairly
tremble with indecision. But John's misery was the cause
of much merriment in such a crowd at such a time; especially it
amused the members of our company, and they exhorted him
something after this fashion: "John, you'd better go with us!
Come now, John, if I were in your place I'd enlist, before I'd give
up, what you've got to." s
But it was quite evident that John had lost all interest
in the meeting and that he stubbornly refused to enlist.
History does not divulge whether or not the patriotic girl
kept her vow.
Although this was the usual type of a rally, methods dif
fered in different towns. In some places a choir both of
men and women would begin the exercises with bright and
lively songs to arouse enthusiasm, then change to more
quiet and plaintive tunes to evoke the patriotism of those

ilUd, p. 50.
¦^lUd, pp. 50, 51.
[4]

DEPARTURE OF THE REGIMENTS
it was hoped would enlist. After this occurred, the singers
would again burst jubilantly into patriotic melodies.
Such rallies were frequent during the earlier years of
the war; and while not always successful in securing en
listments, they were valuable in arousing the community
to seriously consider the war and its issues. The following
is an instance well calculated to show the spirit of the
women who attended such meetings:
There was an enthusiastic war-meeting a few miles from our
town. Just before the speaker arose to address the audience,
a good old lady rose to her feet and said she had five sons now
in the army, fighting to maintain the nation's honor, and another
son about sixteen, whom she would gladly send as a drummer
boy, whose health would not permit him to fight. Also her hus
band had just enrolled his name. "And now," said she, "I pro
pose three cheers for our good old flag!" and with those words
she walked up and kissed the flag that she had yielded her
heart's treasure to sustain, e
Another patriotic woman in speaking of her husband
said, "I would almost despise my husband and would
think him a sneak, if he hadn 't gone. ' ' The following cir
cumstance illustrates a fine type of patriotism and religious
faith. A woman from Vemon County accompanied her
husband to the place of enlistment, to see him sign his
name to the enlistment roll, since he was determined to go.
As he laid down the pen, she took it up and wrote "God
bless and protect you, my husband.'"' But it remained

« Correspondence of 'Wisconsin Volunte rs (newspaper clip
pings, chiefly soldiers' letters), collected by E. B. Quiner, in Wis
consin Historical Library.
7 Dan Webster and Don C. Cameron, Story of First Wisconsin
Battery (Washington, D. C, 1907), p. 7.
[5]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
for a Waushara County woman to cap the climax by say
ing, in a burst of patriotic fervor, that if she had another
husband, she would send him also. So it may be assumed
that Wisconsin women were as patriotic and courageous in
giving up their soldiers, as the latter were in marching
away to fight for their country.
Drilling Recruits
Everywhere, in small villages as well as in towns and
cities, the task of drilling recruits was busily going on, and
everywhere people old and young were filled with en
thusiasm and delight for all things military. Even in the
village, there was ' ' generally more or less a crowd at hand
to witness [the evolutions of the soldiers] and hear the
soul-stirring and ear-splitting music of the fife and
drum."* While recruiting was going on, daily driUs were held on
the town square, where keeping step to Union music was
vigorously practiced. ' ' Officers and men alike were ignorant
of military tactics, and all studied with zealous determina
tion to master the art of war. The park became an attrac
tive place — attractive to the young ladies as well as to
recruits; to the former [because] they could see the soldier
boys, and to the latter [because] there the girl he was to
leave behind him was sure to be. " °
There, too, the presence of women was effective, for
' ' when the soldiers were on the drill-ground under the ad
miring gaze of a score of bright eyes, they stood up
straighter and taller and looked manlier than ever before,

8 Rood, p. 42
9 Webster and Cameron, p. 7.
[6]

DEPARTURE OF THE REGIMENTS
and as a matter of fact * * * always got in their best
work when they had a bevy of admiring maidens for spec
tators. "i»
Not only in villages did women tum out to watch the
soldiers, but the same interest was manifested in towns and
eities. This is shown by the remark made by a soldier at
Camp Utley, Racine: "We marched along Racine's most
aristocratic streets, and every man did his best, for the
walks were filled with the belles of that fair city."^^
Flag Raising
"When this wave of enthusiasm for things military and
patriotic swept over Wisconsin, a strong desire was created
to fly the American flag.
Such a display of the national colors had never been seen be
fore. Flag raising was the order of the day. The trinity of
red, white, and blue colors were to be seen in all directions.
Shop-keepers decked their windows and counters with it. Men
wore it in neckties or in a rosette, pinned on the breast or tied
in the button-hole. Women wore it conspicuously also. The
bands played only patriotic airs, and "Yankee Doodle," "Re3,
White, and Blue," and "Star Spangled Banner" would have been
worn thread-bare, if possible. 12
The flag floated not only from halls, stores, dwellings,
school-rooms, churches, doors, windows, and dining-rooms,
but even adorned the parlors of cultivated women.^* It is
not surprising, therefore, to find that fiag-making was

10 Rood, p. 42. ^
11 Webster and Cameron, p. 16.
12 J. H. Billings, Hard Tack and Coffee (Boston, 1888), p. 42.
13 William DeLoss Love, Wisconsin in the War of the Be-
lemon (Chicago, 1866), p. 125.
[71

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
the order of the day. In every town and city women were
busy making fiags for the different military companies.
These were of various materials and designs, and each
bore some inscription to distinguish it from others. One
interesting flag is thus described:
It is of dark blue silk with a silver fringe. On one side Is
painted a shield, inscribed "Racine 1861," with a national flag
draped on either side of it, surmounted by an eagle, holding
the bolts of Jove. Above is the motto "Remember Sumter!" On
scrolls near the center is written, "For Freedom and for God."
On the reverse is a shield with a star, surrounded by military
emblems with the name of the company -inscribed. "
A Lancaster banner, on a background, profusely adorned
with rosettes, bore the inscription, "Lead is our King, not
Cotton."" Another flag from the same town was made of cream-
colored linen with the following inscription in large black
letters: "Lead mines of Grant. We are called. We have
come. Wisconsin." The other side of this banner was
made of blue silk, and bore the inscription, "We pledge
our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. ' ' ^° Not every
banner was made of silk, however ; for one, worthy of men
tion, was of merino, its staff being surmounted by a globe.
This one had specific interest, because the young girls who
made it gave up the joys of dancing for the soberer pas
time of sewing.
The flags thus far described were not national, but de
signed as emblems for local companies. United States flags

14 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, i, p. 73.
iBjftid, p. 72.
10 Ms. letter of Mrs. Martha Showalter, Lancaster.

[8]

DEPARTURE OF THE REGIMENTS
were also occasionally presented, although these were usu
ally furnished by the State.
After the fall of Fort Sumter the pupils of the Beloit
High School were filled with enthusiasm and said, "We
must have a flag." "So the boys bought the material, and
the girls made it, our principal bidding us 'not to make
the stitches so long that the birds would catch their feet
in them. ' " " The women of Beloit also desired to make
a United States flag, but were told that the Government
would furnish it; "and besides," added the women, "if
we made it as big as our hearts, no color sergeant could
carry it."
A unique flag, and one that savored of Revolutionary
days, was made in a little country village and raised July
4, 1861. The women of the family made the stripes of
muslin and turkey-red calico, and a piece of the daughter's
blue apron (for cotton cloth was dear) formed the back
ground for the stars, which were six-pointed and patterned
a,fter a drawing by the younger son. The flag-pole was
made by a son, home on sick leave, and so the flag repre
sented the united efforts of the whole patriotic family.^*
Flag Presentations
Since so many flags were made by the women for the de
parting troops, it is not surprising that almost every town
had its formal flag presentation, on which occasion the
people gathered together to listen to "words of tenderest

IT Ms. letter of Mary E. Simmons (Beloit, March 4, 1910).
i-» Shetoygan Telegram (December 2, 1909).

[9]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
encouragement, spoken by some young girl with cheek and
heart aglow. ' ' "
The presentation of a flag to the First Wisconsin Regi
ment by Mrs. George Walker, in behalf of the ladies of
Milwaukee, occurred at Camp Scott on May 8, 1861. The
speech was made in the presence of the Governor, Brigadier-
General King, and other Wisconsin officers. After a re
view of the regiment a hollow square was formed, and Mrs.
Walker was introduced to the troops. ""
The following sentences of her address reflect the spirit
of the occasion:
In confiding this banner to be upheld by your strong arms
and dauntless nearts, we feel that you will never permit a
hostile or traitor's flag to assume the place of the glorious and
unsullied stars and stripes, which have been, with the blessing
of God, and ever shaii be, a symbol of our national glory. * * *
The ladies, who have prepared this beautiful standard, have
adorned its azure field with a star for each state of the Union,
making thirty-four in all. We have made no distinction, select
ing some and excluding others, but have embraced our whole
country with all its luminaries shining, for we can recognize no
secession from the glorious sisterhood of states. _2i
Such speeches filled the listening soldiers with an in
tense patriotism, which the following quotation well ex
presses: "Not one but resolved to face even death with
unflinching nerve, and to always keep in mind as their
watchword, 'Death before dishonor.' " ^^

19 Mrs. S. E. Henshaw, Our Branch and Its Tributaries (Chi
cago, 1868), p. 20.
20 Love, p. 213.
2i76i(J, p. 214.
22 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, i, p. 24.
[ID]

DEPARTURE OF THE REGIMENTS
Banquets for the Soldiers
In many towns the departing soldiers were served with
special luncheons or suppers, which were much appre
ciated by the local companies. These were particularly note
worthy in Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, La Crosse, Osh
kosh, and other places where camps were located. On
Thanksgiving, Racine women furnished the men in camp
with a Thanksgiving dinner, at which twelve hundred
doughnuts, five hundred pies, and a hundred and seventy-
five turkeys were eaten. A soldier who attended this ban
quet wrote: "We had cold turkey, roast chicken, apple,
pumpkin, and mince pies, sponge cake, pound cake, and in
deed everything the most fastidious could wish for, and
above aU, the ladies seemed to take a special delight in
smiling upon us, while we were eating. ' ' ^*
Perhaps the most ambitious attempt of this sort was
made at Madison in July, 1861. The patriotic men and
women of the city and surrounding country met at As
sembly Hall in the Capitol, and resolved to entertain the
Fourth and Fifth regiments. The plan was, that the
women from the country should furnish the substantial
part of the menu, including chickens, lambs, boiled ham,
vegetables, butter, cream, eggs, and cake ; while the Madison
women brought jelly, pies, and other delicacies. Six thou
sand people attended this banquet, many of them from
Middleton, Cottage Grove, and Sun Prairie. They came
in wagons and carriages with waving banners and music,
bringing their provisions, which the Madison women re
ceived and disposed of. Meanwhile, the soldiers at Camp

23 Id., il, p. 76.
["]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
Randall had decorated the grounds for the occasion, by
making designs of white sand, bordered with pebbles.
Among the figures were hearts, diamonds, circles, flags, and
shields — each company having a different emblematic de
vice. Among the inscriptions were: "Rebels, blow your
horn;" "Ladies of Dane, the Beaver Dam Rifles appreciate
your kindness;" and "Remember Sumter!" The most
elaborate attempt at decoration was made by Company E.
"Here was an elevation of an immense circle, in the center
of which was the Wisconsin coat of arms, badger and aU.
This was a most elaborate piece of work, showing superior
taste and skill. The badger, like all the devices about the
grounds, was made of pebbles and presented a very fair
animal. Around the circle were the words, 'Janesville
Light Guard. Deeds not words.' The whole was taste
fully decorated with nuts, green and dry." ^*
These indefatigable workers had also decorated the din-
ing-hall with bushes and leaves. Thus the whole affair
presented a most festive appearance. But the supper must
not be forgotten. A writer described it as follows:
Precisely at five o'clock everything was in readiness, and the
signal for supper was promptly responded to by the entrance
of the twenty companies into the dining hall. Before commenc
ing the feast, each company in turn gave three rousing cheers
for the ladies, and then the order for three cheers by the two
regiments together was given, and such cheers and tigers as
were raised, are seldom heard. The best efforts of two thousand
throats were given to th© work, and as evidence that it was
successful, these cheers were distinctly heard in all parts of
the city, a distance of a mile and a half. There was good feel
ing there and a great amount of it. 25

24 Id,, i, pp. 210, 211.
25 76i(?, p. 211. r 12 1

Vikw of Camp Randal o, at Madison, in 1861

Printed from a contemporary wood-engraving in possession ot the Wisconsin Historical Society

DEPARTURE OF THE REGIMENTS
After supper the women were thanked for their sump
tuous entertainment and then the regiments were drawn up
for dress parade, and a flag was presented to each. Subse-
quaintly, other entertainments were provided, and the grand
finale was a dance upon the parade grounds, "in which
the sturdy soldiers and the fair damsels participated in
high glee. * * * it was truly a happy day. The
weather was delightful, the ladies were agreeable, the sol
diers were gallant, and the outsiders in general were
pleased with everything. * * *,We can only add, that
the whole affair was a perfect success ; and to the ladies of
the country and the city be awarded all the credit. God
bless them all."^^
Such elaborate entertainments as the foregoing were in
frequent; yet on a smaller scale the same sort of thing
was being done in almost every village or town, for de
parting soldiers, whose letters are full of appreciation for
such kindnesses. Oyster suppers, strawberry festivals, and
the like were the favorite modes of entertainment and often
a programme followed, as for example, when the Sauk
County riflemen left home. Thirty young girls, tastefully
dressed in white, sang a national anthem, after which the
volunteers preceded to Kingston, where a reception and
feast were given them.^^ Dances were also a popular form
of farewell to the soldiers, ^hese were usually held in the
town hall, where a crowd of friends and relatives gathered
to make merry with them. But the effort at cheerfulness
was not always successful, for occasionally a devoted couple
would be seen dancing, while tears ran down their cheeks.

2«iMd, p. 211.
iribid, p. 231.
[13]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
One onlooker at such a gathering expressed the sentiment
of the assembled company when she said, ' ' I feel as though
I were going to dance on their graves. ' '
Not content with doing everything possible for the
companies from their own towns, Wisconsin women offered
every possible courtesy to the stranger companies march
ing through. When the Seventh Regiment passed through
Janesville on its way to Chicago, there were huzzas,
a waving of handkerchiefs, and something more sub
stantial. As the two trains drew up alongside of each
other, pails of coffee and buckets of sandwiches, pies, cakes,
and apples were quickly distributed. ^'
At Kenosha a most successful entertainment was given
the First Regiment in June, 1861. A volunteer wrote :
After a short march to a small grove, we ate an excellent
dinner, prepared by the ladies. This was by far the most pleas
ant time we have had since our enlistment. Everything that
we could wish for in the shape of pies, cakes, and meats were
furnished in abundance. The ladies filled the knapsacks of the
different companies with biscuits, meat, and cheese. 29
Occasionally bouquets were bestowed upon the depart
ing regiments, and even more intimate tokens; for "some
times girls passed along the side of the car, shakiug hands
with their 'brothers all,' and occasionally some bold sol
dier boy, with a spice of fun or tenderness in his heart,
would bring the face near enough to imprint a chaste
salute." Biit the tables were tumed when a daring maid
kissed the entire membership of a local company, from the

2»Ibid, p. 272.
29 Ibid. p. 20.

[14]

DEPARTURE OF THE REGIMENTS
captain with his whiskers to tbe humblest private in the
ranks. A large and handsome cake was given to Company A
by the Milwaukee women, accompanied by a splendid bou
quet which bore the inscription, "Flowers may fade, but
the honors of the brave never. ' ' ""
Sometimes the companies in the various State camps re
ceived gifts from their home towns, and occasionally rela
tives from home visited them. On May 24, 1861, the
Kenosha boys at Camp Scott were cheered by the visit of
nearly a hundred Kenosha women, who came laden with
a bountiful supply of "cuisine dainties, prepared to tickle
the palate and make glad the heart. ' ' *^
Visitors at the various camps became more numerous
as the time for the companies to depart drew nigh, and
painful scenes were often witnessed by sympathetic on
lookers. A eorrespondent wrote:
We almost daily witness thrilling scenes, not blustering,
but calm heart-moving ones, of parents visiting their sons • * •
brothers and sisters visiting brothers, or pretty wives often with
their pretty babes, visiting their husbands, each bringing the
soldier a few of the common luxuries of bome as a remembrance.
See him accompany her to the gate, where he must stop — ^good
bye, goodbye, they pass along, and he looks so steady, so sober,
but his eyes begin to glisten, as he turns away with a heart too
fwll, a throat too choked for utterance; perhaps it is the last
goodbye to the dearest on earth.32
Such a parting is but a type of what occurred in every
home or camp, where a soldier was leaving his beloved ones.

so Ibid, p. 239.
31 Ibid, p. 8.
32 Id., vii, p. 4.
[15]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
Usually the women were brave — 0 ! so brave — only to break
down later, when they were sure that an exhibition of grief
would not unnerve the man whose courage they had tried
so hard to sustain. In one case a soldier came back to
get some forgotten article only to find the mother
who before him had been so brave, sobbing uncon
trollably, while the little brother lay weeping in her
arms. But such scenes ought not to be reported. They
should be imagined rather than expressed. It is enough to
say, that these women, when they pinned on the rosette of
red, white and blue, or gave the little Testament to their
brave boys, were making fully as great sacrifices for their
country as the departing soldiers.
An account of the demonstration in Milwaukee at the
departure of a regiment is recorded as follows:
The sympathy of Milwaukee citizens has been shown to us
in the brightest light. I did not see a single window in all the
streets we passed, without being filled both by males and females;
the latter gracefully waving their handkerchiefs or bidding us
farewell and success; among whom many a slender, blue-eyed
beauty came to our view. A multitude of men, women and
children followed us to the depot, sa
"When the Twenty-fourth Regiment left Milwaukee, a
densely packed mass of men, women, and ehildren waited
patiently from eight o'clock in the morning until one, when
a sudden shower scattered them all for a time. At three
o'clock the crowd gathered again, and thousands came to
say goodbye to acquaintances, friends, or relatives. ' ' Cheer
after cheer went up as they went down Main street [now
Broadway], and the Newhall blossomed out with white

^3 Id., viii, p. 55.
[i6]

DEPARTURE OF THE REGIMENTS
handkerchiefs. At the depot there were at least seven
thousand people, and the limited space about the cars was
aU taken up with enthusiastic friends, shaking hands and
saying good words. ' ' Though such a scene seemed cheerful
enough to the soldier, excited over the prospect of his
journey and the new life, there were plenty of shadows to
soften the high light. A writer tells the following pathetic
story :
AS the men passed into the cars, a young girl, plainly dressed,
approached one of the windows. Hiding her face in her hands,
and too much awed by the crowd to sob aloud, she gave way to
silent tears. A middle-aged man, a private near the farther
limit of the age for military-service, appeared at the car window,
toward which the girl was drawn, and took off his cap with, a
trembling and unnei-ved hand, while silent tears coursed down his
weather-beaten cheeks. A father was apparently bidding his
child an unspoken fareweU. 34
From the foregoing, it appears that the women of Wis
consin were as patriotic as the men during the days when
the regiments marched away; their courage was even
greater, for: Heroic males the country bears
But daughters give up more than sons.
Flags wave, drums heat, and unawares
You flash your souls out with the guns
And take your Heaven at once!
But we! — we empty heart and home
Of life's life, love! we bear to think
You're gone, — ^to feel you may not come, —
To hear the door-latch stir and click;
Yet, no more you! . . . nor sink. 35

34 7d., X, p. 331.
3B Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "Parting Lovers," in Complete
Poetical Works (Cambridge edition, 1900), p. 446.
2 [17]

chapter il
Soldiers' Aid Societies
When Lincoln in April, 1861, issued his first call for
troops, the women throughout the country held meetings
to confer with regard to the best means of organized help
for the soldiers. In many ways this was a remarkable
movement. Tradition, custom, instinct, and the isolated
life in small communities broken into separate religious
sects, opposed a general union Nevertheless, regardless of
creed or social position, women began at once to form
a national organization to minister to the army. '*
Sanitary Commission
The Women's Central Association of Relief, formed at
New York in April, 1861, was the first step toward the or
ganization of the United States Sanitary Commission. *^
President Lincoln failed at first to realize the great benefit
to be derived from such an organization; he described it
as a "fifth wheel to the coach," but finally he gave his
consent to the formation of a " Commission of inquiry and
advice with respect to the sanitary interests of the United

36 Ida M. Tarbell, "The American Woman," in American Maga
zine (April, 1910), p. 811.
37Rossiter Johnson, Short History of the War of Secession
(Boston, 1888), pp. 352, 353.
[i8]

soldiers' AID SOCIETIES
States forces." June 13, 1861, this committee received
from Lincoln and Simon Cameron (at that time Secretary
of War) an order authorizing the formation of the Sani
tary Commission.
The object of the Sanitary Commission was to do what
the Government could not accomplish. The latter under
took to provide all that was necessary for the soldier,
whether sick or in good health, whether in active service
or in the hospital. But from the very nature of things, this
was an unrealized ideal. The Commission was to meet the
emergency caused by the breakdown of governmental ma
chinery ; it made provision for all needs, and sought always
to supplement, never to supplant the Govemment. It never
forgot that it must be subordinate to army rules and regu
lations; that it must not under any circumstances break
down the essential military discipline on which so much
depended. ^*
The work of the Commission was comprehensive in its
scope, including many lines of usefulness. It sent medical
inspectors to the army to report on sanitary conditions and
administration, prepared eighteen treatises on the best
means of preserving health in camps, put trained nurses
into the hospitals, established -soup depots, and invented
hospital-cars for a more humane transportation of the
wounded. It had also a general relief-department, with
twelve branch depots in the large cities ; each of these had
auxiliaries, engaged in obtaining supplies. The special re
lief department established forty lodges for sick soldiers;
these were scattered along the route of the army. It

38 Mary E. Livermore, My Story of the War (Hartford, Conn.,
1889), p. 1291.
[19]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
founded claim, pension, and back-pay agencies, and printed
a hospital directory. Most invaluable was its system of
battlefield relief, through which thousands of dollars worth
of sanitary supplies were distributed after the great bat
tles. '»
Although the administrative responsibility of this or
ganization was assumed by men, it was the women of the
North who were the bone and sinew of the Commission,
for by their generous contributions and patriotic spirit they
kept it aUve. From an historical standpoint the organiza
tion, although outside the Govemment, assumed certain
governmental powers and duties. From a humane stand
point it expressed the blended charity of all the loyal
states, gathered and organized according to a carefully
studied method approved by the Government, guaranteed
efficiency, economized energy, and secured continuance of
the generous love, looking out with aching eyes and waiting
hands from almost every home throughout the land. *°
The Chicago branch of the Sanitary Commission, because
of its convenient location, became the channel through which
most of the supplies from Wisconsin were sent to the front.
On October 17, 1861, this branch was organized, and almost
immediately the women of the Northwest began to send
large donations to its quarters. The energy, earnestness,
and patriotism of these women of the Northwest was ad
mirable as was shown by letters received by the Sanitary
Commission, which came from cities, towns, villages, and
prairie settlements, and were in themselves a "monument

89 Ibid, pp. 130-132.
40 u. S. Sanitary Commission Bulletin (New York, 1886), 1, pp.
289, 290.
[2Q]

soldiers' aid SOCIETIES
to the patriotism, ability, and culture of the writers.""
Requests for instructions show a remarkable clearness
of thought. These emanated from every point, and were
actual reports of admirably organized societies, whose
business methods were so good that the exclamation, ' ' The
Northwest is full of wonderful women ! ' ' was quite justified.
Misdirected Energies
While companies were forming and departing, one reso
lute purpose lay deep in the heart of every Wisconsin wo
man; namely, to do all possible to bring comfort and en
couragement to the departing regiments. Such a strong
feeling did not remain long unexpressed. A period of mis
directed effort was the result — misdirected in the sense
that the women failed to realize that they were doing harm
in persistently sending boxes of jellies and sweetmeats to
men who were undergoing the process of acclimatiza
tion, and also misdirected when their time and labor were
spent on unnecessary and useless articles, such as have-
locks. Societies were even formed for this purpose alone,
their expenses being defrayed by "havelock sociables."
Not until bales of havelocks were made did they realize
that the gifts were useless, and that the men received them
with merriment and put them to every possible use, except
the one for which they were intended, namely as a protec
tion for the head from the hot rays of the sun. ^^
These early efforts likewise did not aim at the broader
patriotism, which seeks to benefit the sick or wounded

41 Henshaw, p. 22.
42 Ibid, pp. 20, 21.

[21]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
soldier regardless of his company, regiment, or state. As
time passed, however, Wisconsin women realized their
mistakes, and like the other loyal women of the North, were
as anxious to rectify them as they had been headlong in
perpetrating them. Aid Societies Formed
Shortly after war was declared, Wisconsin women began
to meet to make garments for the soldiers. These gather
ings were at first spontaneous and could hardly be given
a name. They were prompted by the exigencies of the time
and animated by the thought that several enthusiastic, in
dustrious women could accomplish more when working
together than separately. As time went on, and the in
fluence of the Sanitary Commission grew stronger, such
gatherings became regular aid societies, with officers, rules,
and a definite scheme of operation. This was accomplished
all the more easily, because many Wisconsin women were
used to similar church organizations, and like their New
England sisters had long worked in missionary and sewing
societies. As a rule the women who had been prominent
in the earlier organizations, became the leaders in the aid
societies, so that the movement in Wisconsin went rapidly
forward. Although the aid societies were informal during the first
years of the war, a definite scheme for conducting them
had been evolved by 1863 ; this did much to increase their
efficiency. *' According to this plan the women who wished
to organize a society determined upon a certain day and

43 "Women's Central Association of Relief," in TT. S. Sanitary
Commission Bulletin, ii, pp. 370, 371.
[22]

soldiers' aid societies
place for a public meeting; all the women and the young
girls of the neighborhood were invited to attend. Ministers
were asked to announce this invitation from the pulpits, and
a notice was placed in the post office. Tbe object of the
societies was to provide for the comfort of sick and wounded
soldiers of the United States Army. The officers were as
follows: a president, five vice-presidents, a secretary and
treasurer, a committee on cutting, and another on packing.
The duties of the president were to preside at all meet
ings, to have the general interests of the society in charge,
and to purchase all materials. Her duty it was likewise to
present a plan for the ensuing month, after having con
sulted with the vice-presidents and the treasurer. One of
the vice-presidents was to preside in the absence of the
president; all five, in connection with the president and
the secretary, were to devise means for improving and in
creasing the usefulness and efficiency of the society. At
the meetings one of the vice-presidents distributed the work,
supervised it generally, and collected it again. It was
also the duty of the vice-presidents to canvass the village
and neighborhood for the purpose of securing as many mem
bers as possible.** It was suggested that a division into
districts would facilitate the work. This proposal was ac
cepted, and the vice-presidents in their respective districts
explained the object of the society and endeavored to en
list the women's sympathy in its behalf. It was decided
that no membership fee should be required.
The secretary-treasurer was to keep all the books of the
society and conduct a correspondence with "that branch of
the Sanitary Commission to which the supplies were to be

**Ibid, pp. 370, 37lL
[23]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
sent." Her duty it was to write to the Commission for
any information which might be desired by members of
the society.
The cutting committee was to cut material into garments,
according to approved patterns, and to have a sufficient
quantity of work prepared for every meeting. The pack
ing committee was to elect its own chairman, who was to
make a detailed and accurate list of the contents of each
box, while it was being packed. This list, with the name
of the society written on it, as well as the name and post
office address of the secretary, was to be placed immediately
under the cover of the box or the barrel, while a duplicate
invoice was to be sent without delay, to the secretary, who
was to notify the Sanitary Commission by letter, of the con
signment. Every box or package was to be distinctly ad
dressed and marked on the outside with the name of the
town or the village from which it was sent.
Meetings were to be held weekly or fortnightly at the
option of the society. It was considered best to hold them
in some regular place of assembly, such as the town-Jiall,
court-house, public school-house, or church-vestry. *^ In
one of the Wisconsin towns the aid society was sorely tried,
for the mayor was a copperhead, and he forced the women
to pay rent for the use of a room in the city hall.
The plan of organization has been fully described
because it illustrates the excellent business sense of its or
iginators,*" and explains how these aid societies were able
to accomplish such results.
In Brodhead, Wisconsin, a most interesting experiment

45 iftid, pp. 370, 371.
<8 This outline plan was prepared by Louisa Lee Schuyler.
[24]

In the office of a Soldiees' Aid Society
From sketch by Thomas Nast, in F. B. Goodrich, The Tribute
Book (N. Y. 1865), p. Ill

soldiers' aid societies
Avas tried, the formation of a young people's society called
the Alert Club. The object of this club was to fumish
funds for the aid society, of which it was an auxiliary.
According to its plan the village was to be divided into ten
districts with four collectors for each. Twenty cents a
month were to be collected from each woman, and as much
as possible from each man. The collectors were to secure
the subscriptions on the first Monday of each month, and
to pay over the money to the aid society on the following
Monday. Entertainments of various sorts, such as lawn
sociables and strawberry feasts, were also to be given in
order to raise money ; and if the young women desired, they
could make garments for the soldiers. This was not an
obligatory duty, however, as the main purpose of the club
was ^0 provide funds for the mother society.
The Societies at Work
The work done at these meetings was of all sorts; but
first and foremost lint was scraped, and for this purpose
old table-cloths, rags, and even linen brought from former
homes in. the old country were used. One method of pre
paring the lint was to lay a plate bottom upward, on a table
or on the lap of the operator, and to place a piece of linen
on it ; this was vigorously scraped with a case-knife imtil it
was transformed into a fluffy mass of fibre.*'' Another
method, which was to ravel the linen, was perhaps less
strenuous. Thousands of bandages were likewise sewed and
rolled up, ready for use. At the beginning of the war these
were the two chief occupations; the women realized that

*TJ. H. Waterman, "Rosendale Squad," in National Tribune,
May 3, 1900.
[25]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
bales of lint and bandages would be needed after each battle.
It is needless to say, that had absorbent cotton been in use
at that time, much labor might have been saved for other
duties. The lack of modem pharmaceutical supplies, dur
ing the war, would appal a person living in this generation.
It is difficult for us to realize how far surgery and the
science of medicine have progressed during the last fifty
years, although we know that in the Civil War period anti
septics were not commonly used, and few of the numerous
conveniences and appliances which are in use today, could
be resorted to.
Among the articles made at the aid societies were quilts
and blankets, many of which had some cheering message,
or the name of the maker sewn in them. Occasionally an
interesting correspondence was started by this means. One
Wisconsin quilt had a curious history. It was made in 1864
by the women of Green Bay, and sent to the army, where
for twenty years all track of it was lost. Finally, in 1884,
it was discovered in the cabin of a negro family living near
Bentonville. The piece that remained contained eight
blocks, each of which had in the centre a white cross run'
ning diagonally, while the outside pieces were of colored
calico, bordered with white. On each square was written
the name of its maker in indelible ink ; a few of the blocks
bore also timewom inscriptions. *^
These verses illustrate the sturdy and uncompromising
spirit of the makers of the quilt :
For the gay and happy soldier
We're contented as a dove.
But the man who will not enlist
Never can gain our love.

48 Milwaukee Telegraph, Jan. 9, 1884.
[26]

soldiers' aid societies
If rebels attack you, do run with the quilt
And safe to some fortress convey it;
For o'er the gaunt body of some old secesh
We did not intend to display it.
*******
'Twas made for brave boys, who went from the West;
And swiftly the fair flngers flew.
While each stitch, as it went to its place in the quilt,
Was a smothered "God bless you, boys," too. 4o
The comfort-bag or housewife, familiarly known as
"hussy," was so much a necessary part of every well-pro
vided soldier's equipment, that a detailed description may
not be out of place. It was a small bag or needle-case con
taining half a dozen assorted needles, a skein of white
cotton, a skein of black linen thread, half a dozen horn or
porcelain shirt buttons, a dozen trouser buttons, a small
ball of yam, a darning needle, and a few pins. "'' Occa
sionally some careful mother or wife would add a small
bottle of cayenne pepper, a package of court-plaster,
or perhaps a bottle of quinine, which was thought at that
time to be a panacea for all the ills that flesh is heir to. ^^
It would be impossible to overestimate the value of such
a bag to a soldier in active service. One Wisconsin aid
society received flve hundred letters of thanks for the two
thousand three hundred bags which it had sent out.
Among these correspondents was one who declared that his
housewife had been "worth ten dollars" to him.
Another soldier wrote to thank the women of Janesville

49 Ibid.
50 U. S. Sanitary Commission Bulletin, ii, p. 760.
51 J. M. Aubery. Thirty-sixth Wisconsin Infantry (Milwaukee,
1900), p. 12.
[27]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
for seventy or eighty beautiful needle-books "elegantly
wrought and of invaluable utility. ' ' He further states, that
soldiers have the poorest clothes of any class of people, yet
are required to make them do the most service, and that
the needle-books are in great requisition on Saturday nights,
as the soldiers must then prepare for the Sunday morning
inspection. ^^
Blankets, quilts, and comfort-bags were not the only ar
ticles made by the aid societies ; all kinds of clothing, such
as shirts, dressing gowns, underwear were prepared, the ma
terial for such articles being bought with the society's
money. Flannel shirts seem to have been especially popu
lar, for the women of Watertown made five hundred for
the local company. In a few cases the aid societies even
made uniforms for the soldiers, but this was only done
occasionally during the first few months of the war. The
Milwaukee Zouaves, for instance, were presented with
fatigue uniforms consisting of brown trousers, hickory
shirts, and red caps. ^'
In order to illustrate what was done in the various aid-
societies, the foUowing testimony is quoted :
They made flannel blouses and shirts; if I remember aright,
these were gray, as we knew that it was the safest color. But
as the South had preempted that color, when more regular
equipment was adopted our boys were given the next best, the
light blue.
Both real flannel and cotton-flannel undergarments were made,
and one woman was so expert in cutting, that she seriously
strained her thumb, plying the shears. Good woolen socks were
knit, or fished out of the home stock in baskets. Chests were

52 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, v, p. 79.
53 Id., i, p. 2.
[28]

SOLDIERS AID SOCIETIES
ransacked for the substantial blankets that were woven on the
looms of our mothers and grandmothers. Quilts were made
and given. I remember giving away my pieced blocks, having
a double thought, to do service and to get rid of finishing up
the quilt, si Knitted Articles
A very popular as well as a necessary occupation was the
knitting of socks, mittens, and gloves, especially a peculiar
kind of mitten, which had a forefinger as well as a thumb,
so that it could be used in shooting. This knitting occupa
tion was kept up in public as well as in private, for women
knitted while traveling, during spare minutes at home, or
at the meetings of the aid society. One patriotic woman
threw her religious scruples to the wind, and knitted a few
rounds on Sunday before the church-bell rung. Even young
girls knitted socks, and their grandmothers toed and heeled
them. In fact there was a perfect epidemic of knitting,
which lasted throughout the war.
Among the articles received by Wisconsin soldiers in
1862 were numerous pairs of mittens. "And if they could
see the caps flying and hear the cheers that are sent up for
the ladies of 'Old Grant' upon the receipt of these articles,
they would feel well repaid for their trouble." °° Another
soldier wrote :
A box of mittens from the ladies of Milwaukee was distributed
by our returned chaplain on Thursday afternoon, and were just
in time to do good service. The boys now gladly take the "mitt"
from the girls they left behind them. May Qod prosper the
good ladies of Milwaukee in their work of kind deeds. Their

54 Ms. letter from Miss Simmons.
55 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, ill, p. 277.
[29]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
gifts touch the rough soldier's heart and call forth many prayer
ful thanks and thoughts of loved firesides they have left, to
struggle for union and liberty.
Packing the Boxes
Besides making garments and knitting socks it was the
pleasant duty of the aid societies to fill boxes with good
things to eat, and many were the glasses of jelly, cakes,
pastries of all sorts, meats, and every conceivable delicacy,
which were packed together with clothing, books, and news
papers. J. H. Billings says in his Hard Tack and Coffee:
The art of box-packing must have culminated during the War.
It was simply wonderful, delightfully so, to see how each little
corner and crevice was utilized, not stuffed with paper (by
those who understood their business), thus wasting space, but
filled with a potato, an apple, an onion, a pinch of dried apples,
a handful of peanuts, or some other edible substance. These
and other articles filled crannies between carefully-wrapped
glass jars or bottles of toothsome preserves, or boxes of butter,
or cans of condensed milk, or well-roasted chickens, and the
turkey each box was wont to contain. , If there was a new pair
of boots among the contents, the feet were filled with little
notions of convenience.
There was likely to be, amid all the other merchandise already
specified, a roll of bandages and lint. It added greatly to the
pleasure of the investigator to come upon a nicely-wrapped pack
age, labeled "from Mary," "from Cousin John," and perhaps a
dozen other relatives, neighbors, schoolmasters, most of which
contributions were delicious surprises, and many were accom
panied by notes of personal regard and good wishes. 56
It is interesting to read of the boxes received by Wis
consin companies in 1861, and to note the contents and the

56 Op. cit., p. 221.
[30]

soldiers' aid SOCIETIES
comments made thereon. It seems that when the army was
to remain in one place for two or three weeks, the average
soldier mailed a letter home to his mother, father, wife,
sister, or brother, and stated carefully what he would like
to have sent in a box at the earliest possible moment, giv
ing with great precision the address, to be written on the
cover. ^¦^ Wisconsin Regiments SuppUed
Shortly after the battle of Bull Run an appeal came to
the women of Racine, stating that there was a great short
age of linen for the sick and wounded, and as a result of
the battle the hospital would be overflowing with men.
So the women of Racine met at the Presbyterian Church
one evening to arrange for the making of garments for the
sick and wounded in the hospitals at Washington. The
material purchased was to be taken to the old Advocate
reading-room in the Masonic Building, where it was to be
cut out and delivered to those who wished to lend a helping
hand. °*
In October, 1861, a cavalry company stationed at Ripon
sent a most appreciative acknowledgement of the thirty-
two quilts and blankets given them by the women of
Berlin. ^»
A soldier of the Seventh Regiment writes in November,
1861, that the idea of raising money for blankets and cloth
ing is a fine one, but that the Govemment supplies two
heavy overcoats, one heavy roundabout, etc., and that these

^r Ibid, p. 217.
68 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, 1, p. 118.
69 Id., ii, p. 66.
[31]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
are quite enough to carry in one knapsack. He continues
his comment by saying : "If privations should come later,
we would be glad to avail ourselves of the opportunity of
drawing on the liberality and kindness of the good folks
of our native homes. ' ' ""
A letter from a member of the First Regiment, on the
other hand, contains an appeal to the ladies of Jeffersonville
and Port Fulton to provide blankets and other comforts for
the sick soldiers. "^ The First Regiment had been longer in
the field and had presumably seen more active service than
the Seventh, which may explain the different points of view.
A letter written in 1861 by a Beloit soldier to the people
of his town, contains an almost pitiful appeal for supplies.
He says :
I feel that the people of Beloit and its vicinity would consider
it a pleasure to afford comforts to the soldiers, and especially to
the soldiers from their own place. Many of our boys have but
one blanket, and that single, and have received no overcoats,
and consequently suffer from the cold. We have received no .
pay and the men have no way of making themselves comfort
able. 62
This letter must have brought a pang to the women of
Beloit, who had worked so hard to make their boys com
fortable, and it showed them also that better and securer
means of transportation were needed for the supplies
which were forwarded by the aid societies.
On Thanksgiving Day, 1861, the men of Company I of
the Sixth Wisconsin Regiment were made very happy, for
express wagons came to camp loaded with remembrances

eold., i, p. 281.
eilbid, p. 59.
62 Id,., ii, p. 78.
[32

soldiers' aid societies
from home; and what could be more delightful than a
bundle from mother, sister, or one still as dear, the girl he
left behind him. In the boxes were "some stockings with
the double heels and well-rounded toes, that mother carded,
dyed, and spun, and sister knitted; some blue and white
and red striped mittens with a place for the index finger.
* * * Too much mince-pie and doughnuts caused some
weak stomachs to ache, which was pronounced malaria, and
remedied with the world's favorite prescription, quin
ine. ""»
About this time a soldier of the Eighth Regiment wrote :
"If you have any old clothes lying around your sanctum,
that will hold together in coming to us, send them; and
if you have any patriotic old ladies in your part of the
country, for peace's sake and the Union, set them to knit
ting stockings" — an appeal which probably stirred tlit
patriotic women to whom it was addressed.
Contributions for Local Companies
During the early part of the year 1862, almost every box
sent out from Wisconsin societies was designed for some
specific military organization, and much delicacy was re
quired on the part of the Sanitary Commission to temper
the inevitable disappointment arising from the discovery
that such stores could not always be, forwarded by them to
the designated address. °*
Probably individual boxes continued to go to Wiscon
sin soldiers throughout the war, although less mention is
made of them in the letters written in 1863 and 1864. Boxes

63 Earl M. Rogers, in Viroqua Leader (Nov. 21, 1906).
64 Henshaw, p. 35.
3 [ 33 1

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
for local companies also became less frequent, partly be
cause they so often failed to reach their destination, and
partly because the supplies were sent in care of the Sani
tary Commission.
A step in the direction of general supplies was taken in
1862, when the Governor of Wisconsin called for contri
butions for Wisconsin soldiers, rather than for individuals
or companies. This meant that the aid societies should in
the future send boxes to Wisconsin soldiers whom they had
perhaps never seen, instead of to their friends and neigh
bors; they afterwards came to see that all supplies should
be sent to Union men, irrespective of state lines.
A Milwaukee Donation
After the battle of Pittsburg Landing, Governor Harvey
called upon the women of Madison and Milwaukee for a
supply of bandages and shirts to be sent with Surgeon-
General Wolcott to Tennessee. ''^ The response of Mil-
waukeeans was as spontaneous as it was generous. Cir
culars setting forth the matter were sent to every part of
the city ; and an appeal to the people was published in the
daily Wisconsin. The result was that a swarm of people
poured into the Chamber of Commerce with contributions.
A more cneering sight we never witnessed. Nothing like it
was ever known in the history of Milwaukee. Men, women, and
children came out from their homes with bundles, baskets, boxes,
arms full and wagons full of valuable material, necessary arti
cles, luxuries, and conveniences of various kinds — all of which
will be needed, and will do some poor suffering soldier the good

65 E. B. Quiner, Military History of Wisconsin (Chicago, 1866),
pp. 211, 212.
[34]

soldiers' aid SOCIETIES
for which it was intended, when it reaches its place of destina
tion. Some took large bundles, supplied with goods, fresh from
the stores, from their wardrobes, their tables, etc., articles which
had never been used. Among these were even new table-cloths,
that had never been spread upon the table, new towels, and a
splendid collection of preserved fruits.
But the simple offerings of the poor were none the less ac
ceptable, although they may not be of so much use. These were
the offerings of mothers, who have sent sons to the war, of sis
ters, who have sent brothers to the field, and many others in
similar circumstances, who, although they were not able to give
as liberally as others, yet the life-blood of their friends has per
haps been offered up * =* * and the small donations, which
they presented last night, were as cheerfully received as the
richest, because they came from the heart and were an earnest
of what they would do, if they could. 66
There was one old lady, who went to the Chamber of Com
merce from the outskirts of the city, with a small bundle of
linen handkerchiefs, which had been worn, but her mite gave
evidence of her will, had she had the ability to do better. An
other old lady took a muslin skirt. She had nothing else she
could give — and it was much for her. One little boy took some
small volumes of books that had whiled away the hours of sick
persons in his own home. 67
We heard of one lady, who was called upon by a neighbor, and
asked to give something to send away, when she replied that
really she didn't know what to send. "But stop a minute,'' said
she, "here's something you might as well have," and she took
six new shirts belonging to her husband out of the drawer and
handed them over. On being expostulated with for sending new
ones she said, "Oh! well, I can make more for my husband at
any time, while the soldiers want them now."-' The lady was in
good circumstances and could afford it, but doubtless many and
many an instance of this kind took place, where it could not be

66 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, vi, p. 51.
^¦Ubid, jj. 52.
[35]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
so well afforded, if the facts were all known. Such was the spirit
that manifested itself yesterday.
Some sent boxes, some nails (these were useful for packing
the goods), some entire pieces of sheeting, some sides of sole-
leather (useful for splints), some wines, some magazines, and
all descriptions of goods and luxuries were sent in. Wealthy
citizens, who would never at any other time be seen with a
bundle in their possession, now went to the rooms with their
arms full of articles rolled up for the wounded soldiers. Ladles
took their offerings often with their own hands, and sometimes
having servants with them to carry the ponderous bundles and
heavy baskets. 68
By ten o'clock that night enough goods had been received
and packed to fill about forty dry-goods boxes, and in ad
dition the patriotic ladies, who formed an association for
sending supplies to wounded soldiers, sent also some ad
ditional boxes.
The committee estimated that as a result of this remark
able manifestation, about ten thousand dollars worth of
supplies had been contributed, which were sent directly to
Pittsburg Landing, where Governor Harvey and a special
committee were to distribute them. "'
Aid Societies Discouraged
Between July 1862 and July 1863, there was every
reason for the women of the North to be discouraged. The
whole North was appalled by the defeats sustained by the
Union army ; Vicksburg had not been captured, the Missis
sippi was still unopened, Missouri and Kentucky had been
invaded, and Maryland and Pennsylvania had been raided ;

> Ibid, p, 52.
>Ibid, p. 52.
[36]

soldiers' aid societie!s
and the reports of the disastrous battles fought around
Richmond were most discouraging — these almost paralyzed
the activity of the Northern women, who simultaneously
were informed that supplies, both private and public, did
not reach their destination. Added to these calamities were
the systematic assaults on the Sanitary Commission by the
opponents of the administration. '"'
Such letters as the following could not have had a very
cheerful effect upon the women. The writer says :
I must not forget to acknowledge the non-reception of that box
of good things, which I am informed the ladies have started
down this way for us. We feel grateful to the fullness of our
souls for such a demonstration of remembrance, and although
we have not received it and do not expect to, yet we appreciate
euch kindness toward us all the same.
Even more doleful is the tone of another communication :
At the time your Soldiers' Aid Society sent a box of things to
St. Louis, soldiers from Racine lay sick in the hospital at Iron-
ton, a branch of the St. Louis concern, and had not their com
pany officers literally forced the managers of the hospital to ad
mit their comrades to take care of them, these sick men would
have died from sheer neglect. How much good has the Soldiers'
Aid Society of Racine done these volunteers from Racine? 7i
This letter must have aroused much impotent anger and
sorrow in the breasts of the loyal women of Racine, all the
more on account of the apparent hopelessness of mending
the situation.
The climax was reached, however, in the following sar
castic remarks:
But the grand hoax is with the females and societies. The

70 Henshaw, p. 75.
71 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, ii, p. 26.
lZ7]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
dear creatures exert themselves to send some luxury to wounded
or sick soldiers that have left home, friends, and comforts of al
most every kind. * * * But very few privates ever get a
smell of any article they send, unless by an agent. WeU, you
will ask why? I will tell you. In the first place the officer of
the post has the first taste, and then it goes through the hands
of doctors, stewards, cooks, and ward-masters, and all have a
taste; also their friends, and if the plate ever gets to the sick
room, which it seldom does, it is empty; and I hope the supply
will be stopped. Give what you have to give to the poor among
you, but do not let your charities be so basely misapplied. 72
After such attacks as this, many of the aid societies be
came irresolute and disheartened, and a few even ceased to
work. The Commission received a great number of com
plaints, requests for explanation, and letters of protest.
The following communication is typical :
I am called upon by the women of our town to say to you,
that they wish to contribute to the sick and wounded, if they
can. But sick soldiers and wives who have retumed with their
wounded husbands, tell us, that the sick do not and will not get
the things we send them.
At a regular meeting during this period it was actually
discussed whether the Sanitary Commission ought not to
be discontinued. "If we are really of no use, what is the
use of continuing our labors 1 ' ' said one of the workers.
But there was a fearful increase of sickness in the Western
armies, and there were still many loyal aid societies who
continued the work. Moreover, when they understood the
situation, they realized that single packages or boxes could
not be accounted for, because the things they contained

T^lbid, p 205.
[38]

SOLDIERS AID SOCIETIES
were repacked at Chicago, and sent in different boxes, to
different parts of the army. ^^
The National Spirit Grows
The Northwest was remote from the rest of the nation,
and much time elapsed before the national aid idea pene
trated our section. As late as 1863, societies wished occa
sionally to benefit their own regiments, which the Sanitary
Commission also allowed in some few cases. At one time
the members of a Wisconsin delegation, eager to help cer
tain Wisconsin soldiers, obtained access to a certain hos
pital in the Army of the Cumberland. After a short time,
they realized their selfishness in bestowing their gifts upon
a few, wherefore they dropped their original plan and in
cluded all the patients in their ministrations. One Wiscon
sin soldier, who appreciated this change, said: "I am
glad that they gave to the rest of the soldiers; it made me
feel bad yesterday when the Ohio boy in the next cot got
nothing, and I had so much; but when they were gone, I
made it even. ' ' ''*
It may be considered, that there were three stages in the
work of the Wisconsin aid societies — the first, the period
of individualism ; the second that of State aid, regardless of
local interests ; and the third the period of aid to the nation.
It must not be supposed, however, that this progress was
systematic and continuous, for individual and local boxes
were sent throughout the war, and the stage of national
relief did not preclude that of State relief. By the summer
of 1863, however, Wisconsin women had arrived at Pred-

78 Henshaw, pp. 75, 80.
¦albid, pp. 108, 109).
[391

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
erick Law Olmstead 's conclusion, "It is, to say the least, a
higher form of benevolence and of patriotism, which asks
only to have a reasonable assurance that the soldiers of
the Union will be helped by our offerings when and where
they must need our help, and it is only by the exer
cise of this larger benevolence, that measures of relief can
be taken at all adequate to the necessities of the army, or
commensurate with the grandeur of its purposes. ' ' ^^
This thought was also expressed by Mrs. Teale of Allen's
Grove, who said : "In the light of war, I view every loyal
soldier as my brother." '°
There were several reasons for the changed attitude of
Wisconsin women by July, 1863. As has been stated,
boxes which were sent directly to individuals, failed often
to reach their destination, and the aid societies had finally
become convinced that the only sure method of reaching the
front was through the Commission. They had also leamed,
that supplies sent through the Commission really reached
the army, for many of them had adopted the expedient of
pinning notes requesting replies, in the pockets of dressing
gowns, to shirt-bosoms, in the toes of socks, or in any other
places where the soldier, who received the article, would
be likely to find the message. And when they began to
receive responses to their notes, they realized that the
Union soldiers were really profiting by their exertions.
Moreover, they were reassured when agents were sent to
the South to find out what actually became of their sani
tary supplies. Most important of all was a change of feel

's tr. S. Sanitary Commission Documents (New York, 1866),
No. 50.
"!« Corres. Wis. Volunteers, v, p. 270.
[40]

SOLDIERS AID SOCIETIES
ing, which spread rapidly over the North; the "first flush
of hope and the reaction of disappointment had passed, and
the people addressed themselves firmly and steadily to the
task of saving the country. ' ' '^ New aid societies were
formed, and the old ones stimulated to renew their efforts,
even after such defeats as those at Fredericksburg and
Chancellorsville. Another cause of the renewed life in the aid societies was
the energy of the Commission itself. In sheer desperation
zt had finally appealed to the churches and especially to the
ministers in the Northwest, who did a remarkable work in
stirring up patriotism, and in encouraging the formation
of new aid societies. Moreover, the stirring appeals of
Mrs. Hoge and Mrs. Livermore aroused Wisconsin women
to new exertions.
So the Wisconsin societies began anew to work for the
Commission, and contributions poured into the Chicago
Branch "like a Western freshet." From four boxes a day
in December, 1862, the number increased to 100 boxes a
day in February, 1863.''* From 250 aid societies con
nected with the Chicago Branch, the number increased to
1,000 ; so that by the summer of 1863, the Commission had
entered upon the most prosperous period of its existence,
and Wisconsin women were straining every nerve to do
their share. Difficulties Surmounted
"What the societies of Wisconsin accomplished was all the
more remarkable, when the difficulties under which they

77 Henshaw, p. 75.
78 Tbid, p. 102. ,
[41]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
worked are considered. Throughout the war Wisconsin
labored under disadvantages due to the sparseness of her
settlement. She was poor, compared with the Eastern
states, and* time given to such charitable purposes meant
money; for if women attended aid societies, they could do
less in their homes.
That the societies were often destitute of funds, and al
most heroic in raising them, the following letter from a
woman in Melrose shows:
We have not an average attendance of more than six. To
raise funds to work with, we went around, and solicited dona
tions of wheat from the farmers. We sent it eighteen miles to
marliet, sold it, and bought materials. Though our offering is
small, we hope It will do some good. 79
As the war went on, housekeepers drew more and more
upon their own supplies, especially in the country. The
cellar was again and again invaded, and family stores,
whether of bedding or clothing, were called into requisi
tion. *" In one case the wife of a minister stripped her
beds so bare for the soldiers, that her husband was forced
to appeal to the good women of the church for a cover for
the night. *^ Scurvy Combatted
Another line of aid society work grew up in the spring
of 1863 ; namely, the sending of vegetables to the army as
"anti-scorbutics" or preventatives of scurvy — a dreadful
disease, caused by a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables. On

79 Letter of Mrs. H. A. Pollis, in Henshaw, p. 125.
80 Ibid. p. 125.
81 Ms. letter of Miss Simmons.
[42]

soldiers' AID SOCIETIES
March 4, 1863, the Chicago Branch issued an appeal
to the Northwest for vegetables for Grant's army. The
short, but urgent circular read, "General Grant's army in
danger of scurvy. Rush forward anti-scorbutics." This
message was sent to Milwaukee, Beloit, Madison, Racine,
Sheboygan, "Whitewater, and other towns, and the response
was characteristic of the spirit of Wisconsin women. Al
though it was March, the weather rainy, and the roads
very muddy, committees went abroad wherever telegrams
were received or newspapers read, begging anti-scorbutics
for the soldiers.
The movement was well organized; towns were divided
into districts, every house was visited, and a central depot
of supplies established. In the country these commit
tees drove round in wagons, begged as they went from
house to house, and took with them what was given. This
was done day after day, first in one direction, then in an
other, through mud and rain, by men and women of aU
classes. Delicate women who could scarcely endure ex-,
posure, farmers' wives who could ill afford the time,
tradesmen, and even clergymen went out on this generous
mission. To remarks which were made, deprecating such
effort, the answer was, "Our soldiers do not stop for the
weather ; neither must we. ' ' *^
A fearful drought during the preceding summer, and a
rot caused by the following wet winter, had greatly affected
the supply of vegetables. In Illinois and Michigan there
was a great dearth of them, but Wisconsin and Iowa were
fortunately better off. So whatever supply there was in a

82 Henshaw, p. 118.
[43]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
home, was cheerfully divided with the soldiers. *^ In
quantities, descending from bushels to pecks, from pecks
to quarts, from quarts to handfuls, the precious stores were
gathered. Pickles were brought out, cabbage pits opened
and rifled, horseradish was dug up and forwarded.
Consignments were rushed to Chicago from Wisconsin,
which filled the depot, overflowed on to the sidewalks, and
even encroached upon the street in front of the Commis
sion rooms. As fast as the vegetables arrived, they were
sent South, and their places taken by other consign
ments. Milwaukee, West Milwaukee, Racine, and White
water were especially energetic, and hurried on carload
after carload of precious, homely vegetables ; a few farmers
from Windsor, Bristol, and Spring Prairie forwarded 228
bushels. **
The activity of the aid societies was astonishing. Be
sides the regular meetings, extra ones were called. The
neighborhood was canvassed, and the begging-committee
was ordered to report on certain days, when the members
of the society gathered, anxious to hear the result. "Who
ever was present, was courteously asked to assist in prepar
ing the sauerkraut and the horseradish, and in packing
and forwarding these articles, as well as onions and pota
toes. *°
The reunions of the aid societies were tumed into pick
ling meetings. Barrels and kegs were begged and pur
chased, sauerkraut cutters were borrowed or hired, and
men were employed to use them in cutting the cabbage to

S3 Ibid, p. 118.
84 Ibid, p. 120.
86 Ibid, p. 121.
[44]

SOLDIERS AID SOCIETIES
the requisite fineness; then aids packed it with layers of
salt, and poured vinegar over the whole. Grating commit
tees, amid much rallying, and with many tears, courag
eously attended to the horseradish.
Soon a "line of vegetables" connected Chicago and
Vicksburg, maintained by the shipment of a hundred bar
rels a day. *^ The importance of this movement on the part
of the loyal women can hardly be overestimated, as it was
an emergency which the Govemment could not have suc
cessfully met without the aid of the Sanitary Commission.
This movement did more to establish its reputation for use
fulness, than all previous efforts in other directions. *^
It was not only Grant's army that was threatened with
scurvy, but also the Army of the Cumberland, and there is
no doubt that the fresh vegetables and dried fruit sent
from the North acted as a successful preventive. But the
disease was not yet conquered ; in April, 1864, another call
was made for anti-scorbutics, and again the rooms of the
Chicago Commission were inundated with vegetables; the
shipments from Wisconsin were so great, that a special
mention of the Wisconsin aid societies was made in Mrs.
Livermore 's communication of July, 1864. **
( Not only vegetables came in numbers, but "rivers of
blackberry- juice ' ' fiowed in from all parts of the country ;
the supply was not sufficient, however, and a call was there
fore again issued for dried fruits of all sorts. The circu
lar reads: "The army is leading the same life, eating the

86 Ibid, p. 121.
87 Sanitary Reporter (published by the U. S. Sanitary Com
mission, Louisville), Nov. 1, 1863.
88 Henshaw, p. 234.
[45]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
same food, and incurring the same risks. ' ' *' The Commis
sion goes on to express its strong disapproval of canned
fruit, and gives directions for drying peaches by dividing
them into halves, and placing them on sloping boards in the
sun or in slightly -heated ovens ; this was such a simple task,
that even children were urged to do it. The latter were also
asked to have little gardens, where they could raise fresh
vegetables for the soldiers. The whole crusade against
scurvy shows the efficiency of the Commission machinery,
as well as the splendid generosity and enterprise of the
women of the Northwest. •»
Amount Contributed
So far, concrete instances have been given of the helpful
ness of Wisconsin's women ; a few statistics will give a bet
ter idea of the amount of work actually accomplished. In
September, 1863, Wisconsin societies sent 110 packages
from Milwaukee, Prairie du Chien, Watertown, Appleton,
Beloit, etc. Compared with the other Northwestern states,
namely, Illinois, Michigan, and Iowa, Wisconsin was num
ber four on the list. In October packages came from Hart
ford, East Delavan, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh, Sheboy
gan, and Watertown. The whole number of packages was
now 201, and Wisconsin was number three on the list. By
November Elkhorn, Fox Lake, Hazel Green, Salem, and
other towns were sending large contributions, and as a re
sult Wisconsin headed the list with 510 packages. In De
cember the number of packages had dropped to 301, but
Wisconsin was still in the lead, a most remarkable fact, con-

89 U. S. Sanitary Commission Bulletin, Sept. 15, 1864.
[46]

SOLDIERS AID SOCIETIES
sideling the State was but fifteen years old and had a small
population.^" Not only packages, but money was sent from Wisconsin
to the Chicago Branch of the Commission. The money came
from individuals, from aid societies, and from church col
lections, especially those taken at Thanksgiving time. The
largest contributions of money and packages came from
the Milwaukee Branch. None of the amounts exceeded one
hundred dollars, and many of them were small ; but poor
communities did their best, and showed their kind spirit in
forwarding as much as they could afford.
The aid societies contributed more generously in 1864
than the year before. In March the number of packages
received by the Chicago Branch was 2,314. Of this num
ber Wisconsin sent 629 packages, more than any other
state. In April the number from Wisconsin increased to
776 packages out of a total of 1,810, placing her again at
the head of the list. Wisconsin furnished in May 416
packages out of 1,974, with only Iowa and Illinois surpass
ing her. *^
Conditions were different in 1864 from those of the pre
ceding years. Out of every $100,000 worth of sanitary sup
plies in 1862, $90,000 worth came from the people, without
any cost to the Commission ; but out of $100,000 worth of
supplies in 1864, $80,000 worth had to be bought with
ready money."^ This was due to the fact that homes had
become exhausted, and that people who contributed to the
sanitary fairs felt less like going outside of their own
90 Northwestern Sanitary Commission Reports, Sept.-Dec, 1863.
Slid,, March to June, 1864.
92j(i., May and June, 1864, p. 21.
[47]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
homes to buy the articles desired. Since sanitary supplies
were needed as much at this time as earlier, it is gratifying
to know that Wisconsin responded so well to the appeal of
the Cotnmission.
Summing up the work of the Northwestern states, we
find that Wisconsin was the second on the list with regard
to the number of packages contributed ; and third in money
contributions. She sent 8,896 packages, while Illinois sur
passed her with 12,112. In money our State contributed
during the four years of the War, $10,958.64. »'

93 Henshaw, p. 314.

[4S]

chapter III

The Wisconsin Soldiers' Aid Society, and Mrs.
Henrietta Colt
The Milwaukee Branch had so remarkable a history and
such an efficient secretary that it has seemed best to give it
a chapter to itself. On April 19, 1861, a large number of
Milwaukee women assembled in a school-room for the pur
pose of organization. They had been much agitated over
the reports from the South, concerning illness among
Wisconsin soldiers, and the need for post and general hos
pitals. Mrs. Margaret Jackson of Louisville, Kentucky,
and Mrs. Louisa Delafield had awakened much interest in
such matters. ^* At this meeting was organized the Ladies*
Association of Milwaukee, with the following officers : Presi
dent, Mrs. C. A. Riehr; Vice-Presidents, Mrs. Delafield.
Mrs. McClure, Mrs. Jackson, and Mrs. Colt; Secretaries,
Mrs. Ogden and Mrs. Dousman; Treasurer, Mrs. John
Nazro. Correspondence was opened with the surgeons of the regi
ments and with members of the Sanitary Commission, in
order to gather such information as would enable the new
organization to do its work intelligently. The first dona
tions were sent to St. Louis, where many Wisconsin soldiers
were efficiently cared for.

94 L. p. Brockett and M C. Vaughan, Women's Work in the
Civil War (Boston, 1868), p. 607.
* [49]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
As time went on other Wisconsin societies wished to be
come auxiliary to the Milwaukee Branch, so the latter
changed its name to the Wisconsin Aid Society,^^ and be
came a channel for Wisconsin benevolence. At the reor
ganization a notable woman, Mrs. Henrietta Colt, became
corresponding secretary, and from this time on her public
life is so interwoven with this society, that it becomes neces
sary to speak of her in more detail.
Like manjf Wisconsin women of her day, she had spent
her younger days in New York state, where she had mar
ried Joseph S. Colt, a well-known lawyer of Albany. In
1853 they came to Milwaukee, where they remained for
three years. At their expiration Mr. Colt returned East,
where he died, leaving an honored name. '" His widow and
her family made their future home in Milwaukee.
Mrs. Colt was fitted by nature as well as by training to
be a leader among women. Without being beautiful, she
possessed an attractive personality, was a lady in the best
and truest sense of this word, while her social graces were
no less than the firmness, executive ability, and enthusiasm
which characterized her mind. A writer who saw her in
1863 says:
I was much impressed with her intelligence, her purity of
character, the beautiful blending of her religious and patriotic
tendencies, the gentleness and tenderness with which she min
istered to sick soldiers, and the spirit of dignity and humanity
that marked her manners and conversation. 97

95 Ibid, p. 607.
96 C. R. Tuttle, Illustrated History of the State of Wisconsin
(Boston, 1875), p. 717.
97 Brockett, p. 610.
[50]

THE WISCONSIN SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY
A finer analysis of her character and public life is this:
Into Mrs. Colt's public efforts was infused a species of mild
audacity peculiarly her own. It was as though she had emerged
from the retirement of private life under a sort of mental pro
test; as though she were nerved up to a conscious daring, and
deprecated, yet defied criticism. There was in her letters to
the Commission, during the earlier part of the war, a passion
ate ring, a pleading pathos, that revealed a nature in whose
depths were concealed the noblest possibilities. 98
Visits io Southern Hospitals
Mrs. Colt's most useful public work was done in the
South, where she was sent in order to stimulate supplies
at home by reporting what benefits were really conferred by
the Sanitary Commission."" On January 5, 1863, an order
was written by the president of the Chicago Sanitary Com
mission to the Officers in command of the United States
Army, giving Mrs. Hoge and Mrs. Colt the right to visit
the hospitals and camps in and about Vicksburg and Mem
phis, to distribute supplies for the Chicago Sanitary Com
mission, and to "report to this Commission everything in
regard to the need of sanitary stores, the kinds wanted, the
best method of preparing and forwarding, and whatever
else may be important or valuable for our Commission to
know."^ Early in 1863 the two women left Chicago for Vicksburg
with a large quantity of sanitary stores. Sherman had
just been defeated, so there was much suffering in the army.
The boat on which they travelled, was seized as a military

98 Henshaw, p. 209.
99 Brockett, p. 611.
iN. W. Sanitary Commission Report.
[51]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
transport at Columbus, and pressed into the fleet of Gen
eral Sherman. General Fisk's headquarters were on this
same boat, and he gave the women every facility for carry
ing on their sanitary work. Their stores were practically
the only ones on the fleet, which was composed of thirty
ships, filled with fresh troops, whose ranks were soon
thinned by ilhiesss. The boat became the refuge for the
sick and wounded of Fisk's brigade, and the women nursed
hundreds of men and saved many valuable lives. ^
In March, 1863, Mrs. Colt went South again, this time
with Mrs. Livermore and other members of the Sanitary
Commission. They were to visit every hospital from Cairo
to Young's Point, opposite Vicksburg, and their duties
were to relieve the most pressing needs of the soldiers, to
be useful to the sick, to cooperate with medical, and mili
tary authorities, and to report the result of their observa^
tions in the Chicago papers and the bulletins of the Sani
tary Commission. They had also with them stores neces
sary for sanitary relief, especiaUy vegetables for patients
threatened with scurvy. They carried 500 private boxes;
and volunteered through the daily papers to take letters,
messages, and small packages to army people on their route,
and to deliver them, if possible. The sanitary stores were
to be distributed among the matrons in the hospitals.'
Mrs. Colt visited also the Army of the Cumberland and
saw every hospital soldier of the Wisconsin troops.* In
speaking of these visits, she says :
I have visited seventy-two hospitals and would find it difficult

2 Brockett, p. 568.
3 Livermore, p. 282.
4 Brockett, p. 612.
[52]

THE WISCONSIN SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY
tc choose the most remarkable among the many heroisms I
every day witnessed. I was more impressed by the gentleness
and refinement that seemed to grow up in the men, when suffer
ing from horrible wounds, than by anything else. It always
seemed to me, that the sacredness of the cause for which they
offered their lives, gave to them a heroism almost superhuman,
and the sufferings caused an almost womanly refinement among
the coarsest men. I have never heard a word or seen a look,
that was not respectful and grateful, e
Again she says:
I saw 600 wounded men with gaping, horrible head and hip
gun-shot wounds. * * * i could have imagined myself among
men gathered on cots for some joyous occasion, all except one
man, utterly disabled for life; not a regret, and even he thanked
God devoutly, that, if his life must be given up then, it should
be given for his country. After a little, as the thought of his
wife and babies came to him, I saw a terrible struggle; the
great beads of sweat, and the furrowed brow were more pain
ful than the bodily suffering. But when he saw the look and
heard the passage, "He doeth all things well," whispered to him,
he became calm and said, "He knows best, my wife and children
will be in His care, and I am content." 6
Concerning the Memphis hospitals she declared:
Among the beardless boys it was all heroism. They gained the
victory, they lost a leg there, they lost an arm, and Arkansas
Post was taken; they were proud to have helped in the cause.
It enabled them, apparently with little effort, to remember the
great, the holy cause and give leg, arm, and even life cheerfully
for its defense. I know now that love of country is the strong
est love, next to love of God, given to man. 7

5 Tuttle, p. 717.
6 Brockett, p. 612.
7l&i(J, p. 612.,

[53]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
After her return from the South, Mrs. Colt spoke to
many aid societies in different parts of Wisconsin; wher
ever she appeared, renewed interest and enthusiasm en
sued. Milwaukee Society Enlarged
Meanwhile the Milwaukee society broadened its scope,
until it included several departments. Its first purpose
was to forward supplies, but it also assisted soldiers' fami
lies to get payments from the State; secured employment
for soldiers' wives and mothers, through contracts with the
Government; found employment for partially disabled
soldiers, and provided for widows and orphans.*
Early in its history, its officers decided to send supplies
through the Chicago and St. Louis commissions, but so well
were the contents of the boxes assorted and packed at Mil
waukee, that they were sent straight to the front, without
being inspected by the Chicago Branch. As Alfred Bloor
says : ' ' Not an article is repacked for transmission to Chi
cago and the front, which has not been put into perfect
order, nor a potato rebarrelled, which has not had its evil
eye eradicated, nor an onion that is not hard and sound
peeled in the pickling-room. ' ' "
Between 1861 and 1865 the Milwaukee Branch received
about fifty boxes from each of the foUowing towns:
Appleton, Almond, Berlin, Beloit, Baraboo, Columbus, Del
avan, Fox Lake, Green Bay, Janesville, Kenosha, Milwau
kee, Mazomanie, Oak Creek, Prairie du Sac, Portage, Port

iLove, pp. 1050, 1051.
' U. S. Sanitary Commission Bulletin, iii, p. 909.
[54]

THE WISCONSIN SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY
Washington, Ripon, and Wauwatosa.-" It received dur
ing 1864, 2,142 boxes, containing such articles as shirts,
sheets, pillows, pillow-cases, comforts, blankets, bedticks,
wrappers, coats, vests, trousers, towels, handkerchiefs, socks,
armrests, pads, cushions, bandages, canned fruits, dried
fruits, groceries, butter, cheese, wine, eggs, pickles, vege
tables, and a few books and magazines.
One of the valuable services rendered by the society was
the sending of fruit to the army. After the battle of Res-
aca, they sent to every wounded man within reach, a fresh
orange or lemon to ease the buming thirst which usually
accompanies a wound. ^^
Chamber of Commerce
The supplies sent during 1864 amounted in value to
about $25,000, and this from a commonwealth with no large
eities and a population far from wealthy. In order to se
cure such results nine hundred circulars were sent to every
part of the State. Money was also collected under the good
management of Mrs. Colt. In March and April, 1864, be
tween $5,000 to $6,000 was contributed to the Wisconsin
Society, and a monthly subscription of $1,000 was promised
by the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce; this donation
was to be paid regularly until the close of the war. ^^
This subscription was secured in large part through
Mother Bickerdyke 's ^^ effort, who visited Milwaukee at the

10 Mrs. J. S. Colt, in Wisconsin Soldiers' Aid Society Report
(Milwaukee, 1863).
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid.
13 A well-known army nurse. [55]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
request of Mrs. Hoge and Mrs. Livermore. The Aid So
ciety had already asked the Chamber of Commerce for an
appropriation for wounded soldiers, but the president
stated that the last regiment sent out from Milwaukee had
cost their organization so much, that it could not afford to
make a contribution to the Aid Society. On the receipt
of this reply Mrs. Bickerdyke made a most unexpected
speech. She portrayed the life of a private soldier, his
privations, his sufferings, and his patriotism. She con
trasted this with the sordid love of gain which not only
shrank from sacrifices, but even begrudged the pittance
necessary to reUeve the suffering of the men :
And you, merchants and rich men of Milwaukee, living at
your ease, dressed in your broadcloth, knowing little of and car
ing less for the sufferings of these soldiers from hunger and
thirst, from cold and nakedness, from sickness and wounds, from
pain and death, all incurred that you may roll in wealth, and
your houses and little ones be safe; you will refuse to give aid
to these poor soldiers, because, forsooth, you gave a few dollars
some time ago to fit out a regiment. Shame on you. You are
not men — you are cowards — ^go over to Canada — ^this country
has no place for such creatures! i*
After this impassioned phiUppic the Chamber of Com
merce reconsidered its act, and made the appropriation.
Generous Contributions
Not only were supplies sent to Chicago and St. Louis,
but generous contributions were sent to Camp Reno, Camp
Washbum, and the Harvey Hospital at Madison. A sum
mary of the amounts received and disbursed shows that

1* Brockett, p. 178.
[56]

THE WISCONSIN SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY
between October 19, 1861, and December 1, 1865, $23,000
were received from Milwaukee citizens and $5,000 from
other parts of the State. If the contract for Government
clothing is added to these sums, about $30,000 were received,
and disbursed as follows: material for clothing, pickles,
etc., $17,813 ; sent St. Louis Sanitary Commission $200, and
Chicago Commission $2,410; $455 was paid to Mrs. Bick
erdyke; $250 to the Harvey Hospital; while the sum o?
$5,067.90 was paid over to soldiers' wives and widows, and
sick and wounded soldiers.^"
Mrs. Colt says of the work of this department: "We are
proud that Wisconsin, without the excitement of a fair, and
remote from the seat of Government, has done her work so
well. ' ' She states also, that the gifts from Wisconsin peo
ple during the war -amounted to $200,000, and that the
whole number of packages sent to soldiers was 6,000. Be
yond a doubt the Wisconsin Aid Society was, next to the
Chicago Branch, the strongest organization of its kind in
the Northwest.^" Work for Soldiers' Wives
From a social and economic point of view the industrial
aid department was most interesting, for it grew up in
response to a very strong demand — ^namely, that of the
mothers, wives, and children of the soldiers for aid and
financial assistance.
Mrs. Colt went to Washington and appealed to the quar
termaster-general for a share of army clothing, to be made
up by soldiers' families. She succeeded so well, that ma

is Wis. Aid Society Report.
18 Frank Moore, Women of the War (Hartford, 1867), p. 581.
[57]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
terial for twelve thousand garments was secured. By such
methods as this, the industrial aid department was enabled
to do its work, without taking a dollar from any soldiers'
aid society. "
The officers of this department were: President, Mrs.
William Jackson; Vice-President, Mrs. C. V. KeUey; Trea-
nrer, Miss Lottie Ilsley. Under their energetic administra
tion the work went swiftly forward, and the Government
clothing was soon given out. This was done with great
discrimination; widows and women having large families
of small children, were always given the preference. Soon
four hundred and seventy-five women were set to work, and
the members of the society were kept busy cutting, folding,
giving out, and inspecting from eight hundred to eleven
hundred garments each week. But they gave their time
and services willingly, upheld by the thought that these
wives and mothers of soldiers were encouraged to work for
themselves, and were saved from the humiliation of receiv
ing charity.
In addition to the contract received from the general
Government, the society applied to the State quartermas
ter-general at Madison for clothing to be made, and
through this channel material for 1,904 pairs of army trou
sers was secured. It was really gratifying to find how
large a number of women were capable of making these
articles well ; it was said of all the contracts, that the work
was done in a very creditable manner. Fortunately the
society through the kindness of the Milwaukee & Prairie
du Chien Railroad secured free transportation from Mil
waukee to Madison for the weekly transfer.

17 Wis. Aid Society Report.
[58]

THE WISCONSIN SOLDIERS* AID SOCIETY
A letter written by Alfred Bloor, a member of the Sani
tary Commission, contains an appreciation of the work
done by Mrs. Colt. He says therein :
In the midst of the elect ladies sits the one, who not only
gives all her days and sometimes sleepless nights fo the Wis
consin Society, but, who two or three months ago, braving rail
road smashes, Mosby's guerrillas, and all other perils of the road,
journeyed all alone to Washington, and by her Napoleonic tac
tics so softened the hearts of stern officials of the Quartermas
ter's department — no, for it is too serious a matter for jesting —
by her graphic representation of these very women now before
me, soldiers' wives and widows, waiting for back pay or pen
sion, through months and sometimes for over a year with the
"hope deferred that maketh the heart sick" — waiting on such
days as this, with hungry children cowering around her fire-
less hearth; by the power of truth and her pathetic delineations
of the alternative if the boon, were refused * * * obtained a
Government contract for the making up of soldiers' underclothes,
and it is by the work and pay afforded them, in sewing these
clothes, that these poor women get the tea to soften their bread,
and the salt and flour to flavor their children's potatoes.
Another important phase of the work of this department,
was obtaining the money allowed by the laws of Wisconsin
to the families of soldiers in the field, but which most of
them were helpless to get for themselves; thus they often
fell into the hands of interested persons, or still worse, be
came prey to sharpers who devour widows' houses, and
afflict the fatherless child. Mr. Bloor continues his letter
as follows:
In this room is a branch bureau of the great and beneficient
Special Relief System of the Commission, and it has been or
ganized by and is carried on under the instruction of the Sec
retary of State for Wisconsin. * * * Over this bureau presides
the wife of an eminent judge * * * and on the table before her
lie numerous blanks, whibh are rapidly being fllled in by her-
[59]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
self and her assistant. As fast as they are signed (or marked)
by the claimants, they are laid together to be forwarded to
Madison * * * for official action.
By her side lies a pile of bank checks, the fruit of former
papers of the same kind, substantiating similar claims to pay
ment of State dues. You should see how that poor German
woman's square, heavy face, reddened hy the frost and hard
ened by poverty and anxiety, refines and lightens up, as th©
stuff for the garment is put into her hands; or better still, the
price of those she brings back, is handed to her to be exchanged
for some little article of necessity, or to her luxury for her
self or child. Or still better, as the pen is put into her flngers
for the stiff, angular, black-letter-like German signature, that
looks so hard and crabbed to English script-reading eyes, or Is
guided over the paper to form the cross, which indicates "her
mark," which mark, simple as it is, is the "open sesame" to a
Golconda of several greenbacks; or best of all, as the sundry
dollars collected on a check in her favor are consigned to tEe
depths of her glove, her handkerchief or her pocket. What a
pity, she cant lay down her cross, once for all, when putting It
on paper, and that she couldn't get a check cashed every week,
without having to bear it. i8
At the close of the war this department had funds enough
to reUeve widows with families of smaU children who had
not yet received their pensions. One member of the board
arranged an operatic entertainment, which realised three
hundred dollars. This sum was used for the purchase of
wood and provisions, and a fund for small loans. The only
regret of these women was that they were unable to do
more for the needy, and especially for the disabled soldier
' ' who prefers staying with his family to receiving help
elsewhere.""

18 U. S. Sanitary Commission Bulletin, iii, p. 910.
19 Wis. Aid Society Report.
[6o]

chapter IV
Conditions at Home
The maid who binds her warrior's sash
With smile that well her pain dissembles,
The while beneath her drooping lash
One starry tear-drop hangs and trembles.
Though Heaven alone records the tear.
And Fame shall never know her storyj
Her heart has shed a drop as dear
As e'er bedewed the fleld of glory!
The wife who girds her husband's sword,
'Mid little ones who weep or wonder,
And bravely speaks the cheering word.
What though her heart be rent asunder.
Doomed nightly in her dreams to hear
The bolts of death around him rattle,
Hath shed as sacred blood as e'er
Was poured upon the fleld of battle!
The mother who conceals her grief
While to her breast her son she presses'.
Then breathes a few brave words and brief.
Kissing the patriot brow she blesses,
With no one but her secret God
To know the pain that weighs upoi} her.
Sheds holy blood as e'er the sod
Received on Freedom's field of honor! 20

20 Thomas Buchanan Read, "Wagoner of the Alleghanles," in
Poetical Works (Philadelphia, 1883), p. 257.
[61]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
At the outbreak of the war, hard times set in throughout
the North and continued until the autumn of 1862. Many
families roasted dandelion-root with pure coffee, others used
parched com or rye as a substitute for coffee ; brown sugar
was used instead of white ; in fact, luxuries did not appear
on the table of the people during this period, and none
were ashamed of their frugal repasts. The wearing of
plain clothes became a fashion as well as a virtue. Aa
opera was only occasionally heard, and theatre perform
ances were few; amusements took on a character adapted
to the existing conditions of life. A popular lecture, a con
cert, a church sociable with a charade relating to some
striking event of the war, a gathering of young men and
women to scrape lint for the wounded — these were the di
versions from the overpowering anxiety weighing upon
the people. ^^ Gaieties Checked
From July 1862 to July 1863, the whole North was cast
into despondency by the reverses at Fredericksburg and
ChanceUorsville. During that year social clubs ceased to meet. Men when they
heard of a disaster would give up some festive entertainment,
would forego even a quiet evening at cards. They had no dispo
sition for mirth. Their hearts were with their dead and wounded
fellow-citizens on the Southern battlefield; they sat in quiet and
brooded over their country's reverses. No thoughtful Americaji
opened his morning paper without dreading to find that he had
no longer a country to love and honor. 22

21 James Ford Rhodes, History of the United States from 1850
to 1877 (New York, 1906), v, p. 190.
22 Ibid, pp. 197, 198.
[62]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
If the men of the North were thus affected, the women
who had sent their sons, husbands, or brothers to the front
were even more saddened. In fact the heartrending
anxiety and dreadful suspense, added to the fear of defeat,
made the days gloomy and weary. Women waited with
bated breath for the latest list of killed and wounded ; they
haunted the post-offices, and eagerly scanned the bulletin
boards; and in the face of all this, they had to keep on
with their work for the soldiers and the care of their fami
lies. The wives and mothers of the common soldiers have had
no annals written in books. Nevertheless to really under
stand and appreciate their patriotism and loyalty, the con
ditions under which they lived must be taken into consid
eration. Provision for Volunteers' Families
When the soldiers marched away, they did so with the
assurance that their families would be provided for in the
following ways : In the first place, each private was to re
ceive thirteen dollars a month and about fifty-two doUars
in addition for his clothing. Such portion of his wages aa
he could save, would be sent to his family by means of al
lotment-commissioners, officials employed by the State for
this purpose. The State of Wisconsin also gave additional
money to the wives of volunteers, which amounted to five
dollars a month vrith an additional sum of two dollars for
each, child. Besides these sums the citizens of some towns
raised a fund for the families of the volunteers. Beloit
secured $2,500; Platteville, $1,500; while Madison had a
fund of $7,490 for that purpose. In several counties the
[63]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
families of volunteers were provided for by means of a spe
cial tax, which in Green County amounted to $56,000. *'
Destitution at Home
In certain towns wealthy citizens promised to see that
no soldier's family should want for necessities of Ufe. Had
their families would have been well taken care of, and less
all these plans worked to perfection, the war-widows and
destitution would have occurred than did exist to a certain
degree throughout the war. Among the causes for this sad
condition the following may be cited. The volunteers were
not paid on time, again and again soldiers complained
that they had not received any pay for six months or longer.
Whilst sitting by his warm fire, well fed and well clad, does
there never rise before him a sad picture of the hundreds of
thousands of wives, mothers, and children left at home, entirely
dependent for the absolute necessities of life on the monthly re
mittance of husbands and fathers now fighting our battles? Does
he never realize the fact of the advanced prices of fuel and of
' food? Does he forget that many of the privates now in the
army have left little homes behind them on which taxes are
to be paid, and that those homes are now being sold for the pay
ment of those taxes? I offer him pictures of little children,
barefooted amongst the snows of * * * Wisconsin, of a half-
clad mother's shivering, and without the means of purchasing
fuel, over the body of her dying child. The hardships of a pri
vate's family are much greater than his in the field. 24
This picture may be somewhat exaggerated perhaps ; but
the fact remains, that through the slowness of the Govern
ment to pay its defenders, much suffering was caused at

23 Love, pp. 130, 136, 137,
24 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, ill, p. 246.
[64]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
home that might otherwise have been avoided. The fol
lowing serves very weU as an illustration of governmental
red-tape. Because the adjutant-general of Wisconsin failed
to receive the reports of the Fourth Regiment for January,
February, March, and April 1862,^" the soldiers' famiUes
in Whitewater, Ripon, Sheboygan, Kilboum City, Jeffer
son, Geneva, Hudson, Oconto, Sparta, and Chilton were
during those four months compelled to get along without
any assistance from their relatives in the field.^®
It is not surprising that soldiers complained bitterly over
the existing conditions. One of them wrote:
I candidly believe, that a large proportion of the sickness of our
regiment is owing to the men not getting their pay, for many of
our best soldiers have families at home, who are dependent on
the husband, father, or son who is in the army for the neces
saries of life, and as day after day, week after week goes by,
and every mail brings urgent appeals from the dear ones at
home for that assistance the soldier is powerless to give, he
becomes disheartened, thinks if he were only home, how much
better it would be; takes no interest in the drill, and soon gets
homesick, and is good for nothing to himself or any one else,
and then, if any slight indisposition steps in, imagines he is
going to die, and in many cases does die, as I firmly believe,
from diseases which he would never have contracted, had his
mind been at ease about those who depended upon him for
their daily bread. 27
It might be supposed that the State money would have
been paid regularly, but such was not always the case, for

25 The reports for January and February seem to have been
lost; those for March and April were not forwarded, through a
misunderstanding. 26 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, iii, p. 119.
^ Id., ir, p. 175
5 [65]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
these payments were stopped between October, 1862 and
February, 1863. The Legislature had passed an act, levy
ing a direct tax of $275,000 State money, which oould not
be deposited in the treasury until the following Feb
ruary; Between November and February a sum of about
$200,000 was needed to keep up the payments to soldiers'
famiUes. To provide for this amount the Senate passed
an act authorizing the issue of bonds to the amount of
$250,000; but the bill was defeated in the Assembly. A
wrathful correspondent writes, "Mothers, when your chil
dren are suffering from want of food and comfortable
clothing, remember whose action it was that deprived you
of what was promised by the State, when you consented
that your husband should leave his family to fight. ' ' ^*
Even the plan of raising bounties by county taxation
was not uniformily successful. In December, 1861, the
board of Richland County levied a tax of $2,500 to be used
for the families of volunteers. But the soldiers from that
county objected to the method proscribed. They felt that
every family needed assistance, and that the larger should
have a greater bounty than small ones, regardless of the
amount paid into the treasury by each ; while, according to
the method of the board, some families received bounties,
and others none at all. Moreover, before a woman could
get a share of the money, she had to swear that she was a
pauper. Much feeling was stirred up by this affair, and
the county board probably got its just dues when the irate
soldiers returned. ^*

2sld., iii, p. 266.
29 Id., iv, p. 249.

[66]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
Promises Forgotten
The promises of wealthy men in many communities that
the wives and famUies of soldiers at the front should be
cared for, were not always redeemed. The foUowing ap
peal shows how the volunteers felt about this matter:
Friends, please do not stand idle with your unsoiled hands
folded and witness these ladies cut and haul their own wood,
day after day and week after week, as you have already done,
after urging their husbands to leave them in a state of utter
helplessness, promising and that surely, to care for their wants;
and also that you would furnish them with comfortable homes
and wearing apparel. Please do your duty at home, if you are
not on the bloody battle-field. 3o
The women of Lodi, from whom this complaint comes,
had been criticized by the stay-at-homes for gadding among
the men, whereupon an indignant soldier wrote:
Ah, how cruel! being forsaken by those who have promised
to be their protectors, having to sally forth themselves to look
after the humble pittance that Uncle Sam allows them to sup
port their little flock, the heaven-daring, opprobious epithet falls
upon their ears "gadding after the men." O Shame! where is
thy blush? Let these epithets rest where they belong. 3i
Sometimes the soldiers themselves came to the aid of
the destitute. A war-widow of Lodi, whose husband had
died quite suddenly of fever, leaving a wife and five chU
dren, received a subscription from the members of Com
pany A in order to keep her and the children from actual
want. *^

sold., i, p. 152.
31 Ibid, p. 283.
32 1*., viii, p. 402.
[67]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
But in spite of these various provisions there was destitu
tion in many towns in the State, and measures were soon
taken by philanthropic people to lessen it. At Madison
especially effective work of this kind was done; there was
great need for it, since Camp Randall was the most impor
tant military station in the State, and many soldiers * wives
and families gathered there to bid their husbands or fathers
goodbye. Most of these families came in from the sur-
rounding country, many of them lacked either means or
energy to get back to their homes, so it fell to the women
of Madison to care for them. For this purpose a Ladies'
Union League was formed, and through its efforts about
200 destitute families were clothed and fed. Their spir
itual wants were also ministered to, for many of these
women were like frightened children, needing to be soothed
and comforted. Often the women of the League wrote for
or read aloud letters to these women to keep up their hope
and courage.
To get the necessary supplies for these families, commit
tees were appointed to solicit from the Madison people, who
responded most liberally. Some of the townspeople were
so generous, that they stinted themselves in order to give
to the destitute. Even the farmers from the neighboring
country sent in pork, chickens, or butter to aid the cause.
These gifts were received only occasionally, however, and
by December, 1863, the League was in such straits for sup
plies that it decided to make a special appeal to the differ
ent sections of the surrounding country. Circulars were
sent to the farmers inviting them to attend a great dinner
in Madison, and to bring with them as many donations as
possible. They responded nobly and brought great quan
tities of wood and vegetables of every kind, which the
[68]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
Madison grocers stored until they were needed. So great
was the success of this party, that the society was lifted
from its slough of despond, and enabled to care for its
destitute families. Philanthropic Spirit
Such philanthropic work was done in many places. In
the small country towns women often made butter and sold
it in order to obtain money for destitute families. Men
gave also a helping hand to the war-widows by providing
them with fuel, and helping their husbands to secure their
back-pay. The whole State seems to have been full of this
benevolent spirit, whieh manifested itself in many ways.
The spirit of humanity and brotherly love shown in the
following story makes it worth narrating. Mrs. Isabel
Leindecker was a young war-widow, whose husband had
been reported missing in 1862. She had but five dollars
left for herself and three children, and thought that if she
could get her wood free, she might manage to get clothes
and food for her children. So she concluded to have a
wood bee. In vain her mother tried to discourage her, say
ing, "You will throw away your money." Nevertheless
she invited twenty-five old friends and neighbors, but did
not expect that all of them would come. Having delivered
her in^'itations, she started to buy provisions for the ex
pected guests; the first merchant whom she approached,
shoved back her three doUars and a half, saying: "Take
this, Isabel, as my share. The old man cannot come." At
the meat market she met with the same kindness; the
butcher said, that although he could not come, his two boys
would help her to chop the fire-wood. As she passed the
home of the butcher his wife brought out a bucket of ren-
[69] ,

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
dered lard, and on the moming of the bee one of his sons
brought a large piece of salt meat, saying, "Isabel, the
boys might Uke a piece of fried meat." Another friend
brought her also a large piece of meat and a bucket of
sauerkraut, together with a basket of eggs and butter from
his wife. One friend sent a sack of potatoes and half a
bushel of beets. The village blacksmith wished also to help ;
but since he had to sharpen the tools of the miners on Sat
urdays, he could not come, but he offered to cut wood at
home on another day and promised to sharpen the tools
which the men used, but, when he saw the many tools, he
exclaimed: "Py koUy! I can't sharpen all doze in a
week, ' ' and locking his shop, he fled to the woods.
Mrs. Leindecker 's own story of the bee follows:
At eleven o'clock I sent my little brother to the woods to see
how many were there. He soon came running back. "Oh Isabel!
what will you do! There are forty men, and the trees are
falling like grass." What did I do? Being only twenty-two
years old, I sat down on the floor and cried like a baby. But
not long did I sit there. I ran to the hotel kept by Mrs. Lafonte,
and putting my hands on her shoulders I cried, "Mrs. Lafonte,
how much have you cooked?" She answered, "Child, you shall
have all I have cooked, and I will go to baking." * * * To make a
long story short, only twelve men came to dinner, and six to
supper; just enough to keep from hurting my feelings. To sum
up the day's work, I had to my credit forty loads, nine hauled
home and five chopped into stove wood, enough to last till the
war was over. The very next week I received word from my
husband, who had been a prisoner for eight weeks; I cried to
think how much I had troubled the people, when after all my
husband was alive to send me money.33

33 Grant County Veterans' Association, Woman's Auxiliary,
Reminiscences of the Civil War (Bloomington, 1902).
[70]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
The foregoing incident shows that in spite of the hard
ships of the time, in spite of high-prices and scarcity, there
was a spirit of genuine sympathy and helpfulness among
the men and women of Wisconsin.
Pathetic Incidents
Undoubtedly a certain amount of destitution had pre
vailed in Wisconsin before the war, but there can be no
doubt that the war greatly increased the suffering. In
small country towns there were many women left with large
families, who found it exceedingly hard to get along. One
woman, with twelve chUdren, managed in some way with
out accepting charity. One of her ehildren reports:
Of course some of us went out to work and helped all we
could, but we did not get the wages girls do now and we had to
work a great deal harder. I only got a dollar a week, and a
dollar and a half was thought to be large pay in those days.
The mother of this girl had a hard time with only the
two little boys at home to help her, for "they were small
then and couldn't do much."
Another poor woman with nine children (the oldest only
thirteen) almost starved to death, and instead of using
her pig for food was compelled to sell it to pay her taxes.
One brave little war-widow lived in a shanty, which cost
forty-five dollars; it was built on a lot belonging to a citi
zen of the town, ^* Here she lived witti her two children,
keeping body and soul together by sewing for a woman in
Manitowoc. With remarkable fortitude she bore her fate,

34 Mrs. Fitzgerald, Interviewed by author at Waupaca, March,
1910.
[71]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
and still refuses to acknowledge that she underwent any
real hardships during the war.
Sometimes the soldier, instead of being at the front, was
at home sick. Mrs. H. had to support two children and a
sick husband; the typhoid fever he suffered from, con
sumed every cent they had.
Perhaps the most pathetic case was that of Mrs. B., whose
husband died in the South, leaving her with a sick child
and no money. "There was twenty-five cents left after
burying my husband," she said. But the plucky woman
went to work in her father's home, where she alternately
did house-work and carried the sick child in her arms.
After waiting for four years she finaUy received her pen
sion, which enabled her to build a small cottage at Wauke
sha. ^^
The case of Mrs. D. is worth recording. She was left
with four small children and a homestead, which she was
later compelled to mortgage. She managed to keep her
home attractive; it was always bright and cheerful; her
curtains were made from an old heliotrope dress; a dry-
goods box constituted her dresser, and her rug was braided
from remnants of old trousers. The children's shoes were
made from the tops of her old ones, her daughters wore
combination dresses, while her boys wore trousers made of
grain bags. Through sickness and poverty she preserved
her cheerful disposition and managed to keep her family
together, until her husband returned. ^°

35 Mrs. Baker, interviewed by author at Waupaca, March, 1910.
36 Mrsi. Doty, interviewed by the author at Waupaca, March,
1910.
[72]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
Mrs. A. was left with seven ehildren and a four hundred
aere farm. Before her husband enlisted, he had borrowed
six hundred dollars from a friend, who promised not to
press him for the money, and to look after his family.
Eight months after the husband's departure another child
was born; thus the wife had eight small ehildren to care
for. In the meantime her husband had died in the South.
Then her creditor insisted on the payment of the debt, and
threatened to take the farm. She begged him to leave her
enough land for a house and garden, but he refused, and
the sheriff evicted her; her household goods were placed
outside, and she was compelled to sit up all night, to keep
the cattle from destroying her possessions. She managed
to keep her family together; her children grew up to be
useful and respected members of the community, but her
terrible experience doubtless helped to shorten her life. ^^
High Prices
In cases such as these, the high prices demanded for the
necessities of life without doubt increased the difficulties
of living. Calico cost forty to fifty cents a yard, tea $2.00
a pound, kerosene sixty cents a gallon. Mrs. D.'s exper
ience in buying goods is typical. She sold a piece of land
for fifty dollars and went to town to make a few purchases.
By the time she had finished her shopping, she had spent
forty dollars ; and the wash tub, in which she brought her
purchases home, was only partly filled. Another war-
widow states that "Flour was five dollars per hundred, so

37 Ms. sent by Mrs. Martha Showalter (Lancaster, May, 1910).
[73]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
we lived on corn-bread, and mush and milk, tiU I thought
I should never like cornmeal again. ' ' '^
During this period many private fortunes were amassed ;
the minority seemed to fatten on the necessities of the
majority. One indignant woman says:
The sacrifices and hardships incident to war-widowhood were
many, but they were borne cheerfully by all loyal women with
the exception of those instances (and they were many) where
the wives of the soldiers were the victims of extortion in the
matter of the purchase of household supplies from heartless
copperheads, who by short weight and short measure disposed
of their commodities at a price not accordant with the market
valuation. Sometimes the quality of the meat and vegetables
that were sold by these human vampires to the war-widows, was
so bad that it would not pass muster in a pigsty. * * * with
heart and brain exercised to their fullest tension on account of
friends who were in peril, and ill treatment by traitors at home,
we had a generous measure of ills to bear. S9
The Greater Sacrifice
As a riUe, however, these women were philosophical. One
of them writes:
There was too much to be done by the most of us, to keep
the wolf from the door, to give way to our feelings, and It wa^
better so. It gave us the feeling that we, too, although not
enlisted in the ranks South, had a battle to fight at home on
more than one line, and the worst of all vs^as to keep up hope
against hope, that our loved ones would be spared to come back
to us, no matter if they could only come; we would thank God,

38 Mrs. Teresa Wilson, "A Memory of War Times," in Grant
County Veterans' Association, Woman's Auxiliary, Reminiscences
of the Civil War.
39 Ms. sent by Mrs. H. J. Eldred (Waupaca, April, 1910).
[74]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
if they were only a shadow of what they were when they went
away. Probably the severest test of the patriotism of these
women was when they were caUed upon to give up all
hope of the retum of sons, husbands, and brothers. Hard
ship and privation were nothing to endure compared with
the loss in battle. A Kenosha woman had six brothers at
the front; the seventh and youngest had remained at home
to care for his aged parents ; but he was also taken through
the draft, and the parents were left alone. Four of these
seven boys never retumed, and today their sister is alone
in the world.
The husband of a war-widow living near Tustin was
captured at Ream's Station, Virginia, and sent to SaUs-
bury Prison, North Carolina. Throughout the war he had
kept in close touch with his wife and fanuly, but after his
imprisonment they received only one note. His wife was
left in a fearful state of suspense regarding his fate, untU
she read in a Madison paper of his death.
Mrs. A. H. Hoge teUs of a sad experience she had with
a young Wisconsin soldier whom she met on board a hos
pital ship. He was an only child and a boy of rare prom
ise ; had been weU educated, and was at the outbreak of the
war ready to enter a law-partnership with his father. The
day this young man left Wisconsin, his mother, forgetting
aU but her only child, threw her arms around the colonel
of the regiment and said, "0, Colonel, for God's sake,
guard my treasure, for he is my all." When Mrs. Hoge
saw him, he was hopelessly iU, but did not realize that death
was at hand. She said to him, "Suppose we never meet
¦on earth again, what would you say. ' ' Looking up serenely,
[75]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
he answered, "I understand you. Should I die, tell my
mother that as I have lain here these weary days all her
early teachings have come back, and I trust have done
their work. * * * TqH her I never regretted the step
I have taken. She must not mourn for me as without
hope, for if I die, 'twill be in a glorious cause and our
separation will be short." The next morning he was
dead. *°
A typical incident of its kind is the story told under the
title, ' ' One little mother. ' ' *^ She was a timid, gentle
woman, but she possessed something of the soldierly spirit
of her father ; she did not complain, even when the last of
her four brothers enlisted, and bade her goodbye. In the
autumn of the same year she had a letter from her son
in Dane County saying that he could not stay away from
the army any longer. Though her heart had been strong
she wept at the news, but the spirit of patriotism con
quered her fears, and she wrote her boy a letter full of
blessings, and bade him God-speed.
But this was not her last sacrifice ; for in the summer of
1862 her fifteen-year-old son George, inspired by a war-
meeting he had attended, decided to enlist. Again her love
and her patriotism fought for supremacy, again patriotism
conquered, and George enlisted. This left her with her
husband, the baby, and her thirteeen-year old Herman. She
prayed for the safety of her sons, and wrote to them such
letters as only a mother can write. Even now the oldest
son remembers the advice she gave him: "Try to keep
your conversation among your comrades such that you

40 Moore, pp. 356, 357.
41 H. W. Rood, in Milwaukee Sunday Telegraph, March 6, 1887.
[76]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
would be always willing to have your mother hear it.
"* * * I beg you not to run any unnecessary risks, but
your mother wants you, whatever may come, never to
shirk from your duty. ' ' He says that the first piece of ad
vice was much more difficult to follow than the second, but
that he strove hard to live up to both, and that his mother's
letters to him were a tower of strength.
Plenty of trouble came to this brave and noble woman.
In 1862 one of her brothers died at Alexandria, Virginia,
another was wounded that same year at WiUiamsburg, and
came home with a ball in his ankle. Her eldest son was
injured at Atlanta, but did not leave the army, re-enlisting
in January, 1864. Her hardest experience was still to come,
however; for when drafting began her husband was com
pelled to go, although his arm was so crippled that he
could hardly handle a musket after reaching the front. To
add to her anxiety, Herman, who was by that time sixteen
years old, insisted on going to the front ; thus she was left
alone with her youngest son. Although the great loneliness
oppressed her she wrote cheerful letters to her beloved ones ;
her neighbors were amazed that such a timid person as she
could be so brave. Finally her reward came, for in August,
1865, her husband and two of her sons came back to
Madison. They had planned to surprise the dear mother,
so they came stealing into the room where she lay asleep
and woke her by asking in a most matter of fact way for
something to eat. When she opened her eyes she asked
what the rascals meant by coming into people's houses and
waking them up in the middle of the night. In her great
joy she was the same composed, undemonstrative, and prac
tical woman she had always been. The story is not unique
[77^

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
— there were many like her — but this serves to show the
firmness of mind with which the loyal women of Wiscon
sin bore their trying experiences during the war period.
Women as Farmers
Perhaps the most striking phase of women 's activity was
their work on the farms. The importance of this army of
workers cannot be overestimated, for without them agri
cultural production would in many cases have been stopped,
although it must not be forgotten that the use of labor-
saving machinery and the influx of new settlers were also
factors in the maintenance of farm production throughout
the war. Labor-saving machinery had been used before 1861,
but its use became more common during the war period.
At first mowers and reapers were utilized only on the larg
est farms; later their use was more general, and sup
plemented by that of the harrow, the grain-drill, the corn-
planter, the steam-thresher, the revolving horse-rake, the
rotary-spade, the steel plow, the thresher, and the two-horse
cultivator.*^ In many of the poorer communities, however, there was
little or no labor-saving machinery and the women who did
their own farm-work gathered in their crops in the old-
fashioned way. The experience of Mrs. D. is a good il
lustration. In the part of the country where she lived,
many of the women had no horses and were forced to har-

42 B. D. Fite, Social and Industrial Conditions During the Civil
War (New York, 1910), p. 6; "Agricultural Development of the
West," in Quarterly Journal of Economics, xx, p. 271; R. G.
Thwaites, "Cyrus Hall McCormick and the Reaper," in Wiscon
sin Historical Society Proceedings, 1908, p. 255.
[78]

Women working in the Fields, in Wae-Time

From sketch by Thomas Nast, in F. B. Goodrich, The Tribute Book
(N. Y., 1865), p. 461

CONDITIONS AT HOME
ness oxen. She herself had to haul wood, and inexperienced
as she was she broke the wagon-tongue in the process. Some
of the women in her neighborhood sheared sheep, took the
wool home, carded and spun it and made socks. Mrs. D.
used to bum brush and build fences herself, and she also
hoed and raked. She had once a trying experience with an
unruly yoke of cattle, which used to get into the grain;
often she had to get up in the middle of the night in order
to drive them out. At one time she went to church, and
returned to find fifteen of her neighbor's cattle in her
wheat. She raised not only wheat, but also a little buck
wheat; she hired a man to cut it, but threshed it herself.
She had planted sixty bushels of sugar-cane on her farm
and invited the soldiers in the neighborhood to a cutting
bee ; as a result she and the children lived well that winter
on buckwheat and molasses. *'
Such instances as the preceding were common in Wau
shara County, which had a poor and sandy soil and very
little wealth. Many of the women in that county had
patches which they cultivated with the help of children, for
every able-bodied man had left for the front. A young
girl went one beautiful afternoon out in the meadows to
help her father. He did not want her to do a man's work;
before the war, the women of his family only milked the
cows and attended to the garden. He was an old man,
however, and needed help, therefore he finaUy allowed his
daughter to spread the hay ; which occasion she afterwards
declared was the proudest of her life.
Another woman living in Waushara County was left
with only three old men to help her. They eut the wood,.

43 Mrs. Doty, interviewed by author at Waupaca, March, 1910:
[79] ¦

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
she tended to the cows, cut hay with a scythe, and cradled
and bound her oats.
Mrs. B. drove ten miles to Weyauwega to get wood to
build a bam, hauled it back herself, and then shingled her
bam. **
In some towns the women formed sewing-circles to make
elothing for these women-farmers. They cut out and made
children's garments as weU as women's, and sold them as
cheaply as possible to the women on the farms.
Occasionally women became agricultural laborers, but
this was not eommon, for in many communities the people
could not afford to pay for help. In a few places, however,
German women hired out by the day and received good
wages. The number of women doing work on the farms increased
as the war went on, because most able-bodied men were
taken from their agricultural work and pressed into ser
vice in the army. Mrs. Livermore gives a vivid picture of
her visit to Wisconsin and Iowa in the early summer of
1863, which shows to what extent women were then work
ing on the farm :
As we dashed along the railway, let our course lead in what
ever direction it might, it took us through what seemed a con
tinuous wheat-field. The yellow grain was waving everywhere;
and two-horse reapers were cutting it down in a fashion that
would have astonished Eastern farmers. * * * Women were in
the field everywhere, driving the reapers, binding and shocking,
and loading grain, until then an unusual sight. At first it dis
pleased me, and I tumed away in aversion. By-and-bye I observed
how skilfully they drove the horses round and round the wheat
field, diminishing more and more its periphery at every circuit.

44 Mr. Eldred, interviewed by author at Waupaca, March, 1910.
[So]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
the glittering blades of the reaper cutting wide swathes with
a rapid, clicking sound that was pleasant to hear. Then I saw,
that where they followed the reapers, binding and shocking,
although they did not keep up with the men, their work was
done with more precision and nicety, and their sheaves had an
artistic finish that those lacked made by men. So I said to my
self, "TTiey are worthy women and deserve praise; their husbands
are probably too poor to hire help, and like the helpmeets God de
signed them to be, they have girt themselves to this work — and
they are doing it superbly. Good wives! Good women!"
One day Mrs. Livermore drove twenty miles across the
country, through the same "golden fields of grain and be
tween great stretches of green waving com." Some acci
dent to her carriage caused her driver to halt opposite a
field where six women and two men were harvesting. She
walked over and accosted them:
"And so you are helping to gather the harvest!" I said to a
woman of forty-five or fifty who sat on the reaper to drive, aa
she stopped her horses for a brief breathing spell.
"Yes ma'am," she said, "the men have all gone to the war,
so that my man can't hire help at any price, and I told my
girls we must turn to and give him a lift with the harvesting."
"You are not German? You are surely one of my own country
women — American ?"
"Yes, ma'am; we moved here from Cattaraugus County, New
York State, and we've done very well since we came. * * *
It came very hard on us to let the boys go, but we felt we'd
no right to hinder 'em. The country needed 'em more'n we.
We've money enough to hire help, if it could be had; and my
man don't like to have me and the girls a-working out doors;
but there don't seem no help for it now."
I stepped over to where the girls were binding the fallen grain,
They were fine, well-built lassies, with the honest eyes and firm
mouth of the mother, brown like her and clad in the same sensible
•ostume. 6 [8i]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
"I tell mother," said Annie, standing very erect with flash
ing eyes, "that as long as the country can't get along without
grain, nor the army fight without food, we're serving the country
just as much here in the harvest field as our boys are on the
battlefield — and that sort o' takes the edge off from this business
of doing men's work, you know."
Further conversation disclosed the fact that amid their double
labor in the house and field, these women found time for the
manufacture of hospital supplied; and had helped to fill box
after box with shirts and drawers, dried apples and pickles,
currant wine and blackberry jam, to be forwarded to the poor
fellows languishing in far-off Southern hospitals. My eyes
were unsealed. The women in the harvest field were invested
with a new and heroic interest, and each hard-handed, brown,
toiling woman was a heroine. 45
A Prairie du Chien soldier writes:
There were four brothers of us, all single and all under age
when we enlisted. This left two small brothers, three young
sisters, and a father and mother to do the work of the farm.
This meant planting and harvesting crops, cutting, curing, and
stacking hay, fixing fences, chopping wood, caring for the
stock, and in fact doing all the work that had been done
before by the boys. These things my mother and sisters helped
to do. This was the condition all through our section. From
many families the husband enlisted, leaving the mother with
small children. The mother and the small brood carried on
all the work of the farm as they were able. They cleared land,
chopped down trees, and clad in brown denim dresses they
burned the brush and cultivated the soil. They gathered and
marketed the crops and thus became not only self-sustaining,
but actually had a surplus with which to help the nation. Two
girls, whom I well knew, became as expert in harvesting grain
and in chopping wood as any man in the country .46

45 Livermore, pp. 144-149.
46 Ms. letter of A. C. Wallin (Prairie du Chien, Feb., 1910).
[82]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
One women went from Madison into Columbia County,
where she took up uncultivated land, which she broke her
self ; there she planted and raised crops and was thus able
to support herself and her four small children. Her am
bition was to make a home for her children, and for her
husband if he ever retumed ; she knew that she might have
been forced to accept charity if she had remained in Madi
son. *^ Women in New Lines of Work
When the Civil War broke out the total number of
women in Wisconsin was 367,000, of whom 17,500 were
engaged in some occupation. The most popular, according
to the number of women engaged in each pursuit, were
servants, 12,287; teachers, about 1,500; seamstresses, 1,191
milliners, 533; mantua-makers, 472; laundresses, 411
makers of men's clothing, 386; tailoresses, 208; housekeep
ers, 185 ; nurses, 184 ; and music teachers, 166. ** The
number of women engaged in manufacture was 773, ap
portioned as foUows : men's clothing, 386; lumber (sawed),
79 ; milUnery, 74 ; furniture and cabinets, 39. *"
During the Civil War, Wisconsin women filled the places
left vacant by the soldiers, so that by 1865 women had
entered many fields of industry hitherto occupied by men
only. Unfortunately there are no statistics for the latter

47 Mrs. Bennett, interviewed by author at Madison, April, 1910.
48 u. 8. Census, 1860, vol. "Population." Women's occupations
are only approximately by the compiler, for the census did not
differentiate women from men, except in industrial lines.
isibid, vol. "Manufacturing," p. 658. Occupations omitted by
compiler, where less than thirty women were engaged.
[83]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
year, but it may be assumed that those for 1870 wiU ap
proximately represent the conditions at the close of the
war. In 1870 the number of women in Wisconsin was 509,-
000, of whom over 25,000 were engaged in the foUowing oc
cupations : servants, 15,879 ; teachers, 3,169 ; farmers, 1,387 ;
mantua-makers, 2,132; seamtresses, 1,179; laundresses,
276 ; nurses, 67. The chief difference in the decade is that
the number of women in commercial and industrial pursuits
increased from 773 in 1860, to 3,967 in 1870. The statistics
for 1870 are: men's clothing, 698; lumber (sawed), 362;
woolen goods, 205 ; millinery, 155 ; furniture, 151 ; carpets,
116. Women are also recorded as workers in match fac
tories, paper mills, straw-goods factories, cheese factories,
book-binderies, and glove factories. Moreover, there were
seventeen women keeping grocery stores in 1870 ; twenty-
six selling or trading in agricultural implements; and
ninety-two acting as clerks in stores. A few women
are reported as peddlers, steamboat employees, bobkkeepers,
trunk and valise makers, dealers in books, stationery, and
drugs, cigar makers, whip makers, fur dressers, in the man
ufacture of hoop-skirts, malt liquors, awnings, baskets, bags,
curled-hair, etc. ^^
The census reports do not show that there was a great
increase in the number of women employed ; the percentage
in 1860 is 4.4, while in 1870 it is 4.9; so that the main
difference — aside from farm labor during the war, which
does not appear in the census reports — ^Ues in the greater
diversity of occupations, particularly in industrial and com
mercial lines.

60 Id., 1870, vol. "Population and Social Statistics," pp. 666-690,
694, 695; vol. "Industry and Wealth," pp. 583, 584.
[84]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
From interviews and personal recoUections a few more
facts have been secured, relative to women's occupations.
In Richland County one woman raised sage and sold it to
the druggists of Richland County at a doUar a pound.
Another occupation in that neighborhood was the digging
of ginseng, which was sold to dealers and then shipped to
China ; in the ginseng season the woods were searched for
it by scores of women. At Menasha in 1861 and 1862 a
number of young women entered the factory of the Wooden
Ware Company, in order that the men might enUst in the
army. Between 1861 and 1865 women's position among bread-
earners became more common, and by the close of the war
they had invaded many new fields, not only in the in
dustrial and commercial world, but also in clerical, chari
table, and reUgious lines. ^'^
The Sewing Machine
In the statistics given above it will be noticed that sew
ing was a favorite occupation for women in both 1860 and
1870. It is probable that the invention in 1849 of the sew
ing machine by EUas Howe, had much to do with making
this occupation so popular. To make a man's shirt by
hand required fourteen hours and twenty minutes steady
work ; with the sewing-machine, the same garment could be
made in one hour and sixteen minutes. The popularity of
the sewing-machine is shown by the fact that the number
manufactured by the Wheeler and WUson Machine Com
pany, increased from 25,000 in 1860 to 40,000 in 1864; and

61 Fite, p. 244 (note).
[85]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
the number of Singer machines from 13,000 to 23,000. "*
Very few families in the small towns of Wisconsin possessed
sewing-machines. A woman in one of these towns was very
anxious to secure one, so in order to realize her desire she
Uved on bread and molasses for a long time, and tried to
pay for a machine. A kind neighbor found out her plan,
and she requested some of the members of her church to
assist her. After securing the machine this woman made
the clothing given her under the Government contract in a
very short time. Probably without using the machine,
neither she nor hundreds of others could have earned a
living making these garments.
A Patr^iotic School Teacher
The increase in the number of women who taught school
during this period is not at all surprising, since so many
of these positions were left vacant by men who had gone to
the front. The wages paid differed, however, for in 1860
a man received an average of $24.20 a month, while a
woman received only $22.24. Very few accounts have been
secured relating to the Wisonsin women who taught during
this period. As an iUustration of the patriotic spirit of
one of these teachers the following story is told.
About nine miles from Waupaca a young woman taught
a district school; she was devoted to the Union and
taught her pupils to sing patriotic songs. The school
board consisted mostly of Southern sympathizers, who told
her that such songs would never do. The next day the
children began their school work by singing "John Brown."

S2ibid, p. 89.
[86]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
That same moming the members of the board waited upon
her, and informed her that she would have to choose
between discontinuing the songs or closing the school. The
plucky girl replied that she had a contract to teach, that
the children were accustomed to sing in the moming, and
should continue to do so.
On the third day foUowing this episode, the teacher found
the schoolhouse closed; but nothing daunted, she sum
moned the patriotic women of the neighborhood, who re
mained at the schoolhouse until noon as her witnesses. Her
next act was to call on the school board and demand her
salary for the whole period during which she had expected
to teach. They refused to grant her request, but fortunately
a company of soldiers had come home on a furlough and
they insisted that justice be done. The case was at last
carried to the circuit court, where the judge rendered a
verdict in her favor. "^
Confederate Prisoners
In the spring of 1862 the residents of Madison were much
interested in the arrival at Camp Randall of a number of
Confederates, who had been captured at Island Number
Ten. A person present has described their coming :
A large crowd awaited their arrival, and when they came,
regarded their removal from the cars to the camp, with curious
interest. They were received hy a guard of the Nineteenth
Regiment, accompanied by a fife and drum band, playing lively
airs. They passed between the files to the camp, many of them
heavily laden with baggage. They all looked tired and jaded,
and the pale faces of some of them showed that they were

63 Mr. Eldred, interviewed by author at Waupaca, March, 1910.
[87]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
seriously affected. When they were nearly inside the camp,
the band struck up the tune of "Dixie" and the steps of the pris
oners were at once made firmer and their eyes brighter. There
were about sixty sick prisoners, and the removal of these af
forded a painful spectacle. Its sadness was relieved, though,
by the tender manner in which the soldiers of the Nineteenth
supported their tottering steps, while helping them to the
stretchers. The prisoners cooked their own food, and seemed to be
satisfied with the rations they received, although they
missed the com bread to which they had been accustomed.
There was a prevailing anxiety among them for a supply
of reading matter, and a few expressed a desire to work for
the surrounding farmers, beUeving the work would be better
for their health. From all accounts they were most hu
manely treated, and the spirit shown toward them by the
residents of Madison was a generous and Christian one.
Madison women worked among these Confederate prison
ers, especially in the hospitals, where they died like sheep.
One woman, who did much toward making the prisoners
comfortable, admits that she had not the ordinary human
feelings for them, but nevertheless did her duty, and no
one would have dreamed of the bitter sentiment which
she so carefully concealed. Speaking of one such hospital
scene a correspondent writes :
Although the scene was a very sad one, yet its sorrow was
abundantly relieved by the instances of warmhearted kindness
and attention. We saw some jellies, custards, brandy, shirts,
etc., which had been sent for the sick by some wholesouled
ladies and gentlemen of this city. They have their reward in
the grateful prayers of sick men, who are far away from home
or friends. 54

64 Corres, Wis, Volunteers, vi, pp. 90, 91.
[88]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
Extravagamce Rebuked
The hard times and depression which had characterized
the middle period of the war gave place in 1864 to an era
of reckless display and extravagance, combined with appar
ent callousness to the sufferings of others. Amusements were
resumed on a gayer scale than formerly. Noble and serious-
minded women were shocked, and protested against such
frivolity and heedlessness. The Ladies' Union League of
Madison prepared a pamphlet under the editorship of Mrs.
J. W. Hoyt, Mrs. Edward Salomon, and Mrs. B. F. Hop
kins, entitled "Retrenchment, the Duty of the Women of
the North. ' ' They argued that while the national Grovem-
ment was facing such an extraordinary levy upon its funds,
it was the duty of every member of the Federal family
personally to assist in meeting the demand. The pamphlet
argues: ' -'''''^'Mfi
We have before us the spectacle of our Govemment grappling
with the most formidable rebellion that ever assaulted the
nationality of any people * » * seeking to do all through
its own resources', in order to avert the calamity of 4 large for
eign indebtedness. No true American, man or woman, can
contemplate this magnificence of preparation, this almost
sublime spectacle of self-reliance, without being willing, without
being anxious to add the savings of every judicious retrench
ment to the national coffers.
That small class of persons who have an independence, or
who are now accumulating fortunes, ought, furthermore, to do
this as an example to those who have not such means, and
who have yet the human nature to seek to imitate a style they
cannot afford. It would be a good thought if every time an ex
travagant or superfluous article were about to be purchased,
in reckoning the cost, the purchaser would add to this the
value of that outlay some one else will make on this account.
[89]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
The report further states that most ofthe members of the
League depend upon business or professional support, and
that many of the husbands and fathers belonging to that
class are not making as much money as they were before the
war: With this large professional and business coipmunlty rests
the controlling ideas, as well as the largely controlling means
of pushing successfully forward, or of untimely ending the war.
It is possible, that the natural protectors of most of these
families may, by unremitting energy and business devotion,
maintain them in all the comfort and luxury of the past, not
withstanding the increased price of everything brought into
household use. * * * But are we willing to see such efforts
at such a time as this put forth to such an end — that of ease
and appearance? How much more worthy our womanhood and
this crisis, in every possible way to help Uft the burden of the
war from those on whom it mainly rests.
There is a still larger class of families, from whose circles a
majority of those now in the field have gone. They are those,
who, by the daily labor of both men and women, have been able
to furnish themselves with the comforts and cheaper luxuries
of life. Now, with the absence of the heads and older brothers
and sons of these families, whose labor brought in the most of
the little income, and the increased prices of goods and provi
sions, a state of real privation has come to exist. We cknnot
change all this. Our largest charities will not cover so large
a ground. The only way in which we can meet our obligations
to this class, is to help those in distress, and to those who are
not, but who from the veriest of necessities are obliged to live
cheaper, dress plainer, and work harder, set the example of our
selves doing without those extras that will on the one hand
consume the money that ought to go in aid of the Government,
and on the other, nourish the natural jealousy and discontent
of the people. * * * The sympathy and confidence, that an
entirely practicable retrenchment on our part would bring about
[90]

CONDITIONS AT HOME
between ourselves and this class of people, would react with a
mighty force upon the rank and file of our armies.
A table retrenchment, that would touch the health and sub
stantial comfort of any member of the household, would cer
tainly be injudicious. The housekeeper holds the health and
temper of her home pretty much in her own hands; and, with
out controversy, women maintain their empire over the opin
ions and actions of men largely through the fascinations of per
sonal appearance.
What your committee would urge is, that we undertake to
substitute good taste and a wholesome abundance in the place
of parade and luxury, and that we make this the rule, not more
for our families, than for social entertainments; and that, in
our personal attire, we try the charm of a very decided plain
ness. * * *
Nothing but the direst necessity should induce us to cut off
the supplies from which flow moral and religious education.
The general charities and institutions of each community ought
to be sustained, and it were well if this could be done even
more liberally than before. 55
The foregoing appeal shows better than any record, the
spirit and ideals of the noblest of Wisconsin women. With
such personaUties at the head of Wisconsin charities and
relief work, it is no wonder that the citizens of the State
are proud of the part her women took in the Civil War.
55 Op. cit.

[91]

Chapter V
Letters for the Front
Letters from home were the only connection which the
soldiers had with their famUies except in a few rare eases,
where women accompanied their soldier relatives to the
front. If the home connection was once lost or broken
the soldier was apt to be set adrift on a sea of loneliness
and temptation. When it is taken into consideration that
many of our volunteers were mere boys, the value of the
home connection is even more apparent.
The soldier 's craving for news from home was more posi
tive than even his desire to end the cruel war. If he could
have picked his place for winter-quarters at the front, he
would have valued, as next to wood and water privileges,
a station where home mail came regularly and promptly. °®
A young volunteer thus describes the value of the home
letters :
We do not get letters enough to make us better men and
better soldiers. We get the blues sometimes and feel like going
to the dogs. The coffee is bad, the crackers worse, the bacon
worst of all, and we are as hungry as wolves. Just then the
mail boy brings in a letter, a good long one from you or from
mother. * * • Immediately, all the weariness is gone; the
fire has quit smoking, the musty, fusty crackers and bacon are

56 Trumbull, War Memoirs of a ChaplaAn (New York, 1898),
p. 148.
[92]

LETTERS FOR THE FRONT
better, and I am just the happiest fellow in the whole world.
* * * One man, who was drunk yesterday, is crying tonight
between the blankets, because he had a letter from his mother.
Another Wisconsin soldier looks at the matter from a
psychological standpoint, and says:
Nothing gives more joy to a soldier, aside from meeting tha
enemy face to face, than a letter to break up the monotony of
our peculiar style of life, and remind him of home and kindred
spirits. * * * After a soldier has been out as long as w©
have, he only asks a chance to meet the enemy, get letters, and
have enough hard crackers to eat. This to him is the sum
total, the full perfection of a soldier's life. 67
One soldier pleads' with the readers of his letter to keep
in as close communication with the soldier as possible, for
he says:
A soldier after a little begins to lose his individuality and
from being John Jones, Esquire, of Progtown, he becomes only
one of the Wisconsin Fifth or Indiana Nineteenth. He feels con
stantly among such a mass of men that he has lost his connec
tion with the world, yea almost his personal identity, and that
he is but part of a monster machine. A letter from home serves
to dispel in great measure this feeling, ss
Fortunately for the Wisconsin soldier, the Govemment
made provision for regular and frequent distribution of the
mail while the men were in the field or on the march. When
possible it was brought to the point of distribution by boat;
three whistles signified "mail." The ordinary procedure
was for the regimental postmaster to go with his mail-bag
to the city, in order to be present when the mail was dis-

67 Livermore, p. 646.
68 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, I, pp. 222-224.
[93]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
tributed. Then he would hurry back to his tent, where he
sorted the regimental mail which had been deUvered to him.
A writer speaks of the distribution as foUows :
It seemed as if the whole regiment gathered in sight of that
postmaster's tent, as though longing eyes could quicken the
work of busy fingers. There was but one thing thought of now.
All hearts reached toward one center. Willing hands were
ready to take the field-and-staff mail, when that was given out;
but there was no need to carry it to regimental headquarters,
for, from colonel to quartermaster, all were close by, waiting to
receive what there was for them. The line-officers took their
mall before it could reach their company street; and the men
of each company followed their orderly sergeant, as he took
their portion for distribution. Each face wore an anticipant
look, and it would well repay the time spent in writing a letter,
if the writers could only see the happy smiles or hear the happy
exclamations of man after man, as their names were called.
But when the mail is distributed, another sight greets you.
Those who have not received anything, turn away to their
quarters with sad, dejected looks, and now and then a murmur
of "I'll get one next time." * * * if their friends could only
see these desponding faces, they would not be so negligent in
answering the poor "soger" boy's letter. 59
It is evident that this writer did not think that the
people at home were writing enough letters, but other facts
prove that this conclusion was not correct. Women who
lived during that time, speak of the great number of let
ters they wrote to the boys at the front; moreover, many
letters did not reach their proper destination because in
correctly addressed. Even if letters were properly ad
dressed they were often delayed in transmission. Moreover,
the women were as anxious to hear from the soldiers as the

59 Trumbull, pp. 133-139; Corres. Wis. Volunteers, 1, p. 6(56:
[94]

In fkont of a Field Postmasteb's Tent
From The Photographic History of the Civil War; copyright, 1911, by the Patriot Publishing Company.
This contemporaneous photograph was taken at the quaiters of the Chief Ambulance Officer, Ninth Army
Corps, in front of Petersburg, Va., August, 1864. The tent is in a small grove of pine trees, through
which the sun is streaming with torrid heat

LETTERS FOR THE FRONT
latter were to hear from home, and this incentive in itself"
was enough to keep up an active exchange.
Letters for Strangers
It is well known that Wisconsin women wrote not only to
their own friends and relatives, but also to men whom they
had never seen. "We girls felt it a patriotic duty not to
leave any of the boys unsolaced by cheery and newsy let
ters," states one of the women. Often into comfort bags
would be slipped a note that evoked a reply. One Wisconsin
girl had a long and pleasant correspondence of this kind,
until the young man revealed himself and proposed mar
riage; then she stopped. After the war one of our most
honored matrons, then only a maiden in her teens, found'
a handsome young soldier at the door ready to complete
the acquaintance begun in this way, and Beloit was the
seene of a new home. ®°
Sometimes young girls wrote letters to men who received
none, having heard of their disappointment from friends
in the army. OccasionaUy, thoughtful women wrote a
number of unaddressed letters and sent them to some friend
among the troops with instructions to distribute them
where they were most needed.
The case of a woman in a little Northern town is typical
of the amount of letter'-writing done during the war period.
Her husband had gone to the front, leaving her -with a
four weeks old baby, yet she kept on writing letters to aU
her relatives, including not only her husband, but three
brothers-in-law, and three cousins. Her communications^
went to three hospitals.

60 Ms. letter from Miss Simmons.
[95]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
Although the majority of the soldiers and their famiUes
corresponded in this way, there were a few cases where
neither the soldier nor his home relatives could read and
write, and there would have been no connection between
them and their families at aU had it not been for unselfish
Wisconsin women, who wrote their letters for them. The
writers usually made such letters as realistic as possible and
told the details conceming the soldier's family and home,
how the children were behaving, what diseases they had,
how the crops looked, etc. The man who received such a
letter would get a friend to read it for him and in course
of time some one would reply at his dictation; thus com
munication was kept up between the home and the field.
Letters from the Field
If letters from home were appreciated in the army, those
from the army were fully as much appreciated at home.
Such letters were not regarded as private property; they
were sent around from one interested person to another
until at last they were retumed to their respective owners.
The soldiers realized this, and consequently they mentioned
in their letters this person or that one who lived in the
neighborhood, and to whom the letters should be sent. Oc
casionally they enclosed battle-cUppings and Usts of the
killed and wounded.
The men, however, often received more army news than
they gave, for the people at home knew from the news
papers more about the army in general than the soldier
in one smaU division could. The women in their letters en
closed pictures of battlefields and clippings of aU kinds
which they had collected; and often they used paper and
[96]

LETTERS FOR THE FRONT
envelopes decorated -with patriotic emblems in order to show
their interest in martial affairs.
Difficulties of Letter Writing
If it was difficult for the women to write letters it was
even more so for the soldier to answer them. In many cases
the poor feUows had no stamps, and as one says, "If
friends do not receive repUes to their letters as quickly as
they wish, they wiU readily understand the reason, ' ' *^
which was, of course, an invitation for the person receiving
the letter to enclose a postage stamp when replying.
Moreover, the soldiers had no convenient places for writ
ing. They described vividly the attitudes they were forced
to adopt. Some sat on logs and wrote by the light of
candles, others lay flat on their stomachs, still others used
their knapsacks for tables. But whatever the attitude the
writing was kept up throughout the war.
The following quotation shows the kind of letters soldiers
most appreciated:
A soldier far away from home does not care to hear of all the
little troubles his friends are undergoing, for he cannot help
them, and he has enough on his mind without having his letters
filled with gloom; but if his friends would only show the bright
side of the picture it would encourage him to make himself alto
gether different from what he is. 62
The moral effect of letters from home was greater than
we realize; just as the value of personal influence is hard
to measure, so was the effect which was produced by these
home letters. Many of the soldiers were kept to their duty

81 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, i, p. 66.
«3ia., V, p. 170.
7 [97]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
by such letters, and many were kept from ¦vice of all
sorts by a word of ad"vice or warning from the far
away wife or mother. It is good to look back and to re
member what a close connection was preserved with the
home by the exchange of letters, and to know that Wis
consin women did their fuU duty in this respect.

[98]

chapter VI
Women with the Regiments
Wisconsin soldiers, on leaving their home towns, usually
went into camp at some place within the State for some
weeks or months before being sent to the front. Frequently
their wives accompanied them thither, or came on later in
order to say a last goodbye. OccasionaUy the ¦wives of
officers accompanied their husbands even farther. When
the Sixth Regiment left for the front, eight or ten of the
officers' wives accompanied them; all but one returned,
however, after ha^ving reached Harrisburg. A soldier in
the Sixth vsTites : "All these ladies have been very pleasant
companions, but I think they had better have stayed at
home." Another vounteer writes in the same strain about
women in the army : ' ' This ad-rice is based upon observa
tion. There are no provisions made for them, and they are
regarded as outsiders by the authorities, and their friends
have no time to provide for them. ' ' °^
Fortunately for i)ie women, other views were held by
many. One of the soldiers who took up cudgels in their de
fense, argues in the following manner: "As far as im
propriety is concerned, a few women are as well off or
better off, among a thousand men, than they would be with
a single man." He asserts that this is true, because men

03 Id., i, pp. 217, 238.
[99]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
demand from each other exact conduct toward the women
entrusted to their care, and thus women are better protected
in the army than in their homes. The ¦writer also maintains
that a woman's presence, for the moral effect, is needed in
camp jdst as much as at home. "A rough, almost tameless
man, while in the presence of women, becomes watchful
over every word passing his lips ; he minds his walk, would
not appear fllthy, desires more intelligence, and has mor«
pride when women are about than if all were men." ®*
Dcmghters of the Regiment
Two Wisconsin regiments were accompanied to the field
by young women who played the difficult part of daughters
of the regiment. The first of these was the Fifth, -with
whom went Miss Eliza, daughter of WilUam Wilson of
Menomonie, Dunn County, former member of the State
Senate, and possessed of considerable wealth. Miss Wilson
had her o^wn tent and servant, and furnished ¦with neces
sary food and clothing went out with the regiment on her
philanthropic mission. She was to pay all of her own ex
penses, and her duties were to head the regiment when on
parade, and to assuage the thirst of the wounded and dying
on the battlefield, where it was hoped that she would be
a real guardian angel of the regiment. Miss Wilson was
weU chaperoned, for several of her relatives were in the
regiment, besides a number of men lately in the employ
of her father. A description of her appearance is given
in the foUowing words :
Eliza is decidedly smart and intelligent, of medium size,
amiable, twenty, and pretty. She dresses in clothes of such

64 Ibid, p. 217.
[ lOo]

WITH THE REGIMENTS
pattern as the military (not millinery) board have ordered for
nurses in the army, which is the Turkish costume, as near as I
can judge — the same which sensible ladies favored a few years
since as a national style. The color is bright brown; no crin
oline; dress reaches half way between the knee and ankle; up
per sleeve loose, gathered at the wrist; pantalettes same color,
wide but gathered tight around the ankle; black hat with
plumes or feathers of same color; feet dressed in morocco boots.
This vivandigre dress is no hindrance to rapid movements;; fast
walking is a graceful exercise, while the slow inevitable strut of
crinoline appears awkward to the lady dressed in army cos
tume. 66
From later letters it is e^vddent that Eliza was useful as
well as ornamental, for she took care of sick soldiers and
"by her continued kind attentions to and care for them
has merited and is receiving the blessings of those who
were ready to perish in the absence of her kindness."
Another soldier, who wrote two months later, says :
The boys have no sweethearts to see, and therefore white
shirts, standing collars, hair-oil, bosom-pins and tight boots
have disappeared completely. We have not seen a woman for
a fortnight with the exception of the Daughter of the Regiment,
whb is with us in storm and sunshine. It would do you good
to see her trudging along, with or after the regiment, her dark
brown frock buttoned tightly around her waist, her what-you-
call-ems tucked into her well fitting gaiters, her hat and feather
set jauntily on one side, her step firm and assured, for she
knows that every arm in our ranks would protect her. Never
pouting or passionate, with a kind word for every one, and
every one a kind word for her. She came with one of the com
panies and remains with the regiment. Were it not for her,
when a woman would appear, we would be running after her,
as children do after an organ and a monkey, ea

oBlbid, p. 216.
66 Ibid, pp. 218, 225.
[lOl ]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
It appears that Eliza did not tire of doing good, for she
is still mentioned in January, 1862, as being with the regi
ment, only she had been quite ill, "which elicited much
sympathy ' ' from her comrades. ^^
The other daughter of the regiment of whom we have an
account was Hannah Bwbank, a school-mistress of Mar
quette, who joined the Seventh Regiment. A description of
her is given in the foUo^wing words:
In the matter of teaching the young idea how to shoot. Miss
Ewbank bore an enviable reputation; but deeming her sphere
limited, she has joined the Grand Army, where she may encour
age the elder ideas to shoot in a manner peculiarly desirable,
and which recommends itself to every patriotic mind. Her uni
form is very neat, consisting of a Zouave jacket of blue merino,
trimmed with military buttons and gold lace; a skirt of scarlet
merino, trimmed with blue and gold lace; pants and vest of
white Marseilles; balmoral boots; hat of blue velvet trimmed
with white and gold lace, with yellow plumes, and white kid
gloves. A more jaunty or bewitching little Daughter of the
Regiment never handled the canteen, and it is no wonder that
the multiplex father jealously watches her, and has sworn
sacredly to defend her. 68
In Masculine Garb
It would be interesting to know how many Wisconsin
women, disguised as men, served in the ranks, but the
question will probably never be answered, except in circu
lating rumors, connected with this or that woman who
wore masculine attire. Two well authenticated cases are
known.

67 Id!., iii, p. 277.
68 Undated newspaper clipping, loaned to author by Mrs. Mar
tha Showalter, Lancaster.
[ I02]

WITH -THE REGIMENTS
In the town of Lake Mills lived a devoted sister and
brother, Sarah and Mason Collins. When the war broke
out. Mason made up his mind to enlist, and his courageous
sister decided to do the same. She was a robust girl -with
the bloom of roses upon her cheeks, and could easily have
borne the hardships incident to a soldier's life. Won over
by her persistence, her brother Mason aided and abetted
the deception; her tresses were cut short, she put on man's
apparel, and endeavored to accustofij herself to her strange
garb. She accompanied her brother to the rendezvous of
the company, and notwithstanding her soldier-like appear
ance and air of masculinity, her sex was detected — it is
stated, by her unmasculine manner of putting on her shoes
and stockings. So poor Sarah, with tears in her eyes, dis
appointed at the failure of her efforts to become a soldier,
was obUged to retum to her home, while her brother left
for the front without her.'"'
The other case recorded is that of Belle Peterson, a
young country girl, who lived near EUenboro. A soldier
who saw her at that time, says that she was ' ' just an ordi
nary girl, neither good nor bad looking. ' ' But she was ad
venturous, and one day surprised her father by telling him
that she was going away from home for some time. Her
family leamed later that she had enUsted in a Wisconsin
regiment. The date of her enlistment is not certain, but
it was probably late in 1862 ; she served in the army for
some time, possibly as a spy or a scout. Those who saw
her in her uniform, say that she made a fair-looking sol
dier, and that no one would have suspected that she was a

69 Ms. loaned by E. W. Keyes (Madison, IQilO).
70 Ms. letter of L. D. Culver (EUenboro, Wis., May, 1910).
[103]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
Officers' Wives
Letters from Wisconsin soldiers prove that the Seventh,
Eighth, and Eleventh regiments were accompanied by
Wisconsin women. On Thanksgiving Day, 1862, the Elev
enth Regiment had a dinner, given by the Colonel's ¦wife
for the officers and their wives. Conceming it a soldier
¦writes, "Bating turkey on china plates, we could hardly
realize we were in camp.'"^ On New Year's Day, 1862,
the Seventh Regiment "was graced by the presence of sev
eral ladies. It was quite a novelty to all and hugely en
joyed ; the ladies joining in the repartees of wit whieh
passed from one end of the table to the other. ' "^ In April,
1862, a member of the Third Wisconsin Cavalry writes
from St. Louis: "Several of the tents are graced by the
¦wives and ladies of the officers, which adds much to the
social caste of our regiment, and is an agreeable phase of
the patriotic sympathy which the fair daughters of our
Union are pleased to bestow upon our cause and upon the
defenders. ' "^
Interesting interviews occasionaUy took place between
these Northern women and the Southerners in their neigh
borhood. For the most part the Northerners were not so
bitter as their Southern sisters. On one occasion, however,
they had a chance to speak their minds to the women
champions of "Secessia." Two officers' wives were ¦visit
ing a Wisconsin regiment which was stationed at Bear
Creek, Mississippi. They called frequently on the ladies

71 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, ii, p. 43.
72 Id., iii, p. 279.
73 Id., vii, p. 209.
[ 104]

WITH THE REGIMENTS
residing in the neighborhood; in one or two instances a
collision was with difficulty averted. The narrator re
marks: "I tell you, the women of the North are begin
ning to feel combative. They won't stand secesh talk.
But we have quieted them down now, pretty well. We
made them believe that it was unconstitutional for the
women to quarrel and fight, but it would not require very
heavy reinforcements from the North to get the women
started on a big raid." '*
A good story is told of the wife of a Wisconsin congress
man, who in 1861 was visiting at Arlington Heights. She
was seated in a carriage, when the Sixth Wisconsin passed,
whereupon she inquired the name of the regiment. It was
usually called the "Baby Sixth," a nickname for "King's
pet babies;" so a lieutenant standiag by answered, "The
Baby Sixth, Ma'am." The lady, not understanding the
joke, which was more complimentary than otherwise, in
dignantly replied, "Sir! I am from Wisconsin, and allow
me to inform you, that we send no infants to war from
there. '"^
While Mrs. Salomon, the Governor's ¦wife, was traveling
in the South, she ¦visited the hospitals in St. Louis in order
to find out how the Wisconsin soldiers were being treated ;
later she went to RoUa, Missouri, where an enthusiastic re
ception was given her. She describes it as follows :
The reception, which we received by our brave officers and
men, surpassed any expectations I could have formed. The
camps were decorated with green boughs and trees, a mag
nificent dining hall was improvised — made of green branches

74 la., i, p. 265.
i^Ibid, p. 265.

[105]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
entirely, and having within its green folds one of the finest
festive boards I ever sat down at. All was gladness, anima
tion, health, and life. Every one seemed rejoiced to see us, and
I can assure you, that the fatigues of the journey were quickly
forgotten and amply repaid by the hearty welcome and smiling
faces around us. The dining hall was one hundred and twenty
feet long. The guests, including nearly thirty ladies, numbered
about one hundred and fifty. * * * The day was flnished
-with a ball, given by our officers in an unfinished school house. 76
Mrs. Lyon's Services
Although the women of the North were much appre
ciated in the army on social occasions, they were in the
South for far more important tasks — as home-makers,
nurses, and mothers to whole regiments. In these duties
they showed their seriousness of purpose. Mrs. W. P.
Lyon was one of these women. Her husband was Colonel
first of the Eighth, later of the Thirteenth Regiment. Al
though she was only a young woman at this time, the men
of the regiment who did not call her "mother" spoke of her
as the regiment's angel, for she spent her days in -risiting
and cheering the sick in hospitals, in preparing dainties to
tempt their appetites, and in writing letters to their dear
ones at home. There was probably not a member of the
regiment who would not have risked his life to shield his
good friend from danger. The following anecdote, re
corded in a Wisconsin newspaper, shows why the soldiers
almost worshipped Mrs. Lyon:
One night, ifijie saw a soldier carrying a rail as a punishment.
"How much longer must you carry that heavy thing?"
"Until morning, Madam."

76 Id., ix, p. 317.
[io6:

WITH THE REGIMENTS
"'When did you eat last?"
"This morning, and can't eat again until tomorrow." The
little woman returned to the Colonel's tent and begged him to
pardon the poor fellow, and let him get something to eat.
"I can't do that, my dear, but this I will do. You get up a
good supper for him, and I will carry his rail while he eats,"
which was accordingly done, to the great satisfaction of Mrs.
Lyon and the soldier. 77
Deaths of Women in the Army
Several of the Wisconsin women who went South died
there, far from their homes. The soldiers, writing about
these deaths, seemed to feel in each case, that the woman's
life was the price of her devotion to her husband. Refer
ring to the death of a young sergeant's wife, one corre
spondent says: "At the time of her death, they had only
been married about five months, and the heroic young ¦wife
had left all the luxuries of a Wisconsin fireside to share
the toils and privations of a camp life with her husband in
Virginia. ' ' ^* Another soldier writes :
The wife of Sergeant Williams of Company I, Seventh Regi
ment, died in camp of typhoid fever. * * * She was sick but
eight days. The camp of the soldier is no place for a woman,
either to live or die in. Patriotism and love for her kindred may
induce a woman to surrender the comforts and quiet of home
for the privations and hardships of the camp; but it is no place
for her, and in nine cases out of ten, she will be more an incon
venience than an advantage, either as a nurse or a laundress. 79

77 Janesville Gazette, April 18, 1910.
78 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, iii, p. 247.
79 Id., ii, p. 1.

[107]

Chapter VII
Hospitals and Nurses
The provision made by the Govemment for the comfort
and health of the soldiers was anything but satisfactory
at the outbreak of the war. The country was unprepared
for the emergencies of warfare; so much unnecessary mis
ery and suffering ensued, especially during the first two
years of the war.
The volunteers started off in cheerful spirits, ¦with sound
bodies, ready to endure all necessary inconveniences for
the sake of their country. Their patriotism was, however,
severely tried at the start, for "they were crowded into
cars like beasts, with empty haversacks." Only occasion
ally were they given food and coffee as they passed through
the various to^wns "en route." Yet worse was the recep
tion they met when they reached their destination. They
had often to stand for hours in the broiling sunshine or in
the drenching rain, while quartermasters and commissaries
leamed their duties. The result was, that the volunteers
reached camp utterly disgusted with their surroundings
and rations ; while many fell easy prey to disease. ^"
Early Hospitals
The early hospital arrangements were almost as bad as
the faciUties for transportation; the buildings were not

80 Livermore, p. 123.
[io8]

HOSPITALS AND NURSES
suitable, and there was an alarming dearth of suppUes in
every department. A letter from a Wisconsin volunteer,
written in November, 1861, confirms these reports:
As yet we have done little fighting, but have lost a large num
ber of men. They are dying daily in the camps and hospitals,
from pneumonia, dysentery, and camp diseases, caused by severe
colds, exposure, and lack of proper food when ill. * * * por
two days and nights there was a very severe storm, to which
we were exposed all the time, wearing shoddy uniforms and
protected only by shoddy blankets, and the result was a fright
ful sickness.
Our hospitals are so bad that the men fight against being sent
to them, * * * I really believe, they are more comfortable
and better cared for in camp with their comrades, than in hos
pitals. The food is the same in both places, and the medical
treatment the same, if there is any. In the hospital the sick
men lie on rotten straw; in the camp we provide clean hemlock
or pine boughs, with the stems cut out, or husks when we can
jerk them from a secesh cornfield.
We need beds and bedding, hospital clothing and sick diet,
proper medicines, surgical instruments, and good nurses — and
then a decent building or a good hospital tent for the accom
modation of the sick. I suppose we shall have them, when the
Government can get around to it, and in the meantime we try
to be patient. 8i
Another soldier ¦writes in December, 1862, "One could
not expect all members of a great army to enjoy all the
comforts of home, but the gross neglect with which sick
men are treated is enough to horrify a person of common
sensibUities. " ^^

31 Ibid, pp. 126, 127.
82 Corres, Wis. Vdlunteers, iil, p. 147.

[109]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
Women as Nurses
Not only were hospitals in need of improvement, but the
nursing staff at first was inadequate to the demand. Whep
this became known, numbers of women, many without
knowledge, experience, or known fitness for the vocation,
offered themselves for ser^vice. Fortunately there was one
woman whose experience and temperament fitted her to
organize and direct the work of nurses in the United States.
Dorothea Dix was early appointed superintendent of women
nurses by the Secretary of War; her duties being "to select
and appoint women as nurses and to assign them to the
general or permanent military hospitals." Without her
sanction and approval, no woman could enter such hospi
tals as a nurse, except in cases of emergency. *^
In October, 1863, additional regulations were adopted,
placing more authority in the hands of Miss Dix and lim
iting to thirty the number of beds one nurse could be placed
hi charge of. Opposed by Surgeons
When women first offered their services to the Govem
ment as nurses, they had much to contend ¦with, for few
hospital surgeons were in favor of their employment. After
the Govemment had decided to utilize them, the surgeons
were unable to close the hospitals against them, but they
could and did make their lives almost unbearable ; it seems
that their behavior was based on the cool calculation as to

88 Tarbell, "American Women," in American Magazine, Ixix,
pp. 802, 806; Rebellion Records, Serial 124, p. 943.
[no]

HOSPITALS AND NURSES
how much Ul-mannered opposition would be requisite to
break up the system. One of the nurses said :
Some of the bravest women I have ever known, were among
this first company of army nurses. They saw at once the posi
tion of affairs, the attitude assumed by the surgeons', and the
wall against which they were expected to break and scatter; and
they set themselves to work to undermine the whole thing.
None of them were strong minded. Some of them were women
of the truest refinement and culture; and day after day they
quietly and patiently worked, doing by orders of the surgeons,
things which not one of those gentlemen would have dared ask
of a woman, whose male relative stood able and ready to defend
her and report him. I have seen small white hands scrubbing
floors, washing windows, and performing all menial offices. I
have known women, delicately cared for at home, half fed in
hospitals, hard worked day and night and given, when sleep
must be had, a wretched closet, just large enough for a camp bed.
to stand in. 84
Surgeons often arranged all the details of their work
with the avowed intention of dri^ving out the women. Thus
did "professional etiquette put its cold paw on private
benevolence. ' ' *" The nurses endured such treatment be
cause they were pioneers, and had the satisfaction of see
ing the sick and dying men comforted in their weary and
final hours. At last surgeons began to see that the lives
saved by these women reflected credit upon themselves,
and that their resistance to their employment was unmanly.

84 Georgeanna W. Bacon and Eliza W. Howland, Letters of
a 'Family during the War for the Union (privately printed, 1899),.
i, pp. 142, 143.
85l6id, p. 145.

[Ill]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
Wisconsin Nurses
Among Wisconsin nurses was a Miss Hadley, who began
her work after the battle of Fort Donelson, and continued
it on a floating hospital at Pittsburg Landing. In April,
1862, while on the boat, she ¦wrote :
I was awakened on the sabbath morning by the roar of can
non and musketry, and in a few moments the operations of
my toilet were accelerated double-quick by the groans of the
wounded. The log-cabin was speedily filled with bleeding, suf
fering humanity, and Mrs. Turner and myself soon realized,
though not for the first time, that women have a more serious
mission than haranguing public assemblies, and with all their
wrongs a few rights perhaps. It was: "Oh! Mrs. T., Oh! Miss H.
How glad we are you are here" — and as one and another blood
stained countenance brightened at our approach, we thanked
heaven we were here. So through the dreadful days we soothed
and encouraged, hoped and prayed, for the enemy's shells burst
within twenty yards of our boat. I was as calm as at this
moment, and never doubted we should whip them at last. I
fear I horrify you, but I do not think I have grown hard
hearted, though I can now write of scenes from which I should
once have run with closed eyes, se
Another vi^vid description of the horrors on board a hos
pital ship was written in 1862, by W. E. Wording of
Racine, member of the Wisconsin Sanitary Commission,
whose wife was unceasing in her devotion to the sick. ' ' No
pen or brush or human tongue can paint the loathsome hor
rors, now ¦risible on our boat. In spite of aU that can be
done by physicians and their attendants, the dying and
the dead, the delirious and the convalescing, all mingled
together, the groans, the gasping sufferers, and the intol-

86 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, r, p. 233.
[112]

HOSPITALS AND NURSES
erable stench, all combine to make up a picture of human
woe, that no human art can realize, no human imagination
conceive. ' ' *^
Among the few Wisconsin nurses now living, is Mrs. Su
sannah Van Valkenburg of Oshkosh; she is a type of the
independent nurse, who did such effective work in Southern
hospitals. In 1863 she went ¦with her husband to Alexan
dria, Virginia, where she remained for seven months. Be
ing a woman of warm impulses and strong sympathies, and
withal physically and temperamentally fitted for the task,
she accomplished much during her short stay at the front.
Her first experience was at the Wolf Street hospital, where
the pitiful scenes affected her very much at first, but she
wiped away her tears and walked over to a cot where a boy
lay, seemingly unconscious. Touching his forehead she
said: "Do you know that I have come aU the way from
Wisconsin to care for sick and wounded soldiers like your
self ? WiU you not look up and speak to me ? I will try
to fill a mother's or a sister's place, if you will allow me
to." He looked up, saying slowly as if dazed, "WiU you?"
' ' Try me and see. Your nurse tells me, that you have not
tasted food for three days. Think of what you would have
asked your mother or sister for, and, if possible, I wiU
get it for you." With an indescribable look of joy on his
face the boy answered, "Can you make biscuits, like my
mother used to make?" She assured him that she could,
if the surgeon consented. That official looked at her in
amazement, but answered: "Give him what he wants;
he cannot live," whereupon the biscuits were made. On

87i6id, p. 270.
8 [ii;

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
the nurse's way back to the hospital, she passed one of
Alexandria's beautiful residences; to its owner she applied
for a jar of jelly. "Sparkling eyes and an eager smile"
wreathed the suffering face, as she appeared -with the
¦wished-f or dainties ; the memory of the satisfaction she had
afforded the sick boy never left her. From that very day
the boy began to improve, and as he grew stronger, he used
to creep to the window to watch for the pleasant-faced
woman, as she was called by the inmates of the hospital.'*
After Mrs. Van Valkenburg had been at Wolf Street
hospital a short time, the superintendent of the United
States Christian Commission learned of her gratuitous la
bors ; he offered to place the supplies in the custody of that
organization at her disposal ; this pri-rilege she availed her
self of very often. In January, 1864, she was transferred
to King Street hospital, where she remained until illness
forced her to give up her work. At the latter hospital she
was allowed to enter the wards at all hours of the day and
night ; a privilege she often made use of, for in May, 1864,
a number of wounded soldiers were brought' in, who sadly
needed her constant care. At one time she solicited from
Battery A a sum of money, which she expended in bujdng
lemons and sugar, with which she made lemonade in two
large camp-kettles. Nearly every hospital in Alexandria
received its share, and the gratitude of the soldiers for the
cooling drink was touching. Through the generosity of a
wealthy woman who had seen her trudging back and forth
to the hospital, laden -with supplies, she was enabled to

88 Grand Army Publishing Company, Soldiers' and Citizens'
Album of Biographical Record, Wisconsin (Chicago, 1888), i, p.
647.
[114]

HOSPITALS AND NURSES
serve the boys with soup ; on the days designated Mrs. Van
Valkenburg and four boys in blue who helped her, received
two large camp-boilers of soup for the sick soldiers.
But the acti^rities of this helpful woman were not con
fined to hospitals alone; she made the small cottage her
husband had built in Battery B, a social center for the
soldier boys, who ran in and out as though it was their
home, and she their mother. So comfortable was the little
cottage, that the captain of the Commission brought a Mas
sachusetts officer to see ' ' what a home a Wisconsin woman
could make in a soldier's camp." Yet it was only a room
twelve feet square and built of the plainest materials. '*
At entertainments and in the various churches she took an
active part in the singing. She used also to write letters
for the soldiers, conveying the last message of the dying, or
inquiring if the keepsakes of the dead soldier had reached
their proper destination; if they had been kept back for
any reason, Mrs. Van Valkenburg made it her duty to re
port the matter, and force the guilty person to give up the
articles. As a type of strong, sane womanhood, and of ¦rigorous,
unselfish service, Mrs. Van Valkenburg should be regarded
as one of the first in the list of Wisconsin women of the
Civil War period.
Occasionally a Wisconsin woman served as hospital
matron; a news item from Camp Randall states that the
wife of the orderly to the colonel of the Eighth Regiment
was to go with her husband in that capacity. '"
July 1, 1864, the wages of hospital matrons were increased

89 i&id, p. 647.
»o Corres. Wis. Volunteers, ii, p. 6.
[115]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
to ten dollars a month and rations. "^ When the responsi
bility and difficulty of such a position is considered, the
compensation seems almost ridiculously inadequate.
Sanitary Agents
Another phase of women's work in the hospitals was the
distribution of sanitary suppUes. For this purpose sev
eral Wisconsin women then living in Washington were
appointed. The experience of one of these agents in Oc
tober, 1862, throws much light upon hospital condi
tions. The camp which she visited, contained 16,000 men.
These merely existed under the terrible conditions they
were subjected to; 1,000 of these soldiers had no shirts,
many were ill with typhoid fever, and were lying in the
sand and dirt with no pillows under their heads. Hun
dreds of the "poor filthy fellows" followed her, which
made it necessary to have a guard to clear the way. In
relating her experiences of those dreadful days, she says:
I went to the sanitary room and took some three hundred
shirts, two hundred pillows, crackers, fruit, condensed milk,
blankets, etc. One poor man from Wisconsin, the most like a
living skeleton I ever saw, to whom I gave a blanket, being a
little delirious, kept repeating to himself and to others, "Have
not got to shiver tonight," over and over again. I came home
determined to do something for them and went to Mr. and Mrs.
L., to the surgeon-general, and to the medical purveyor; and yes
terday I visited most of the committees to get all I could, and
today I go out with a number of distributors. I gathered enough
to take four wagons, besides half a boat-load, and sixteen per
sons for distributors when there. I have just been out with
my ambulance and bought seven barrels of onions, ten of pota-

91 RebeUion Records, Serial 125, p. 512.
[ii6]

HOSPITALS AND NURSES
toes, twelve hundred shirts, one thousand sheets, two hun
dred drawers, four hundred pants, six barrels of dried fruit,
twelve pairs of crutches, five hundred pillows and cases, seventy
quilts, one hundred pounds of condensed beef, sixty cans of beef
soup, and eighty cushions for wounded limbs, etc. But this
among so many is but very little. * * *
Oh! such scenes, such tears, such expressions of gratitude — ¦
it was enough to break my heart. * * * Multitudes thronged
around, begging for things. I told them I would give them all
something if they would keep off. But, O, such pleading and
begging, "Please, madam, give me a shirt, I have not had one
in two months." "Please give me a pair of socks or shoes, I have
not had any these four months, and you can see how sore and
swollen my feet are." They stood four deep, two lines each side
of me full four rods long, just as close as possible. * * * i
first ascertained by the aid of the officer of the day, who had no
shirts and gave to them first and then to others, as discreetly
as I could. We then opened the onions, some of them, and so
many begged and pleaded for one raw, we could find no place
to stop till two half barrels were given out. * * * But under
stand that after all that we gave * * * only the sickest and a
few others were supplied. The mass are without beds, without
even straw to lie on, nor even grass, the ground being trampled
on by so great a crowd, eighteen thousand. * * * The second one
I spoke to in the hospital was from Wisconsin, and O, how his
eye brightened, as I said "These things came from your own
home." 92
Thus it may be seen, that Wisconsin women did their
full share of work in the South, as nurses, matrons, and
sanitary agents. It was also largely due to their efforts
and to those of other Northern women, that the hospitals
were made places of comfort and cheer, instead of being
unclean, unsanitary holes, unfit for human beings to oc
cupy.

92 Corres, Wis. Volunteers, ii, p. 319.
[117]

Chapter VIII
JVIrs. Cordelia A. P. Harvey
Among the women whom the Civil War brought to the
front as leaders, such as Louisa Lee Schuyler, Dorothea
Dix, and Anna Dickinson, Mrs. Cordelia A. Perrine Harvey
from Wisconsin, deserves a place. In some respects she
was a national figure, one of the great army-nurses whose
work was not limited by state lines.
Early Life
The early life of this remarkable woman did not differ
from that of other Wisconsin women of her day, who spent
their lives in small towns, busy with the daily routine.
She lived for many years in Kenosha, where her father's
family, the Perrines, were prominent in the decade of the
forties. There she taught school, and there she was married
to a school-teacher, Louis P. Harvey. In 1845, the young
couple moved to Clinton Junction where Mr. Harvey kept
a country store. Thence they removed their home to Sho-
piere in Rock County, where they remained until 1859,
when Mr. Harvey's election as Secretary of State made
his presence in Madison necessary. Mr. Harvey was a per
son of strong personality and political sagacity, and in
1861 the people of Wisconsin elected him Governor. From
the day of the firing on Fort- Sumter both he and his "wife
showed a deep interest in the Civil War. A company of
[ii8]

MRS. HARVEY
volunteers were named for the Governor, the "Harvey
Zouaves ; " to each of its members Mrs. Harvey presented a
Bible and a Testament ; with additional remembrances for
the officers. '
In the busy days which foUowed the first call for troops,
Mrs. Harvey entered with enthusiasm into work for the
soldiers and their famUies. She was enabled to give her
time, because she and her husband were boarding' and she
was not cumbered with household duties.
Governor Harvey's Death
Governor Harvey went to the South in the spring of
1862 in order to learn whether the sick and wounded Wis
consin men were well cared for. He stopped at Cairo,
Mound City, and Paducah, in each case making -risits to
hospitals, where the sick of Wisconsin regiments were lo
cated. The Governor's deep sympathy is shown by the
f oUo'wing comment in one of the reports from the front :
It would have moved a heart of stone to witness the interviews
between the Governor and our wounded heroes. There was some
thing more than formality about these visits, and the men knew
it by sure instinct. 93
At Pittsburg Landing the same was even more evident:
The news of the Governor's arrival spread as if by magic, and
at every house those who could stand clustered around him,
and those who had not raised their heads for days, sat up, their
faces aglow with gratitude for the kind looks, ^.nd words and
acts, which showed the Governor's tender care of them. At
times these scenes were so affecting, that even the Governor's
self-control failed him, and he could not trust himself to talk.

93 Id,, V, pp. 236, 237.
[119]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
When he had done everything in his power for the Wis
consin men, he went to Savannah, seven miles away, his
heart filled ¦with well-earned satisfaction as a result of his
labors. From there he wrote to his ¦wife : "Yesterday was
the day of my life. Thank God for the impulse, that
brought me here. I am well, and have done more good by
coming, than I can well tell you. ' ' °*
At Savannah, Tennessee, as he was about to pass from
one boat to another, his foot slipped, and he feU into the
water and was dro^wned, before help could be secured.
While this tragic event was taking place, his ¦wife, totaUy
unconscious of the shocking incident, was busily engaged
in collecting money for the relief of soldiers' families.
When the dispatch containing the distressing news was re
ceived by Adjutant-General Gaylord, Mrs. Harvey was at
the capitol, securing subscriptions in order to aid a desti
tute family in the city. An attempt was made to get her
to her boarding house, before the contents of the dispatch
were made kno'wn, but Mrs. Harvey understood at once,
by the faces of the men present, that some bad news had
been received. Her friends tried to accompany her home,
and Mr. Gaylord told her that a rumor had been received,
which gave him some anxiety in regard to the Governor.
While they were attempting to conceal the full extent of
the calamity, she stopped and said, "Tell me if he is
dead!" Mr. Gaylord evaded a direct reply, but she read
the fatal news in the expression of his face and fainted.
She was taken home, where for a short time her grief un
settled her mind. °°

94 Tuttle, p. 700.
96 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, v, pp. 237, 238.
[I20]

MRS. HARVEY
She was not a woman to spend her life in mourning,
however, and when the intensity of her grief had somewhat
lessened, she began to ask herself what her duties in Ufe
were to be. While in this state of mind, she came to reaUze
the whole import of her husband's character, of which his
last letter to her was but an index. This feeling took such
a strong possession of her, that a settled conviction pos
sessed her that her duty in life was to finish the work
which he had left undone. "" With a woman of her tem
perament, to will was to act. She soon therefore began to
inquire where and how she eould be most helpful to Wis
consin soldiers.
An extract from a letter of Judge Howe, dated August
27, 1862, shows what plans her friends made for her : "^
Mrs. Harvey is visiting us. You can imagine something how
she suffers from the loss of her husband. Her friends desire
that she should find employment with which to occupy her mind.
But what employment can a woman find? She is urged to try
a school for young ladies, but she fears the derangement of the
times will forbid success, and so do I. She has thought of a
hospital, but you know General Hammond is taking them
under his own care exclusively, and her strength will not warrant
her in contracting for day labor.
This morning I suggested to her the idea of being appointed
allotment commissioner in place of Mr. Holton. It pleases
her. It is a kind of missionary labor, to which she is fully
equal, and in which she will be, I am confident, very success
ful. I know no one more energetic than she is in what
ever interests her. You know how deeply she has interested her
self in the welfare of the army. She could plead the cause of a
soldier's family to the soldier himself, I think, with great effect.

96 Tuttle, p. 700.
97 Ms. letter of Judge Howe to Judge Doolittle (Green Bay,
Aug. 27, 1862).
[121]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
The duties of an allotment commissioner were to ¦risit
the different companies in order to ascertain what pro
portion of the soldier's wages he would send home in
monthly or other installments. This money was to be
placed at the disposal of the families of the volunteers.
Considering the soldier's temptation, this system was a
very useful one ; it apportioned part of his pay by his o^wn
act, in order to support his family. '*
Sanitary Agent
This was not, however- to be her work. September 10,
1862, Governor Salomon appointed her sanitary agent at
St. Louis, and for the succeeding four years she rendered
acceptable service in the Southland for Wisconsin
soldiers. '"
It will be easier to understand the secret of her success
in the South, if we realize what manner of woman she
was. From all accounts she was not beautiful, although
possessed of a strong, magnetic personality, and delight
fully frank, yet chE^rming manners. Her tact was unusual,
therefore she succeeded in accomplishing things in which
other people failed. United with this tact was an in
domitable will and an untiring persistence. With such
characteristics it might be imagined that she lacked in
tenderness and sympathy. Such was not the case, how
ever; her motherly heart and sympathetic nature caused
the men to call her the "Wisconsin Angel." United to
these qualities of character and temperament was her ex
perience in social affairs ; she knew how to approach those

98 Corres, Wis. Volunteers, v, p. 247.
99 Quiner, p. 126.
[ 122]

MRS. HARVEY
in high official positions as well as the humblest private.
Withal, she had a fine sense of humor, a fund of homely
common sense, and a deep religious feeling, which ex
pressed itself in deeds rather than in words. She was al
ways modest and often said that every patriotic woman
in Wisconsin deserved as much praise as she. In short,
she was an extremely human, lovable person, of the high
est type of womanhood, unselfish, unconsciously great, and
Wisconsin can forever be proud of having the honor to
claim her as its daughter.
Early in the fall of 1862, Mrs. Harvey went to St. Louis
as sanitary agent. Timidly and carefully she felt her way,
at first seeking to comprehend the necessities of the situa
tion, for other intelligent and worthy women had failed
when attempting what she was assigned to undertake. ^
She found the medical department poorly organized, and
hampered by many incompetent surgeons. Although she
realized the delicacy of the situation she was firm in her
opinion that conditions must be radically changed, even if
the sacred red-tape of government rules had to be eut.
She began by visiting hospitals, in order that she might
find out where improvements were most needed. She
stayed for several weary weeks at St. Louis, where she
visited the hospitals at Benton Barracks and Fifth Street;
these were crowded with men from the camps and battle
fields of Missouri and Tennessee.
At Cape Girardeau
Afterwards Mrs. Harvey proceeded to Cape Girardeau,
where hospitals were being improvised for the immediate

1 Love, p. 1045. [ 123 ]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
use of the sick and dying, then being brought in from the
swamps by the retuming regiments, and up the rivers
in closely-crowded hospital boats. These hospitals were
mere sheds filled with cots, side by side ; so close, there was
scarcely room for a person to pass between them. Mrs.
Harvey describes their conditions as foUows:
Pneumonia, typhoid, and camp fevers, and that fearful scourge
of the Southern swamps and rivers, chronic diarrhoea, occupied
every bed. A surgeon once said to me, "There is nothing else
there; here I see pneumonia, and there fever, and on that cot
another disease, and I see nothing else! You had better stay
away; the air is full of contagion; and contagion and sympathy
do not go well together."
One day a woman passed through these uncomfortable, ill-
ventilated, hot, unclean, infected, wretched rooms; and she saw
something else there. A hand reached out and clutched her
dress. One caught her shawl and kissed it, another her hand,
and pressed it to his fevered cheek; another in wild delirium
cried, "I want to go home! I want to go home! Lady! Lady!
Take me in your chariot; take me away!" * * *
This woman failed to see on these cots aught but the human
[beings] they were to her; the sons, brothers, husbands, and
fathers of anxious weeping ones at home, and as such she cared
for, and thought of them. Arm in arm with health, she visited
day by day every sufferer's cot, doing, it is true, very little,
but always taking with her from the outside world fresh air,
fresh flowers, and all the hope and comfort she could find in her
heart to give them. 2
Although Mrs. Harvey speaks thus modestly of her
labors at Cape Girardeau, her work there was reaUy heroic,
for the conditions with which she had to contend were
more distressing than can be described. In the intensely

2 Ms. lecture by Mrs. Harvey, loaned to the author by Mrs.
James Selkirk of Clinton.
[124]

MRS. HARVEY
warm climate, contagious diseases flourished. Mrs. Harvey
.found on her arrival that the body of a dead soldier had
lain for hours unattended to, because those in charge were
afraid to touch it. But Mrs. Harvey was not afraid; with
her own hands she bound up the face, and encouraged
by her coolness the burial party was induced to coffin
the body and remove it from the house. '
Secures Reforms
Worse than aU was the fact that the sick and wounded
had nothing to subsist on but the common army rations.
One of Mrs. Harvey's first acts was to telegraph to the
president of the Western Sanitary Commission for hos
pital stores; such were sent immediately to her in liberal
measure. * Soon after retuming to St. Louis, Mrs. Harvey
came back to Wisconsin, where she did much to arouse en
thusiasm among the women and to give direction to their
work. In October she again revisted the hospitals, where
she did all in her power to comfort the soldiers by writ
ing to their friends and procuring discharges for those who
were unfit for ser-rice. She retumed to St. Louis on No
vember 1, when the surgeon in charge of the hospitals
wrote to Governor Salomon, commending her efforts. Dur
ing the same month General Curtis gave her permission
to visit all the hospitals in his command, and he sent orders
to quartermasters and transportation companies to afford
her and her sanitary articles free transmission. So she
started on a tour of inspection, which embraced aU the
general hospitals on the Mississippi River as well as the

» Brockett, p. 263.
*Ibid, p. 264.
[125]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
regimental hospitals for Wisconsin soldiers. On this tour
she visited those at Helena, St. Louis, RoUa, Ironton, and
Memphis. ^
While on a steamer from Cape Girardeau to Helena,
Mrs. Harvey heard a young major in the regular army
coolly remarked that it was much cheaper for the Govem
ment to keep her sick soldiers in hospitals on the river,
than to furlough them. Upon which she quietly remarked :
"That is true, Major, if all were faithful to the Government, but
unfortunately a majority of the surgeons in the army have con
scientious scruples, and verily believe it to be their duty to keep
these sick men alive as long as possible. * * * Don't you think,
sir, that it would be a trifle more economical to send these poor
fellows North for a few weeks, to regain their strength, that
they might return at once to active service?"
Mrs. Harvey was prevented from hearing the Major's
reply on account of the other officers' laughter. It seems
that the Major was the medical director at Helena, where
over 2,000 Northern soldiers lay buried. It was Mrs. Har
vey's opinion that two- thirds of these men might have
been saved if they had been sent North. Upon inquiry she
leamed from the surgeon in charge of the hospital that he
had several times made out certificates of disability in
order to secure furloughs for some of the men in his hospi
tal; but when these were sent to the medical director for
his signature, they had been invariably disapproved. He
had also permitted the men to submit their papers in per
son; only to have them severely reproved, and ordered
back by the director, "and," he continued ¦with tears in

6l6id, p. 264; Tuttle, p. 701.
[126]

MRS. HARVEY
his eyes, "many of them never returned, for broken
hearted, they have lain down by the roadside and died. ' ' °
Infiuence with Officials
Mrs. Harvey had one memorable experience in securing
the discharge of a sick boy. His mother had succeeded'
in getting her son as far as St. Louis, where his papers
were to be sent; but here she met with reverses, for the
papers sent to the medical director were improperly made
out, consequently his approval was not secured. The
broken-hearted mother told her story to Mrs. Harvey that
same night. She impulsively said, "Give me the papers,"
and off she went to the office of the medical director. ' ' He
was a man fully six feet high, over fifty years of age,
[¦with] a beard like Oliver CromweU's, a face as stern as
fate, and of the regular army." She entered his office,
seated herself and waited till he spoke to her. After a
curt question or two the general went on writing; finaUy
he turned and said: "May as well hear it now as ever,
what is it?" Whereupon Mrs. Harvey stated the case as
well as she could, interrupted only by the half-rude, half-
impatient remarks of the inspector. Finally he said, as
if in self-defense, "We have army regulations; we cannot
go behind them. You know, if I do, they wiU rap me
over the knuckles at Washington." To this the quick
witted, eamest little woman repUed, "Oh, that your
knuckles were mine. I would be wiUing to have them
skinned; the skin will grow again you know."
"Where are these papers?" he said sharply. "I have
them here in my pocket." "Let me see them." Mrs. Har-

« Harvey Ms., p. 3. [127]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
vey took them out slowly and handed them over to him,
blank side up. He turned them, and his face fiushed as
he said, "Why I have had these papers and disapproved
them. This is my signature." Tremblingly she replied,
"I knew it, but forgive me. I thought maybe when you
knew about it, General, and the mother was weeping ¦with
the skeleton arms of the boy around her neck — I thought
maybe you would do something or tell me something to
do." "Suppose I do approve these papers, it will do no
good. The general in command will stop them and cen
sure me." "But you ¦will have done all you could and
have obeyed the higher law."
She had won, for the remorseful man crossed out with
a firm stroke of his pen "disapproved," and wrote "ap
proved" upon the discharge, after which he said in a
quick, husky tone, "Take it, and don't you come here
again today." As Mrs. Harvey raised her eyes to thank
him, she saw a scowl on his brow, a smile on his lips, but
tears in his eyes. ''
Another story shows how Mrs. Harvey succeeded in se
curing the assistance she wanted. An erring bey of nine
teen had deserted from a Minnesota regiment; later he
had joined a Wisconsin regiment, from which he had been
honorably discharged after having been wounded in a
battle. In one of the lowest dens in St. Louis he had been
drugged, robbed, and left lying on a filthy mattress. There
he was found tossing from side to side, stricken by dis
ease and in a delirious condition. Mrs. Harvey soothed
him as best she could. Recognizing the hand of kindness
on his buming brow, he cried "Mother." After a touch-

Tlbid, pp. 4, 5.
[128]

MRS. HARVEY
ing scene she left, promising to retum in half an hour
and take him away. This was easier said than done; the
boy was at that time only a citizen and not a soldier, and
therefore he could not be admitted to a military hospital.
But he was dying, and in order to prevent his mother from
knowing that he had died in such a place, Mrs. Harvey
determined to make a desperate effort to get bim admitted
to the hospital.
So she went to her old friend the medical director, and
told her story, saying, "General, write an order quick to
the surgeon in charge of the Fifth Street hospital, that
the boy may be received. I also want an ambulance, mat
tress, and bedding, and some men to help me to move
him." "Yes, yes, but listen, I have no right; I can't do
it." "I know — I know, but please do hurry — ^I promised
to be back in half an hour, and the boy will expect me."
The General imitating her voice, gave the order and con
tinued, "Here is the paper; what else do you want?
Henceforth we do what you wish and no questions asked.
It is the easiest way and I guess the only way to get along
with you. ' ' ^ At Memphis
Early in February, 1863, Mrs. Harvey went to Memphis^
from which place she sent a letter to the Governor of our
State urging him to establish a hospital at that place. Here
she also succeeded in procuring furloughs for men who
would otherwise have died. In fact, her infiuence was so
great that the poor and ignorant ones had a strange, al
most superstitious reverence for her as one who used her

8i6id, p. 6.
9 [129

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
great power for the good of the common soldier. * The
estimate formed of her authority by some of the more
ignorant class showed itself sometimes in a ludicrous man
ner. Por instance she received letters from homesick men,
begging her to give them a furlough in order to "visit their
families; even deserters and men confined in military
prisons, asked her to help them and set them at liberty,
promising her that they would reform. ^°
A Wisconsin soldier who had been left in a convalescent
camp at Memphis, gives a glimpse of Mrs. Harvey at her
labors. He saw her at the camp several times, carrying
fruits and "wine in a basket; he saw her also at the general
hospital, where she again carried her basket, full of
delicacies. When the soldiers heard she was in the room,
they used to raise themselves from their pillows and eaU
her the "Wisconsin Angel." Each Wisconsin soldier re
ceived a treat from the basket, and Mrs. Harvey was sorry
when she was unable to dispense her charity to all the
Union soldiers in the hospital.
There was a surgeon from Wisconsin at this same hospi
tal, who was pro^ving untrustworthy on account of his
fondness for drink; Mrs. Harvey was determined to have
him removed. She sent for him to come to see her and in
formed bim that she had ¦written to the authorities at
Madison, and that he was to leave at once, as he was unfit
for duty. ^^

9 Tuttle, p. 701.
10 Brockett, p. 265.
11 Ms. letter of G. H. Mclntyre (Portage. AprU 2, 1910).

[130]

MRS. HARVEY
Brings Sick Soldiers to the North
After "risiting Memphis, Mrs. Harvey inspected hospitals
at Corinth, Jackson, and La Grange. She met General
Grant at Vicksburg in March, 1863; here she succeeded
finally in securing from him an order that patients who
suffered from chronic dysentery should be sent to Northern
hospitals, and that the convalescent camp at Memphis
should be cleared out by discharging the men who were
unfit for service, and by sending others to their regiments ;
that medical inspectors should be appointed for every
army corps, and that they should have full power to dis
charge disabled men. ^^
Mrs. Harvey began her task at Memphis, where she
found 100 men in a convalescent camp at Fort Pickering.
These men could not live unless they were taken North.
She accompanied them up the river to Cairo; from there
they went by rail to St. Louis, where a transport awaited
them. In the meantime Mrs. Harvey had not only secured
transportation for them to Madison, but as they were
needy and had not been paid, she procured a change of
clothing for each one from the Western Sanitary Commis
sion. The experiment was a success, for out of the whole
number released from this camp only seven died. ^'
Inspects Hospitals
In the spring of 1863, General Grant was making his
approaches upon Vicksburg. At that time Young's Point,
across the river, was the Umit of uninterrupted navigation,

"Tuttle, p. 701.
13 Brockett, p. 266.
[131]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
and there much sickness existed caused by the high
water covering the low lands. About April 1, Mrs. Har
vey began her work at this point, but after a few "Weeks
she was overcome by the miasma, and was obUged to re
turn to the North, where after a few months of rest in
New York and Wisconsin, she recovered her health.^* It
was on her retum trip from the North that she ¦risited
Washington and obtained from President Lincoln per
mission to establish a hospital in Wisconsin for convales
cent soldiers. ^^
Returning to the South Mrs. Harvey again visited all of
the hospitals on the river, do^wn as far as New Orleans,
making Vicksburg the centre of her field of labor. Here
her presence was in itself a power for good, so great was
the reputation she had won in the army. Hospital officers
and attendants were especiaUy affected by her retum;
they knew how quickly she would find out and condemn
any delinquency on their part, and they acted accordingly.
During the summer of 1864, the garrison at Vicksburg suf
fered intensely from various diseases; the mortaUty was
especially great among the men of the Second Wisconsin
Cavalry. "Strong men sickened and died within a few
days, others lingered for weeks, wasting by degrees, till
only skin and bone were left. ^* The survivors, as evidence
of their appreciation of the services of Mrs. Harvey, pre
sented her ¦with an enameUed watch, set with diamonds.
She disliked a presentation ceremony, but covUd not avoid
it in this case; those present must have been astonished

14 Tuttle, p. 701.
16 See succeeding chapter.
16 Brockett, p. 267.
[ 132]

MRS. HARVEY
when observing the poor appearance she made in public.
For this woman, who was "resolute, impetuous, confident
to a degree, bordering on the imperious, with power of
denunciation to equip an orator," seemed to lose all her
power of effective speech on this occasion, and to be quite
overcome by her feelings.
Although Mrs. Harvey was the sanitary agent for Wis
consin, she paid little regard to state lines, and her work
may truly be regarded as national. Wisconsin citizens con
sider her as the highest embodiment of womanly helpful
ness and virtue which our State produced during the CivU
War period.

[133]

Chapter IX
Mrs. Harvey's Interview with Lincoln
Throughout Mrs. Harvey's narrative of her experiences
in the early years of the war, runs a thread of criticism
of existing conditions, especiaUy of that military regula
tion which kept sick soldiers in Southem hospitals instead
of sending them North, where the bracing atmosphere
might restore them to health. To her the idea of military
hospitals in the North seemed eminently practicable, and
she could see no reason why the authorities should oppose
such a project. She was not the only one who tried to
secure such an arrangement; Governor Salomon had from
the beginning of his term of office done everything in his
power to further this matter, , but his efforts were of no
avail. ^'' Finally Mrs. Harvey and Mrs. Eliza Porter pro
posed to Senator Howe that he draw up a petition pray
ing for the estabUshment of such hospitals. This was
done, and through the efforts of these two women and other
friends of the enterprise, eight thousand signatures were
secured. ^' It was then proposed that Mrs. Porter should
take the petition to Washington, for as Mrs. Harvey said :
By sending it * =* * by this officer and that one, we began to
feel that the message lost the flavor of the truth and got cold,

17 Quiner, p. 158.
18 Brockett, p. 164.
[134]

MRS. HARVEY AND LINCOLN
before it reached the deciding power, and because it was so luke
warm, he spued it out of his mouth. It is always best, if yon
wish to secure an object * * * to go at once to the highest power,
be your own petitioner, in temporal as in spiritual matters,
officiate at your own altar, be your own priest.i9
Seeing the President
Mrs. Porter having refused to be the bearer of the
petition, Mrs. Harvey went instead :
By the advice of friends, and with the intense feeling that
something must be done I went to Washington. I entered the
"White House, not with fear and trembling, but strong and self
possessed, fully conscious of the righteousness of my mission.
********
"When I flrst saw him [President Lincoln] his head was bent
forward, his chin resting on his breast, and in his hand a letter,
which I had just sent in to him. He raised his eyes, saying,
"Mrs. Harvey." I hastened forward, and replied, "Yes, and I
am glad to see you, Mr. Lincoln!" So much for Republican pre
sentation and ceremony. The President took my hand, hoped I
was well, but there was no smile of welcome on his face. It was
rather the stern look of the judge, who had decided against me.
His face was peculiar — bone, nerve, vein, and muscle were all
so plainly seen; deep lines of thought and care were around his
mouth and eyes. The word justice came into my mind, as
though I could read it upon his face — I mean, that extended
sense of the word, that comprehends the practice of every vir
tue which reason prescribes and society should expect. The
debt we owe to God, to man, to ourselves, when paid is but a
simple act of justice, a duty performed. This attribute seemed
the source of Mr. Lincoln's strength.
After he had read the paper introducing Mrs. Harvey

19 Harvey Ms., pp. 7, 8.
[135]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
and her mission, he looked at her ¦with a good deal of sad
severity and said:
"Madam, this matter of Northern hospitals has been talked ot
a great deal, and I thought it was settled; but it seems not.
What have you got to say about it?" "Only this, Mr. Lincoln,
that many soldiers in our Western army, on the Mississippi
River, must have Northern air or die. There are thousands of
graves all along our Southern rivers, and in the swamps, for
which the Government is responsible; ignorantly, undoubtedly,
but this ignorance must not continue. If you will permit these
men to come North, you will have ten men where you have one
now. The President could not comprehend this forceful ar
gument ; he could not understand that by sending one sick
man to the North, this North would produce in a year ten
healthy men. Mrs. Harvey made her point clear, but Lin
coln answered: "Yes, yes, I understand you; but if they
are sent North, they will desert; where is the difference?"
"Dead men cannot fight, and they may not desert," she
answered. Interview with Stanton
Thus the war of argument ran on, Mrs. Harvey valiantly
defending her position, the President attacking it. FinaUy
both parties to the debate realized that they had reached
A deadlock, and Mr. Lincoln said: "WeU, well, Mrs. Har
vey, you go and see the Secretary of War and talk ¦with
him, and hear what he has to say."
I left him for the War Department. I found written on the
back of the letter these words, "Admit Mrs. Harvey at once;
listen to what she says; she is a lady of intelligence and talks
sense. A. Lincoln."
[136]

MRS. HARVEY AND LINCOLN
Not displeased with this introduction Mrs. Harvey went
to see the Secretary of War, who informed her that he
had sent the Surgeon-General to New Orleans on a tour
of hospital inspection. Mrs. Harvey knew that this pro
cedure would practically have no effect on existing con
ditions, whereupon she replied, "The truth is, the medi
cal authorities know the heads of departments do not -wish
hospitals established so far away from army Unes, and re
port accordingly. I wish this could be overruled; can
nothing be done?" "Nothing until the Surgeon-General
retums," Mr. Stanton replied. So the valiant woman left
him, not at all disappointed "with her day's work, because
she felt that she had made a deep impression on both these
eamest and conscientious men, and could afford "to wait
for the result of her inter-views. On that memorable day
she met a friend in the street, who said to her, "How long
are you going to stay here?" "Until I get what I came
after." "That's right, that's right; go on; I beUeve in
the final perseverance of the saints."
The President Unconvinced
The next morning she returned to the White House fuU
of hope, but no smile greeted her. The President had been
annoyed and worried by a woman pleading for the life
of her son, and was not the genial, open-minded man he
had been the night before. Mrs. Harvey relates her in
terview as follows:
After a moment he said, "Well," with a peculiar contortion of
the face, I never saw in any one else. I replied, "Well," and he
looked at me a little astonished, I fancied, and said, "Have you
nothing to say?" "Nothing, Mr. President, until I hear your
decision. You bade me come this moming; have you decided?"
[ 137 ]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
"No, but I believe this idea of Northern hospitals is a great
humbug, and I am tired of hearing about it." He spoke im
patiently. I replied, "I regret to add a feather's weight to your
already overwhelming care and responsibility. I would rather
have stayed at home." With a kind of half smile, he said, "I
wish you had." I answered him as though he had not smiled,
"Nothing would have given me greater pleasure; but a keen sense
of duty to this Government, justice and mercy to its most loyal
supporters, and regard for your honor and position made me come.
The people cannot understand why their friends are left to die,
when with proper care they might live and do good service for
their country. * * *
"Many on their cots, faint, sick and dying say, "We would
gladly do more, but suppose that it is all right.' I know that
the majority of them would live and be strong men again, if
they could be sent North. I say, I know, because I was sick
among them last spring; surrounded by every comfort, with the
best of care, and determined to get well. I grew weaker, day by
day, until not being under military law, my friends brought
me North. I recovered entirely, simply by breathing the North
ern air."
While I was speaking the expression of Mr. Lincoln's face had
changed many times. He had never taken his eyes from me.
Now every muscle of his face seemed to contract, and then sud
denly expand. As he opened his mouth, you could almost hear
them snap, as he said, "You assume to know more than I do,"
and closed his mouth as though he never expected to open it
again, sort of slammed it to; I could scarcely reply. I was hurt
and thought the tears would come, but rallied in a moment
and said, "You must pardon me, Mr. President, I intend no dis
respect, but it is because of this knowledge — ^because I do know,
what you do not know, that I come to you. If you knew what I
do, and had not ordered what I ask for, I should know that an
appeal to you would, be vain; but I believe that the people have
not trusted you for naught. The question only is, whether you
believe me or not. If you believe me, you will give me hospitals;
[138]

MRS. HARVEY AND LINCOLN
if not, not." With the same snapping of muscle, he again said,
"You assume to know more than surgeons do."
To this Mrs. Harvey repUed, that the medical authori
ties knew that Lincoln was opposed to estabUshing hospi
tals in the North, and that they reported so as to please
him, and she continued:
"I come to you from no casual tour of inspection passing
rapidly through the general hospitals', * * * with a cigar in
my mouth, and a rattan in my hand, talking to the surgeon-in-
charge of the price of cotton, and abusing the generals in our
army for not knowing and performing their duty better, and
finally coming into the open air, with a long-drawn breath as
though they had jiist escaped suffocation, and complacently say
ing, 'You have a very fine hospital here; the boys seem to be do
ing very well, a little more attention to ventilation is perhaps
desirable.' "It is not thus I have visited hospitals; but from early morning
until late at night sometimes, I have visited the regimental and
general hospitals on the Mississippi River from Quincy to Vicks
burg, and I come to you from the cots of men who have died,
who might have lived had you permitted. This is hard to say,
but it is none the less true." During the time that I had been
speaking Mr. Lincoln's brow had become very much contracted,
and a severe scowl had settled over his whole face. He sharply
asked, how many men Wisconsin had in the field; that is, how
many did she send. I replied, "About fifty thousand, I think. I
do not know exactly." "That means, she has about twenty thou
sand now." He looked at me, and said, "You need not look so
sober, they are not all dead." I did not reply.
After some conversation of a more general nature Mrs.
Harvey left the President "with the understanding that she
would receive her answer at twelve the next day.

[139]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
Mrs. Harvey Successful
The next moming she arose with a terribly depressed
feeling that perhaps she would fail in her great mission.
She was nervous and impatient and found herself looking
at her watch, and wondering if twelve o 'clock would never
come. Finally she went to the White House, where she
was informed by a messenger that a cabinet meeting was
in session, and that she was to await the adjournment.
After three hours, during which she felt more and more
certain of defeat, Mr. Lincoln came into the room where
she was waiting. He came forward, rubbing his hands
and saying, "My dear Madam, I am very sorry to have
kept you waiting. We have but this moment adjourned."
She replied, "My waiting is no matter, but you must be
very tired, and we "will not talk tonight." But the Presi
dent asked her to sit do"wn and said, "Mrs. Harvey, I only
wish to tell you, that an order equivalent to granting a
hospital in your State has been issued nearly twenty-four
hours." Let Mrs. Harvey continue the story in her o"wn
words :
I could not speak, I was so entirely unprepared for it. I wept
for joy, I could not help it. Wlien I could speak I said, "God
bless you! I thank you in the name of thousands, who will bless
you for the act." * * * i was so much agitated, I could not
talk with him. He noticed it and commenced talking upon other
subjects * * *
I shortly after left with the promise to call next morning, as
he desired me to do at nine o'clock. I suppose the excitement
caused the intense suffering of that night. I was very ill, and
it was ten o'clock the next morning before I was able to send for
a carriage to keep my appointment with the President.
[140]

MRS. HARVEY AND LINCOLN
More than fifty people were in the waiting room, so
Mrs. Harvey turned to go; but a voice said, "Mrs. Har
vey, the President wiU see you now." As she passed
through the crowd, one person said, "She has been here
every day and what is more, she is going to win." Mr.
Lincoln greeted her cordially and gave her a copy of the
order he had just issued. She thanked him for it and
apologized to being late, whereupon he asked, "Did joy
make you sick?" to which she answered, "I don't know,
very likely it was the relaxation of nerve after intense
excitement. ' ' Still looking at her he said, ' ' I suppose you
would have been mad if I had said 'no'?" "No, Mr. Lin
coln, I should neither have been angry nor sick." "What
would you have done?" he asked curiously. "I should
have been here at nine o'clock, Mr. President." "Well,"
he laughingly said, "I think I acted "wisely then. Don't
you ever get angry?" he asked. "I know a little woman,
not very unlike you, who gets mad sometimes." Mrs.
Harvey answered, ' * I never get angry, when I have an ob
ject to gain of the importance of the one under considera
tion; to get angry, you know, would only weaken my
cause and destroy my influence." "That is true, that is
true," he said decidedly. "This hospital I shall name for
you." But Mrs. Harvey said modestly, "If you would
not consider the request indelicate, I would like to have
it named for Mr. Harvey." "Yes, just as well, it shall
be so understood, if you prefer it. I honored your husband
and felt his loss." After some further conversation Mr.
Lincoln looked at her from under his eyebrows and said,
"You almost think me handsome, don't you?" His face
then beamed with such kind benevolence, and was lighted
[141]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
by such a pleasant smile, that she looked at him and said
impulsively, "You are perfectly lovely to me now, Mr
Lincoln," at which he blushed a Uttle, and laughed most
heartily. As she arose to go, he reached out his hand — that hand
in which there was so much power and Uttle beauty —
and hold hers clasped and covered in his own. Mrs. Harvey
relates further :
I bowed my head and pressed my lips most reverently upon
the sacred shield, even as I would upon my country's shrine. A
silent prayer went up from my heart, "God bless you, Abraham
Lincoln!" I heard him say goodbye, and I was gone. Thus
ended the most interesting interview of my life, with one of the
most remarkable men of the age.
My impressions of him had been so varied, his character had
assumed so many different phases, his very looks had changed
so frequently, and so entirely, that it almost seemed to me I
had been conversing With half a dozen different men. He
blended in his character the most yielding flexibility with the
most unflinching firmness; child-like simplicity and weakness,.
with statesman-like wisdom and masterly strength; but over and
around all was thrown the mantle of an unquestioned integ
rity. 20
It is almost superfluous to comment upon Mrs. Harvey's
part in these memorable inter"riews, for the reader of her
descriptions cannot but feel her power and strength of
character. She was like a "wise general who is not over
confident by apparent success, nor unduly depressed by
apparent defeat. Moreover, in her was united a masculine
grasp of a situation and a remarkable power of argument.

20 The source of this entire account is the Harvey manuscript,
pp. 9-19.
[142]

MRS. HARVEY AND LINCOLN
with womanly tact and patience, which finally secured the
victory. Wisconsin people may feel that in this interview
with Abraham Lincoln, Mrs. Harvey rose to the situation
with a greatness not below that of the President, whom
she so truly called "one of the most remarkable men of
the age." Northern Hospitals
As a result of Mrs. Harvey's intercession "with President
Lincoln, three convalescent camps or hospitals were es
tablished in Wisconsin — at Madison, at Milwaukee, and
at Prairie du Chien. ^^ The Harvey United States Army
General Hospital, as it was called, was established at
Madison in October, 1863. After several buildings were
examined, the Farwell house was chosen, a three-storied oc
tagonal buUding near Lake Monona. Within a month Dr.
Howard Culbertson was placed at his head, and his conduct
of the institution was thus endorsed by Surgeon- General
Wolcott :
I have frequently visited the Harvey Hospital, and it affords
me great pleasure to bear testimony to the untiring zeal and
ability of the Surgeon in charge, and the medical officers and sub
ordinates under him. The essential excellence of a Hospital
consists in the successful results of efforts to restore the in
mates to health, or the nearest approximation to it, if possible.
The general policy, hygienic regulations, orders, rules, etc.,
should all tend to this grand result. Viewed in this light, al
though there are many much more spacious and commodious
hospitals in the country, very few will be found superior to
the Harvey Hospital. Remediable cases, whether requiring surgi
cal or medicinal means or both, are seasonably and skilfully
treated. * » * Those of our gallant sick and wounded boys.

MR. G. Thwaites, Wisconsin (Boston, 1909), p. 345.
[ 143 ]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
who are so fortunate as to be inmates of the Harvey Hospital,
have abundant reason for self-gratulation. Of such there are at
this time about 630, including those at the Branch, Camp Ran
daU. 22
This admirably-conducted institution was in operation
until the close of the war, when it was discontinued — ^its
patients either discharged, or transferred to the Post
Hospital at Camp RandaU. The hospitals at Milwaukee
and Prairie du Chien were established in 1864, the former
being designed as an officers' hospital. The one at Prairie
du Chien was known as the Swift Hospital; its buildings
are now a part of the Sacred Heart Academy. There were
five wards in its main building, and four regular nurses.
As far as can be leamed it was well managed. ^'
Soldiers' Orphans' Home
During the last two years of the war Mrs. Harvey had
been considering the establishment of a home in Wiscon
sin for the orphans of soldiers. When she returned from
the South in 1865, she brought "with her six or seven
orphans of the war, whom she had found there, not inquir
ing on which side their fathers fought. ^* Having leamed
that the Govemment was about to discontinue the several
hospitals in the Northern states, she thought the Harvey
Hospital so well adapted for an orphanage, that negotia
tions were at once begun with the owners of the property.
So liberal was the offer made by them, that Governor

22 Surgeon General's Report, 1864, in Governor's Message and
Documents (Madison, 1865), p. 965.
23 Ms. letter of Edward Rittenhouse (Monona, Iowa).
24 Anna B. Butler, editor, Centennial Records of Women of
Wisconsin (Madison, 1876), p. 38.
[144]

The Wisconsin Soldiers' Orphans' Home, at Madison
From a contemporary photograph in possession of the Wis
consin Historical Society

MRS. HARVEY AND LINCOLN
Lewis decided to send Mrs. Harvey to Washington in or
der to secure a title to the three wings that had been
erected by the United States. The War Department had
no authority to make such a donation, but upon investiga
tion it was ascertained that these additions when tom
do"wn would have no value to the Government except as
old lumber. An arrangement was thereupon made, by
which the proprietors received the buildings in lieu of
rent and repairs, on condition that the property should
be used as a home for soldiers' orphans.
Through the generosity of interested friends in Madison
and other places the property was purchased for such a
home. Repairs were immediately begun, and the building
was ready by January 1, 1866, to receive soldiers' orphans.
The personal exertions of Mrs. Harvey and the liberality
of her friends, thus resulted in starting a charitable en
terprise which was conducted as a private institution un
til March 31, 1866, when its maintenance was assumed by
the State.
The building contained dormitories, sleeping rooms, a
school-room capable of seating 150 chUdren, an infirmary,
and a sewing-room. In April, 1866, the home housed
eighty-five children with Mrs. Harvey in charge. As su
perintendent, she was "the chief executive officer of the
home, to have control and authority over all assistants con
nected with the institution below the grade designated in
the by-laws as officers; to employ or discharge as [she]
may see fit, being responsible to the trustees for the proper
discharge of that duty." ^°
The qualifications for admission to the institution were:
"All orphans over the age of four and under fourteen

2s Quiner, pp. 12-15.
10 [ 145 ]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
years, whose fathers enlisted from the State, and who have
either been killed or died while in the military or naval
services of the United States, or of this State, during the
late rebellion, or who have since died of diseases con
tracted while in such service, and who have no means of
support, shall be entitled to the benefits of this institution,
giving the preference to those ha"ring neither father nor
mother, in deciding upon applications."
During the year that Mrs. Harvey was superintendent
the institution was well established. She gave personal
supervision to even the smallest details and took the "trouble
to learn the name of every child, although their number soon
increased to 300. In May, 1867, she resigned, and from that
time on the office of superintendent was filled by men whose
Vvdves acted as matrons, giving in all instances "their whole
strength and energy and tenderest care to their work. ' ' ^'
Women were always employed as teachers, and regarded
their task as a labor of love, in which no effort was spared
to supply the place of real mothers to the children.
In 1872 Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Burton became superin
tendent and matron respectively. By this time some of
the girls were approaching womanhood, and Mrs. Burton,
like her predecessor, spared no pains in surrounding the
children with elevating and refining influences. Many of
the children ha"ring grown up and gone out from the
home to find their places in society, the State in 1874, feel
ing the need for retrenchment, closed the institution."

26 Centennial Records, p. 39.
27 May 29, 1908, on the Madison site of this hospital and or
phans' home a tablet was erected, the gift of the school children
of the city, who attended the exercises in large numbers, and
took part in the patriotic songs. An oration was delivered by
[ 146 ]

MRS. HARVEY AND LINCOLN
The home was exceedingly well managed during its en
tire eight years' existence; the sanitary condition was excel
lent, so that during the whole period but eight deaths
occurred. There were often as many as 300 children re
siding "within its walls, whose training, both in school
work and in domestic science, was effective. Many of those
who left the home became teachers, or entered higher
schools for further study. The State supported the insti
tution generously by an annual grant of $25,000 ; and both
the State authorities and the officials of the home made a
special effort to impress on the children that it was not
a charitable institution, but was accorded to them as a
debt of gratitude by the State for the loss of their
fathers. ^^
The establishment of the Wisconsin Soldiers' Orphans'
Home was a part of a national movement in the direction
of such charities. Toward the close of the war soldiers'
homes, soldiers' orphans' homes, pensions for veterans, and
employment of veterans in the civil serrice, became impor
tant subjects in the public mind. The need for soldiers'
orphan asylums was urged throughout the country, and
many such state and local institutions were erected. ^'

Attorney-General Frank L. Gilbert, who had himself been
one of the boys reared in the home. The tablet reads: "On
this city block, during the Civil War, stood Harvey Hospital,
and later the Wisconsin Soldiers' Orphans' Home, both estab
lished through the influence of Mrs. Harvey, whose honored hus
band. Governor Louis P. Harvey, had accidentaUy been drowned
in Tennessee River, near Shiloh battlefield, April 19, 1862, where
he had gone after the battle, with supplies for the comfort of
the sick and wounded Wisconsin soldiers."
28 Ms. letter of Mary E. Skinner (Seattle, Wash., May 5, 1910).
29 Fite, pp. 286, 287.
[ 147 ]

Chapter X

The Christian Commission
"The United States Christian Commission, while not
neglecting the physical and material wants of the soldiers,
had for its primary object their spiritual welfare, just as
the Sanitary Commission attended mainly to the physical,
though not entirely neglecting the spiritual. ' ' '"
The Christian Commission was organized on November
14, 1861, at New York City; its primary purpose was to
supplement the work of chaplains in the army by sending
ministers and delegates to the field. It distributed to the
soliders Bibles, tracts, hymn-books, and literature of aU
sorts. In course of time its operations became more and
more of a sanitary character, as it maintained special diet
kitchens, where a ' ' gospel of suitable and delicate food was
administered with Christian kindness. ' ' ^^ The Commis
sion also tried to find employment for returning soldiers.
But its main interest was a spiritual one, for it "aided
the surgeon, helped the chaplain, followed the armies in
their marches, went into trenches and along the picket-
Une. Wherever there was a sick, a wounded, a dying
man, an agent of the Christian Commission was near by.
Moreover, it arranged Christian burials, whenever possi-

30 Ibid, p. 284.
31 Moore, p. 579.
[148]

THE CHRISTIAN COMMISSION
ble, marked the graves of the dead, held religious ser"rices
in extemporized chapels, and conducted prayer-meetings. ^^
ReUgious Awakening
During the first two years of the war the Commission
did not receive the fuU support of the general pubUc,
consequently its means were limited and its efficiency cor
respondingly feeble ; but by 1863 the attitude of the pubUe
began to change, and quite suddenly the Commission found
itself a power. In the summer of 1863, the religious Ufe
of the people began to be quickened. There were revival
meetings and activity in building new churches every
where. In fact, there was a reaction from the feelings at
first inspired by the war. A recent "writer says:
The first blows of fighting had stunned man's sensibilities;
hospitals filled with the wounded, countless funerals at one's very
door, the anguish and the suffering, at first filled men with
that feeling which has been voiced by the present generation
in the cry, "Remember the Maine." It was then: "Remember
Colonel Ellsworth," "Remember my son," the utterance of a
spirit of revenge, that plainly was not compatible with a
spirit of prayer. 33
This change took place gradually, "without excitement or
hysteria, for it was a natural reaction from the awful ex
periences of the first two years of the war. Along with
the revival in religion came an increased interest in chari
ties of all sorts, and the Christian Commission reaped the
benefit of this new missionary spirit.

32 J. W. Draper, Civil War in America (New York, 1867), iii,
pp. 519, 520.
33 Fite, pp. 306-310.
[149]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
Women's Auxiliaries
Up to 1864 the women of the North did not take any
active part in the Christian Commission. On May 4 of
that year a meeting of women was held at Philadelphia for
the purpose of organizing Ladies' Christian Commissions in
the various churches throughout the country. These were
to be auxiUary to the United States Commission. Any
member of a congregation could become a member of the
Commission by paying one doUar a year, which fee was to
be paid over to the United States Commission for a na
tional membership fund. AU money left, after the neces
sary expenses were paid, was to be turned over to another
national fund, known as the Donation Fund. ^* This move
ment was national, and affected Wisconsin women as well
as those of other states. Wisconsin Commission
Until 1864 the people of Wisconsin sent their contribu
tions to the Chicago Branch of the Christian Commission,
for there was no Wisconsin organization before that date.
On October 8, 1864, Walter S. Carter of Milwaukee organ
ized the Wisconsin Branch, which seems to have been very
successful, for between the date of its organization and
July, 1865, it received from the various churches of the
State $8,868. The largest single contribution came from
Fond due Lac, where nearly $1,400 was contributed at a
single collection. The Wisconsin Branch's contribution of
stores was also heavy, exceeding that of all other branches

34 Ladies' Christian Commissions Auxiliary to U. S. Christian
Commission (Philadelphia, 18641). [150]

THE CHRISTIAN COMMISSION
except Pittsburg and Cincinnati. The total number of
packages from Wisconsin was 1,048, the value of which
was estimated at $54,915. One donation made to eleven
Wisconsin regiments at MobUe, amounted to more than
450 barrels, including forty barrels of pickles and more
than three tons of dried apples. The Wisconsin Branch
also sent forty-five delegates to the field, a larger number
than those of any other branch during the same period, ex
cept Boston, Cincinnati, Brooklyn, and Chicago. The total
amount received by the Wisconsin Branch during the nine
months of its existence was $63,883.87. Conceming the
work of the Wisconsin Commission it is asserted :
If to this sum were added the value of the delegates' services,
and of railroad and telegraph facilities, the amount would ex
ceed seventy-five thousand dollars. And all this was the spon
taneous gift of the people; the Branch not having a single
salaried officer or employee, and its entire expenses, from its
organization to its close, being but $1,743.38, or only about
two per cent of its receipts. 35
Experiences of Wisconsin Women
The experiences of Mrs. Mary BumeU Robinson in the
Christian Commission work are worth recording. A rela
tive of hers. Rev. K. A. BumeU, was in charge of the
Department of Missi^ippi, with headquarters at Memphis.
It was through his influence, that women's work under the
Commission's auspices began. In 1862 he obtained per
mission to appoint as his assistants two women of his fam
Uy, who remained in the South until 1865. One of the
sisters "found her favorite work in the freedmen 's
schools, then being estabUshed;" the other was the libra-

36 Love, pp. 1052, 1053. [151]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
rian of the Commission's reading-room in Memphis. This
room was located in a store under the Gayoso House, at
that time the largest hotel in the city. The apartment was
large and had a beautiful ¦riew of the river from its ¦win
dows ; it contained a library of two hundred volumes, news
paper files, and other reading matter, and a long ¦writing-
table, on whieh was spread free stationery. There was
also an organ in the room, used for religious services, which
were conducted during the afternoons. Mrs. Robinson
writes of these meetings as follows :
It was then that our organ came into use, and much good
singing was had, I being the happy accompanist. These meet
ings were ever a joy to the Christian soldiers, who had often
times very little to help them to the spiritual life. Many who
had already blackslidden were restored and others converted. It
is hardly necessary to say, that our position there gave us a
great opportunity to talk with them, and as a rule they were
frank and confiding — glad of any help. Often, too, we wrote
letters for them, where they had given up for us their right
hand or arm or were temporarily disabled, and all these things
made a way to their hearts, which we tried to make a highway
for the Lord. 36
Other Wisconsin women who served as delegates for the
Christian Commission, were Miss Katherine BisseU of Dela
van, who had charge of the Commission rooms at Little
Rock ; and Mrs. Annie Johnson Ensign, who had charge
of the field-work between Cairo and Vicksburg, and whose
duty it was to meet soldiers returning from the field of
battle. "

36 Ms. letter of Mrs. Mary BumeU Robinson (Topeka, Kans..
May 17, 1910).
87 Ms. letter of Mrs. Ensign (Boise, Idaho, May 27, 1910).
[152]

THE "CHRISTIAN COMMISSION
Reading Material
From the beginning of the war the volunteers mani
fested a lively interest in the reading matter which the
Commission endeavored to provide for them. One ¦wrote:
Cannot there be some means devised, by which a greater sup
ply of reading can be supplied to the men in the army? There
would be a vast deal less of drinking and swearing among the
men if a sufficiency of reading, such as newspapers, historical
works, and magazines could be had. * * * It is but a trifling
task to wrap up a paper, after you have perused it, and send it
to some friend in the army. There are young ladies enough,
who I presume would willingly devote two or three hours each
day in gathering up, from house to house, newspapers, books,
magazines, etc., if they only knew how much it would please
their soldier friends. * * * We hope, that in every city and
town in Wisconsin, a society the object of which shall be to
furnish reading for our soldiers, will be organized, and the
worthy cause commenced at once. "Who will make the first
move? 38
Madison women were among those who made the first
move in this direction and aroused much enthusiasm by
so doing. Acknowledging this fact a writer says:
God bless the patriotic ladies of Madison for their generous
sympathy in behalf of the citizen-soldiers * * * in collecting
papers and other good reading matter, that shall make their
stay in Camp Randall pleasant and morally profitable. ? • *
There are many here who feel the want of religious reading and
privileges; and if the ladies can furnish tracts, they will flnd
cheerful distributors among the soldiers. Good officers and good
soldiers make good regiments, and no small responsibility rests
upon the people of Madison when it lays within their power to

38 Corres. Wis. Volunteers, Ii, p. 217.
[153]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
•give tone and character to those who under such particular
circumstances are thrown in their midst. 39
The Christian Commission undertook to answer this
plea, and from all accounts was most successful in the dis
tribution of tracts. One soldier writes that the chUdren
of the Sunday schools have supplied "nearly five hundred
regiments, each "with one thousand temperance and other
tracts, in all amounting to nearly five hundred thousand.
I entreat all under whose eyes this may chance to fall, to
do aU in their power by means of money and influence "to
forward the right kind of reading matter to the armies." *°
Criticisms
The Christian Commission was not entirely exempt from
criticism. Both the nature of the tracts and their method
of distribution were adversely commented on. Neverthe
less historical judgment admits that the motive was excel
lent, the movement timely, and the results of value to the
armies; and in all its activities women had a considerable
share. '

39 Id., i, p. 208.
40 Id., X, p. 208.

[154]

chapter XI
The Northwestern Sanitary Fair
In the autumn of 1863 a Sanitary Fair was held at Chi
cago, for which contributions were made by the entire
Northwest. The proposal for this enterprise came from
Mrs. Hoge and Mrs. Livermore, who had done so much to
further the work of the Sanitary Commission. Mrs. Liver
more thus describes the need that led to the inception of
the fair:
The continued need of money to obtain comforts and neces
saries for the sick and wounded of our army has' suggested to
the loyal women of the North many and various devices for the
raising of funds. Every city, town, and village has had its fair,
festival, party, picnic, excursion, concert, etc., which have
netted more or less to the cause of hospital relief, according
to the population of the place, and the amount of energy and
patriotism employed on the occasion. The need of money for
this sacred purpose has suggested to many of the active and
patriotic women of the Northwest the necessity of holding a
grand Northwestern Pair in the fall, for the benefit of the
Sanitary Commission. 4i Preparations
The consent of the men in charge of the Commission
having been obtained, these two indefatigable workers, Mrs.
Hoge and Mrs. Livermore, issued a circular calling for a

41 Livermore, pp. 410, 411.
[155]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
woman's convention to be held in Chicago. Of these cir
culars, 10,000 were distributed throughout the Northwest,
and as a result a convention of women delegates met in Chi
cago, September 1 and 2, and formally agreed to have a fair.
Soon another circular was issued in an edition of 20,000,
enumerating and classifying the articles desired. The aid
of the press was requested and granted; an extensive cor
respondence 'with prominent public men was carried on,
and thousands of letters were addressed to the women of
the Northwest. Mrs. Livermore relates:
In every principal town of the Northwest fair meetings were
held, which resulted in handsome pledges, that were more than
fulflUed. Towns and cities were canvassed for donations to the
bazar and dining saloon. The whole Northwest was ransacked
for articles, curios, unique, bizarre, or noteworthy, to add to
the attractions of the "Curiosity Shop." Homes beautified with
works of art, paintings, or statuary, were temporarily plundered
of them for the art gallery, and all who possessed artistic, dram
atic, decorative, or musical talent were pressed into the service
of the evening entertainment. Executive women were chosen
in every state, who freighted the mails with rousing appeals,
or with suggestions born of their experience, frequently visit
ing different sections to conduct meetings in the interest of the
great and noble enterprise. 42
It would be outside the limits of this monograph to
dwell upon the Fair in general ; our interest concems only
the part which Wisconsin women played in this enterprise.
Mrs. Henrietta Colt showed from the first a deep interest
in the project, wherefore she was appointed a member of
the executive committee,*^ together with Mrs. Harvey, Mrs.
Salomon, Mrs. Carr, and other Wisconsin women.

42i6id, p. 415.
is History of Northwestern Soldiers' 'Fair (Chicago, 1864), p. 8.
[156]

NORTHWESTERN SANITARY FAIR
Gemum Women's Participation
The work of Mrs. Salomon in connection with the Ger
man department was conspicuous; the caU for contribu
tions reads:
Mrs. Governor Salomon of Wisconsin, has kindly and gener
ously consented to solicit and receive the contributions of the
Germans for the Fair. These offerings wiU be sent together,
will be arranged, displayed, and sold in a separate department,
space being reserved for them exclusively, over which Mrs.
Salomon consents to preside in person, throughout the Fair,
assisted by ladies of her own selection. A most cordial and
eamest invitation is extended to the German ladies of the
Northwest to cooperate with Mrs. Salomon in her undertaking,
with the assurance that every facility will be granted them for
the display and sale of the beautiful handiwork and fancy
wares in which they so greatly excel. 44
This proposal was made only two or three weeks before
the Fair, but the German women responded generaUy and
generously, and the display of fancy-work, embroideries,
etc., was astonishingly beautiful. Mrs. Salomon and her
friends were so energetic in stirring up an interest in this
department, that large contributions poured in from MU
waukee, Madison, Waterto'wn, Manitowoc, and Sauk City.
Among the articles contributed was a white silk embroid
ered flag, ' ' surpassing anything in the way of embroidery,
on exhibition;" it looked at the first glance more like
painting than needle-work. It was the work of a Pond
du Lac woman who wrought industriously with her needle
for eighteen months to complete it. A portrait of Mozart
adorned the centre of the flag, surrounded by musical in-

44 16id, p. 12.
[157]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
struments, while underneath were the notes of his cele
brated opera, Don Giovanni. The flag was intended to
grace the halls of a musical society; a subscription was in
stantly set on foot by the lovers of music to purchase it
for the Chicago Philharmonic Society. The sum for its
purchase, $150, was easily raised, and this unequalled piece
of needle-work is now in the possession of that organiza
tion. The whole amount of money raised in the German de
partment was $6,000, of which amount the Germans of
Wisconsin contributed $3,799. The patriotism of the
German women during our great struggle was manifested
on this occasion. As was well said by a contemporary
writer, "As German sons, husbands, and brothers have
mingled their life-blood with that of Americans, on almost
every field of battle, it was well that their [the women's]
offerings for the relief of sick and wounded soldiers, should
be poured into the same receptacle, and the proceeds of
their sale flow into the same treasury. ' ' *°
Wisconsin Contributions
To Mrs. E. S. Carr was due the suggestion which re
sulted in the department known as the "Curiosity Shop."
She proposed as one feature of this Fair to collect all the
flags possible to procure, Federal and Confederate, which
were used or taken by our soldiers in battle, together "with
other articles of an historic character or unusual value.
This proved the most attractive of all the exhibits ; among
the battle-torn flags were six belonging to Wisconsin regi
ments. Wisconsin also sent a shackle taken from the ankle

*6F. B. Goodrich, The Tribute Book (New York, 1865), p. 170.
[158]

NORTHWESTERN SANITARY FAIR
of a slave at Baton Rouge by Company P, Fourth Wiscon
sin; a representation of Hiawatha's "wigwam, prepared at
Green Bay; a beautiful collection of lichens from Albion;..
and a cross made from a piece of the Connecticut Charter
Oak. Other curiosities from Wisconsin were a fine col
lection of minerals from ShuUsburg; and another of iron,
silver, and copper from Marquette ; and an unusually good"
herbarium. The art gallery also proved to be a very popular feature
of the Fair ; to this Wisconsin contributed her share of pic
tures. But more important than her contribution of these,
was the presence of Mrs. Henrietta Colt, who presided
over these treasures, assisted by several of the most attrac
tive and cultivated women of the Northwest. To the un
initiated, and those not famUiar with pictures, they gave
information in so pleasant and agreeable a manner, that
their ser"riees were in continual demand throughout the
Pair. To all, their attentions were courteous and grateful,
and it is doubtfiU if anyone remembers the exposition,
"without linking to it the bright and agreeable 'ladies who
did so much to render a "risit to the art gallery pleasant. *'
The contributions of Wisconsin to this Fair were almost
as hea"vy as those of lUinois ; this was largely due to Mrs.
Colt and the Milwaukee Aid Society. "Never can the
nobleness of these ladies be forgotten. Living in a city
which is an acknowledged mercantUe rival to Chicago, they
rose above all considerations of jealousy, and toiled to
sweU the pecuniary resiUts of the Pair, which were to be
devoted to the aUe^viations of the sufferers in the miUtary
hospitals. * * * And here let it be said that the-

48 History N. W. Soldiers' Fair, pp. 25, 35.
[ 159 ]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
MUwaukee boxes were among the most elegant received.
Lastly, costliness, beauty, and exquisite workmanship char
acterize them all. ' ' *'' With the boxes was like^wise sent a
draft for $1,000, coUected through the efforts of the Mil
waukee Aid Society.
From the women of Madison a generous contribution of
various sorts was received. Among the articles donated
was a sugar mill, bearing the wish that it might aid in
grinding out the rebeUion. With these gifts a sum of be
tween four and five hundred dollars was sent, which had
been collected by the women of the Madison Aid Society.
The success of the Northwestern Sanitary Fair was, to a
considerable degree, due to the efforts of Wisconsin women.

47 i&id, pp. 57, 58.

[i6o]

Chapter XII

The IVLilwaukee Soldiers' Home and the
Soldiers' Home Fair
In the spring of 1864, Mrs. Livermore, together with a
number of other prominent Chicago women, decided that
a soldiers' home was needed in Chicago. To raise the
funds necessary for such a project, they arranged to hold
another great fair. To further this plan they sent out
as they had done in 1863 circulars soliciting supplies.
Many prominent Milwaukee women favored this enterprise,
but a few opposed it. Among those in the minority were
three remarkable women — Mrs. Lydia Hewitt (now Mrs.
Ely), Mrs. Hannah Vedder, and Mrs. E. L. Buttrick. These
women had not been satisfied with the results of the Fair
of 1863, and they feared that the new venture would be a
failure. Moreover, they wanted a soldiers' home in Wis
consin. March 5, 1864, an old friend of the three ladies
chanced to be on the same train, when they were retuming
from Chicago to Milwaukee after an unsatisfactory inter
view ¦with Mrs. Livermore. His account of their conversa
tion gives a sidelight on the origin of the Wisconsin Sol
diers' Home Association:
They were having an animated discussion over their mission,
which had continued for some time, and then the conversation
ceased. Mrs. Hewitt looked out of the window for some minutes
in silence. Then turning suddenly, as if she had caught an in-
11 [ i6i ]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
spiration from the landscape, she exclaimed with vehemence,
"I will not have anything to do with the Chicago proposition.
It will be a failure. I am going to call a meeting to discuss
the matter and will listen to what everyone has to say, but I
will not allow anyone to deter me from my purpose or turn
me from its object. I will have a soldiers' home in Milwaukee
and will not stop until it is an accomplished fact. That's set
tled." "I will go with you," said Mrs. Buttrick. "So will I,"
said Mrs. Vedder. So on the foUowing Monday a call was issued
for a meeting of Milwaukee women, which resulted in the for
mation of the Wisconsin Soldiers' Home Association. 48
Milwaukee Soldiers' Home
It is hardly just to attribute the Soldiers' Home at MU
waukee to the work of three women ; it was rather the re
sult of forces of which Mrs. He'witt, Mrs. Buttrick, and
Mrs. Vedder were the exponents. Perhaps the strongest
force was the desire of the public that everything possible
should be done for the soldiers at home, as well as in the
field. Soldiers' homes, soldiers' orphans' asylums, pen
sions, and fairs were matters so much discussed, that the
Wisconsin Soldiers' Home Association was only a part of
a national movement. Its inception in Milwaukee was oc
casioned by the number of soldiers passing through on
their way to and from the field. The follo"wing relates
the objects of the society:
Impressed with the importance of adding to the comfort ol
the eighty thousand soldiers who were leaving or returning to
our State, one year ago [April, 1864] the earnest women who
coinposed this board, proposed with determination and mis
givings and projected with hope, the Soldiers' Home. There
•7fB,s no lack of willingness on the part of the people to give.

48 Ms. sent by Peter Van Vechten (Milwaukee, April, 1910).
[162]

MILWAUKEE SOLDIERS' HOME
simply the absence of a responsible and systematic channel,
through which to dispense their cheerful bounties. A direct
avenue was thus opened between the soldier in the State and
the civilian, through which was free to pass aU expression of
good will in the shape of letters of sympathy, contributions of
money, provisions, clothing, and medical stores. 49
The women who thus organized the Wisconsin Soldiers'
Home Association began their work with enthusiasm.
Large rooms on West Water Street were rented, and ar
rangements made for receiving sick and wounded soldiers.
It is significant that this was a women's movement, and
that the men concerned in the management of the home
acted merely as an advisory board.
From its start the home received the support and cor
dial good will of the people of Milwaukee and of the State
at large, and soon the State itself granted to the home a
charter, together with an appropriation of $5,000. The
press, and railroad and telegraph companies cooperated
with the Association, for they realized that "this home is
not a wayside charity, or transient recreation, but a serious
and permanent assumption of a sacred duty which we owe
the defenders of our common country. It is food for the
hungry, comfort for the cheerless, sympathy for the £if-
flicted. It is a constant acknowledgment, that we too have
duties, * * * which can neither be postponed nor
evaded. It is an embodied declaration, that we at homes
acknowledge our obligations and are willing to share "with

49 "First Annual Report," in Home Fair Journal, a paper pub
lished in the interests of the Milwaukee Home Fair, May 20-
July 8, 1865.
[163]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
them [the soldiers] the arduous responsibilites of the
hour.""^" The home was managed upon a business basis, for the
Association had regular meetings every two weeks, at which
twenty-five women directors were present, and all details
were carefully supervised. The officers were : president, Mrs.
Lydia Hewitt; vice-presidents, Mrs. E. L. Buttrick, Mrs.
J. H. Rogers, Mrs. J. J. Tallmadge, Mrs. S. S. MerriU;
secretary, Mrs. A. J. Aikens; assistant secretary, Mrs.
J. M. Kimball ; treasurer, Mrs. D. A. Olin. " The home
was in charge of a male superintendent and a matron ; the
president or one of the vice-presidents and a director were
daily in attendance. "At the opening of the enterprise
one building of limited capacity was occupied, such as
our means would warrant, for from the first our motto has
been 'owe no one' and the financiering has been at times
fearfully close. As our contributions and necessities in
creased, we added another building, thus lessening the
labor and increasing the alacrity with which meals could
be provided and lodgings furnished. ' ' ^^
First Year's Results
The efficiency of this institution is shown in the results
of its work during the first year. Within that time almost
3,000 soldiers were cared for, and 2,000 men, passing
through the city, were fed at camps and depots, making a
total of nearly 5,000 soldiers who were helped by the As
sociation; 400 sick soldiers received surgical or medical

60 16id, May 20, 1865.
51 Centennial Records, pp. 74, 75.
62 Home Fair Journal, May 20, 1865.
[164]

MILWAUKEE SOLDIERS' HOME
treatment, exclusive of those receiving special diet and
nursing. The brief and refreshing rest afforded by this institu
tion to the sick, wounded, and worn soldier, was no doubt
the direct means of saving many precious lives to the cause
of the nation and to distant and anxious friends. Even
the funeral expenses of the soldiers, who died at the home,
were paid and the remains were as a rule forwarded to
their homes. "When friendless, the ladies have stood by
them until the last whisper ceased, as by those to whom
they owe a debt of gratitude which no human tongue
could tell. They went home to honored graves in our
beautiful Forest Home, followed to the last by some of the
ladies. ' '
In March, 1865, the Senate and Assembly committees on
Benevolent Institutions visited the Milwaukee Home and
reported most favorably concerning its management. The
closkig paragraph of their report reads: "The commit
tee extend to the ladies who compose this society, their
most cordial approbation and commendation for their self-
sacrificing devotion, their kindness and benevolence, their
perseverence and industry, and also for the financial ability
and business capacity which characterize their efforts in
this behalf." ^^ Soldiers' Home Fair
It must not be forgptten, that from the beginning the
Wisconsin Soldiers' Home Association looked toward the
establishment of a permanent asylum for disabled soldiers.
To achieve this result much money was needed, and Mrs.
63 Ibid,
[165]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
Hewitt and the directors thought that a great soldiers'
home fair would best serve the purpose. So in the spring
of 1864, the women of the Association made a canvass of
Milwaukee and secured donations of many thousand feet
of lumber and many days' labor for a Fair building.
Having the material for the building, Mrs. Hewitt went
to an architect and asked him to draw a plan, and super
intend the construction of the building. "Now, Mrs.
Hewitt, you want three thousand dollars in money," he
told her, whereupon the women of the Association decided
to collect the sum needed. It was thought best to begin
with a large subscription, so Mrs. Hewitt made up her
mind to ask Alexander Mitchell for five hundred dollars;
after having explained to him the need for it, he answered,
"Tut, tut. What's that? Can't do it!" This reply was
not encouraging, the case seemed hopeless, but Mrs. He"witt
tried again and very diplomatically said, "Mr. Mitchell,
we expect to raise fifty thousand or sixty thousand doUars,
and as we cannot spend all the money at once, it will be
deposited in your bank." "Well, well, there's something
in that — there's something in that. Put me do"wn for five
hundred. Nay, give me your paper." The paper was
handed to him, and he became the first subscriber to the
enterprise which resulted in the establishment of the Sol
diers' Home. The only other $500 subscription was that
of Mr. James Bonnell, a wholesale dry goods merchant. "*
Hundreds, however, contributed smaller amounts, until
the sum for the building was secured.

54 "Origin of the Milwaukee Soldiers' Home," in Milwaukee
News Annual (Milwaukee, 1892-93), p. 51.
[i66]

MILWAUKEE SOLDIERS' HOME
The Governor Aids
April 19, 1865, Governor Levris issued the following
proclamation :
The people of Wisconsin are second to none in patriotism or
benevolence. No appeal for aid in any good cause has evei
been made to them in vain. Knowing this fact, I feel that 11
is only necessary to call their attention to a good work to in
sure a proper response. The many sick and wounded soldiers
returning from the field of battle * * * call loudly for our
sympathy and help. They need and deserve a comfortable home
and place of rest. With a view of providing such a home, the
Legislature of this State at its last session, incorporated a be
nevolent institution to be known as the "Soldiers' Home," lo
cated at Milwaukee, and appropriated the sum of flve thousand
dollars to aid in its support. Further means are necessary to
carry on the work. To supply them it is proposed to hold a
State Fair at Milwaukee, commencing on the twenty-eighth day
of June next, at which all who desire, may have an opportunity
of contributing something to aid the wounded soldier. I would
recommend this enterprise to the people as worthy of their
aid and support and trust they will by their attendance and
by contributing liberally of their means, which have been pro
tected by the soldiers, make the Fair a success, and thus add
to the soldiers' comfort. 55
Wisconsin Towns Assist
Undoubtedly this proclamation had an effect upon the
people of the State, but they were also stimulated into
acti'rity by the women of the Soldiers' Home Association,.
who "risited nearly every portion of Wisconsin for this pur
pose. As a result many Soldiers' Home Fair societies were
formed in the small tovms for the sole purpose of getting

65 Home Fair Journal, May 20, 1865.
[167]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
money and contributions for the Pair. Affairs were also
progressing well in Milwaukee; the canvassing committee
soon secured ten thousand dollars, and the promise of large
contributions for the entertainments and tables at the Pair.
It is impossible to give a complete list of the subscrip
tions and gifts received from the various parts of the
State, for they came in great abundance from soldiers' aid
societies, soldiers' home societies, sewing societies, churches,
Sunday schools, private schools, orphans' homes, and such
organizations as the ' ' Hollanders, ' ' the ' ' Good Templars, ' '
the "Spiritualists," and the German "Turners." Among
communities contributing to the Pair, were the following
cities and villages: Appleton, Beaver Dam, Beloit, Berlin,
Delavan, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grand Rapids, Green
Bay, Green Lake, Hartford, Horicon, Iron Ridge, Janes
ville, Kilbourn City, La Crosse, Lake Mills, Lamertine,
Lancaster, Manitowoc, Mauston, Mazomanie, Monroe, Ocon
omowoc, Omro, Oshkosh, Platteville, Plover, Prairie du
Chien, Prairie du Sac, Prescott, Reedsburg, River Falls,
Ripon, Rochester, Rubicon, Sheboygan, Somers, Sparta,
Stevens Point, Troy, Two Rivers, Viroqua, Water-
ford, Waterto"wn, Waukesha, Wausau, West Bend, White
water, Winneconne, and Woodland. ^°
The effort to make money for the Pair resulted in a per
fect epidemic of entertainments such as festivals, picnics,
dances, tableaux, concerts, and dramatic entertainments.
The Germans of Milwaukee and other to"wns were espe
cially active and gave a "Punch and Judy" show, a con
cert at Quentin 's Park, and several other entertainments.
The people living in the First Ward of Milwaukee gave a

66 Ibid, June 3, 17, 28.
[i68]

MILWAUKEE SOLDIERS' HOME
May-queen party which netted $144.08. At Beloit a sol
diers' home festival was given by the pupils and teachers
of "Union School, Number Two," at which novel and in
teresting tableaux, suggested by the war, were sho"wn.
At Sparta an old folks' concert was given. The Milwau
kee Female College gave an operetta caUed the "Twin
Sisters." The Madison Female Seminary engaged the
City HaU for an exhibition "to be given by the teachers
and students of the Seminary for the benefit of the Pair. ' '
A Prairie du Sac aid society gave an ice-cream festival,
which included such amusements as fish-pond, ring-cake,
and guess-cake. At Fond du Lac the little girls gave an
ice-cream social; and at Ripon the small boys gave a dime
show, to make money for the Fair. ^^
Among the donations received were some handsome cone-
work from Manitowoc County; a piece of the towel used
to bind Lincoln 's head, from Miss Griswold of Madison ; a
statue called Violet ; eight medallions of Lincoln from the
women of Manitowoc, Plover, and Stevens Point, accom
panied by yards of evergreen which was used in decorat
ing the Fair building. The women of Osceola Mills sent a
box of articles made of camelians, agates, and pine cones.
The Fair Building
In the meantime the building had been erected — a tem
porary structure, located south of the Chamber of Com
merce, with a frontage of 300 feet on Main Street, and a
depth of 135 feet, supporting an arched roof, fifty feet
high, beneath which in the centre, was a floral temple.
Running entirely around the main hall at a height of

Btlbid, May 20-July 8 inclusive. [169]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
twelve feet was a gallery, sixteen feet in width, reached
by broad stairways at the rear end of the hall. The in
terior of the building was decorated ¦with evergreens,
flowers, and bunting, thus concealing the undressed pine
lumber, of which it was constructed. The dining room was
capable of seating 1,500 people; and hundreds of gas jets
iiluminated the building at night. '*
The Exhibits
The scope of this Fair was very wide, for contributions
had been soUcited from every state in the Union, and even
from prominent Americans living abroad. No profession
or business was exempt; farmers, millers, merchants,
photographers, and fruit-growers were among the contrib
utors. Every department of commerce, industry, and
agriculture was represented ; and for the first time in Wis
consin 's history an exhibit of paintings and statuary was
shown. The Wisconsin scientific department contained a
large number of botanical, geological, and zoological speci
mens, aU of which were voted, during the first days of the
Pair, to an educational institution in the State. The musi
cal department and the department of arms and trophies
were conspicuous for their completeness, and the public
school and German departments were most interesting. °"
Schools Contribute
The Department of Public Instruction issued the foUow
ing proclamation to the teachers of the State:
On the twenty-eighth of June, 1865, and continuing two

58 Centennial Records, p. 76.
69 Ibid, p. 77.
[ 170]

MILWAUKEE SOLDIERS HOME
weeks, will commence a grand State Fair for the purpose of
raising funds to build a permanent Home for Wisconsin dis
abled soldiers. The contributions of three hundred thousand
children and six thousand teachers in Wisconsin to this noble
object, should amount to more than thirty thousand dollars.
This cannot be done without prompt, energetic, enthusiastic,
united, and systematic effort. Every true teacher's heart wiU
feel the strong claims of the object upon all classes in the com
munity. Never in the history of our State has there been pre
sented a better opportunity for calling into exercise the noble
sentiments' and sympathy of the children, than the pressing
and sacred obligations, which we all owe, in an especial manner,
to our maimed, sick, shattered, and disabled soldiers, who are
now coming back to receive our gratitude, and share the bless
ings for which we are indebted to their achievements and sac
rifices. You are the officers of the line, who are to command and
direct the action of the grand army of three hundred thousand
children in contributing to the School Department of the great
Fair. Upon you more than upon any others, rests the responsi
bility and the labor of stimulating the children and gathering
their offerings. The three hundred thousand children will rally
about you with warm, generous, and tender hearts to receive
the noble impulse. Their hands are eager for the grateful task,
and you must lead them. If you delay or shrink or are in
different all will fail, and the painful wound of ingratitude
from friends at home, will pierce the hearts of our disabled
soldiers, who have faced every danger unflinchingly in our
cause. 60
The method of collecting money for this department
was a unique one. There was prepared a Soldiers' Home
bank, to which every school child was supposed to con
tribute. The shares were ten cents each, and every child
who contributed fifty cents or even less, was to have a cer-

60 Home Fair Journal, May 20, 1865.
[171]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
tificate of stock or a brick in the Soldiers' Home. The
schools reported to the county or city superintendents, who
made a report of the number of pupils and teachers in
each township and the amount contributed. These reports
were on exhibition at the Fair.
An appeal was also addressed to the ehildren, which
reads : ' ^'
You ask, how can you get the money? We answer, work for
it! earn it with your own hands. Do something for father and
mother or older brothers and sisters; or work for some other
persons; work for anybody on the farm, in the shop, at home,
at school, in the store, knit, sew, hoe, plough, dig in the
garden, drive cows or sheep, tend the baby, get better les
sons, make better improvement in writing, be better boys and
girls, do anything and everything good, honest, and right to
get articles and money to give to the Soldiers' Home Fair, oi
Both teachers and children took up the work -with en
thusiasm. Favorable reports were handed in, that the
schools were becoming hives of warm-hearted industry.
It must not be forgotten that women played a large part
in the success of this department, for the teachers, who
encouraged the children, were most of them women; the
influence of the mothers at home had also much to do with
the contributions of the children.
Special Features
Before the fair opened Mrs. Hewitt moved, that the
kitchen and dining-room committees "be requested to pro
ceed to business just the same as if the Fair had begun,
and make provision for feeding 1,000 men per day. '^ The,

61 Ibid,
^2 Ibid, June 12.
[ 172]

MILWAUKEE SOLDIERS' HOME
motion was adopted, and the work of feeding the soldiers
was placed in charge of the executive committee of the
Soldiers' Home Association. During the progress of the
Fair the Fifth Battery, and what remained of the Twenty-
first, Twenty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, and Twenty-second
regiments returned to Milwaukee. AU of them were en
tertained at the Fair, and a number of the soldiers were
lodged in the Fair building during their stay. "^
A unique feature of the Pair was the HoUand Kitchen,
over which Mrs. Salomon presided. Here hundreds of
people were fed each day ; one contributor alone (Mrs. Van
Vechten) made daily a barrel of doughnuts. "* Another
favorite department was the art gallery, which contained
some very interesting features. Harriet Hosmer's statue of
"Zenobia" attracted much attention, as did several of the
Rogers groups, one of which, the "Bushwhacker," sold
for forty dollars.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of the fair was Old
Abe, the war eagle, which accompanied the Eighth Regi
ment throughout three years of ser^rice. He drew about
him such crowds every day, that he became very tired, and
had to be taken away for a rest. Not only the eagle but
his photographs were on exhibition and thousands of them
were sold.
Evening entertainments of various sorts attracted crowds
of sight-seers. One of these, given by the women of Madi
son, was a series of grand tableaux. Entertainments
known as Belshazzar's Feast, Statuary, The Baptism of

63 nius. News Annual, p. 51.
64 Ms. letter from Mr. Van Vechten (April 25, 1910).
[173]

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
Pocohontas, and Mrs. Jarley's Wax Works occupied o^ther
evenings.
Financial Success
The Pair proved a greater success than was anticipated.
At its close the Association found itself in possession of
$139,604.80. It took several months to close up matters,
pay expenses, seU the lumber of the buUding, and ascer
tain the net results; during aU this time the president,
Mrs. Hewitt, attended to every detail in person. It was
finally found that $110,000 was on hand to buUd a perma
nent Soldiers' Home. Meanwhile, knowing that success was
assured, the Association had purchased a lot for about
$10,000, on which the future Wisconsin home for disabled
soldiers was to be built.
Merged in Government Home
In July, 1866, the United States Government passed an
act providing for national soldiers' homes. This stimu
lated several ¦wise Milwaukeeans to make the attempt to
secure one of these homes for their city. Dr. E. B. Wol
cott was active in the matter, and ¦with George Walker con
stituted a committee to ¦risit Washington, and see what the
Secretary of War proposed. Leaming of the projected
Wisconsin home, the authorities said if the funds and
property of that institution were tumed over to the Gov
ernment to procure an appropriate site, one of the national
homes would be located at Milwaukee.*" The committee
did not feel authorized to consent to these terms, since the
66 Ibid.
[174]

The Unitbd States National Soldiiius' Home, at Milwaukee
From an early lithograph in possession of the Wisconsin Historical Society

MILWAUKEE SOLDIERS' HOME
money belonged to the women, but hastened home to pre'-
sent the proposition to the Soldiers' Home Association.
When Dr. Wolcott first presented the proposal of the
Secretary of War to a meeting of the directors, there was
with a single exception a unanimous opposition to its ac
ceptance. The directors said that the fund had been
raised for a Soldiers' Home, where their own care could be
given to the sick and suffering soldier boys, such care as
no paid Government employees would give, and that all
would be subjected to the harsh regulations of Govemment
ser^rice. The money had been raised by great effort and
sacriflce, and it would be a betrayal of a trust to turn it
over to the Govemment. One quiet woman, who had
listened to all their arguments, but who had the independ
ent judgment to see things in their larger aspect, sug
gested that this was a matter not to be decided by
sentiment. She set forth that most of their money would
be needed for the proposed building, that it would mean a
constant struggle for years to pro"ride for its maintenance,
and a tax upon the energies of more than one generation
of Milwaukee women. Moreover, the National Home would
be of great value to their city, and in the end Wiscon
sin soldiers would be better cared for under Government
than private auspices.
These arguments appealed to the broad-minded directors
of the Association; and at the next meeting, which was
largely attended by the Association membership, it was
voted to accept the Govemment 's proposal, and merge
their home in a national one. '*

66 Personal recollections by A. W. Kellogg of Milwaukee, con
cerning the attitude and remarks of his wife at the directors^
meeting. [175I

WISCONSIN WOMEN IN THE WAR
With the transfer in July, 1867, of the property to the
board of commissioners of the National Asylum for Dis
abled Soldiers, the Wisconsin Solders' Home Association
ceased to exist. Dr. Wolcott and Mrs. Hewitt were a local
committee to choose the site, and selected the beautiful
grounds that are now the pride of the city.
During the period of its activity (from April 1864 to
July 1866) the Wisconsin Soldier's Home sheltered 31,650
soldiers, of whom more than 1,000 received medical treat
ment and of that number only twenty-eight died. "'
The Wisconsin Soldiers ' Home and the Milwaukee Home
Fair were promoted and managed by women, and the re
markable energy and business ability of Mrs. Lydia He"witt
and her assistants carried both these projects to success.
The whole episode was part of the uprising of the women
of the North, and shows the native ability and tireless per
sistency of the American woman of 1865.

«'' Illustrated News Annual, p. 53.

[176]

INDEX

Aid societibs, described, 22-46; statistics of, 46-48; reawak
ened, 54.
Aikens, Mrs. J. J., director of Soldiers' Home, 164.
Albion, aids Chicago fair, 159.
Alert Club, gathers funds, 25.
Alexandria (Va.), soldiers at, 77; hospitals, 113-115.
Allotment commissioners, duties, 121, 122.
Almond, supplies from, 54.
American Magazine, cited, 18, 110.
Appleton, supplies from, 46, 54; aids Home fair, 168.
Arkansas Post (Ark.), captured, 53.
Arlington Heights (Va.), Wisconsin troops at, 105.
Armies: Cumberland, threatened with scurvy, 45; hospitals for,
39, 52.
Atlanta (Ga.), Wisconsin soldiers at, 77.
Aubery, J. M., Thirty-sixth Wisconsin Infantry, 27.
Bacon, Georgeanna W., and Howland, Eliza W., Letter » of a,
Family, 111.
Baker, Mrs. — , aid acknowledged, 73.
Baraboo, supplies from, 54.
Baton Rouge (La.), Wisconsin soldiers at, 159.
Battles: Bull Run, 31; Chancellorsville, 41, 62; Port Donelson,
112; Fredericksburg, 41, 62; Pittsburg Landing, 34, 36, 112;
Resaca, 55; near Richmond, 37; Shiloh, 147.
Bear Creek (Miss.), Wisconsin troops at, 104.
Beaver Dam, aids Home fair, 168; rifle company, 12.
Beloit, flag made at, 9; supplies from, 32, 43, 46, 54; soldiers'
families at, 63, 95; aids Home fair, 168, 169.
Bennett, Mrs. James, aid acknowledged, 83.
12 [ ^77 ]

INDEX
Benton Barracks (Mo.), hospital at, 123.
Berlin, supplies from, 31, 54; aids Home fair, 168.
Bickerdyke, Mrs. Mary A., in Milwaukee, 55-57.
BiUings, J. H., Hard Tack and Coffee, 7, 30, 31.
Bissell, Katherine, in Christian Commission work, 152.
Bloor, Alfred, letters from, 54, 59, 60.
Bonnell, James, contributes to Home fair, 166.
Bristol, supplies from, 44.
Brockett, L. P., and Vaughan, M. C, Women's Work in the Civil
War, 49-53, 56, 125, 126, 130-132, 134.
Brodhead, Alert Club at, 24, 25.
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, "Parting Lovers," 17.
Burnell,^K. A., in Christian Commission work, 151.
Burton, R. W., superintends Orphans' Home, 146.
Burton, Mrs. R. W., matron of Orphans' Home, 146.
Butler, Anna B. (ed.), Centennial Records of Women of Wiscon
sin, 144, 146, 164, 170.
Buttrick, Mrs. E. L., plans Soldiers' Home, 161, 162; vice-presi
dent of association, 164.
Catro (IU.), hospital at, 52, 119; convalescents, 1-31; Christian
Commission work, 152.
Cameron, Don. 0. See Webster and Cameron.
Cameron, Simon, secretary of war, 19.
Camps: Scott, 10, 15. Randall, banquet at, 11-13; troops, 68,
115, 153; Confederate prisoners, 87; hospital, 144. Reno, 56.
Utley, 7. Washburn, 56.
Cape Girardeau (Mo.), hospitals at, 123-126.
Carr, Mrs. E. 8., aids Chicago fair, 156, 158.
Carter, Walter S,, organizes Wisconsin Christian Commission,
150.
Chicago, needs soldiers' home, 161; newspapers, 52; fair at, 155-
160; Christian Commission, 150; Philharmonic Society, 158;
Sanitary Commission, 20, 41, 43-45, 47, 51, 54, 66, 57. See
also Northwestern Sanitary Commission.
Chilton, soldiers' families at, 65.
Christian Commission. See United States Christian Commission.
Clinton Junction, Harveys at,' 118.
[178]

INDEX
Clothing, furnished by government, 31, 32; contracts for, 54, 57-
60.
Collins, Mason, enlists, 103.
CoUins, Sarah, desires to enlist, 103.
Colt, Joseph 8., Milwaukee lawyer, 50.
Colt, Mrs. Henrietta, in Aid Society work, 49, 54, 55, 67, 59, 60;
in the South, 51-54; Washington, 57, 59; aids Chicago fair,
156; characterized, 50, 51.
Columbia County, women farmers in, 83.
Columbus (Miss.), wounded at, 52.
Columbus (Wis.), supplies from, 54.
Confederate prisoners, at Camp Randall, 87, 88.
Corinth (Miss.), hospital at, 131.
Correspondence of Wisconsin Volunteers, 5, 8, 10-17, 28, 29, 31, 32,
35, 37, 38, 40, 64-67, 88, 93, 94, 97, 99-102, 104-107, 109, 112,
115, 117, 119, 120, 123, 153, 155.
Cottage Grove, provides for banquet, 11.
Culbertson, Dr. Howard, in charge of Harvey Hospital, 143, 144.
Culver, L. D., aid acknowledged, 103.
Curtis, Gen. Samuel R., aids Mrs. Harvey, 125.
Dakk Ooxtnty, banquets soldiers, 11-13; soldiers from, 76.
Daughters of the regiments, 100-102.
Delafield, Mrs. Louisa, in Milwaukee Aid Society, 49.
Delavan, supplies from, 54; aids Home fair, 168; woman from,
152.
Dickinson, Anna, services, 118.
Dix, Dorothea, pioneer nurse, 110, 118.
Doolittle, Judge James R., letter for, 121.
Doty, Mrs. — , aid acknowledged, 72, 79.
Dousman, Mrs. — , in Milwaukae Aid Society, 49.
Draper, J. W., Civil Warin America, 149.
Dunn County, resident, 100.
East Dblavah, supplies from, 46.
Eau Claire, aids Home fair, 168.
Eldred, Mrs. H. J., aid acknowledged, 74, 80, 87.
[179]

INDEX
Elkhorn, supplies from, 46.
EUenboro, soldier from, 103.
Ellsworth, Col. E. E., killed, 149.
Ely, Mrs. — See Mrs. Lydia Hewitt.
Enlistments, how stimulated, 2-6.
Ensign, Mrs. Annie Johnson, in Christian Commission work, 153.
Ewbank, Hannah, daughter of Seventh regiment, 102.
Farms, operated by women, 78-83.
Fisk, Gen. Clinton B., headquarters, 52.
Pite, E. D., Social and Industrial Conditions during the Civil War,
78,85, 86, 147-449; "Agricultural Development ofthe West."
78.
Fitzgerald, Mrs. — , aid acknowledged, 71 .
Flags, presented to regiments, 7-10; at Chicago fair, 158.
Pond du Lac, aids fairs, 157, 168, 169.
Forts: Donelson, 112; Pickering, 131; Sumter, 1, 9, 118.
Fox Lake, supplies from, 46, 54.
Freedmen, schools for, 151.
Gaylord, Adj. Gen. Augustus, hears of governor's death, 130.
Geneva, soldiers' families at, 65.
Germans, aid fairs, 157, 158, 168.
GUbert, Prank L., oration, 146, 147.
Ginseng, gathered for sale, 65.
Good Templars, aid Home fair, 168.
Goodrich, P. B., The Tribute Book, 158.
Grand Rapids, aids Home fair, 168.
Grant, Gen. Ulysses 8., army threatened with scurvy, 43, 46,
aids Mrs. Harvey, 131.
Grant County, flag from, 8; supplies, 29; Veterans' Assooiatioi,
70, 74.
Green, Reuben, mentioned, 3.
Green Bay, quilt from, 26, 27; supplies, 46, 54; aids fairs, 159;
168.
Green County, provision for soldiers' families, 64.
Griswold, Miss — , donation, 169.
[iSo]

INDEX
Hadlbt, Miss A. M., Wisconsin nurse, 112.
Hammond, Gen. William A., in charge of hospitals, 121.
Harrisburg (Pa.), Wisconsin Sixth Infantry at, 99.
Hartford, supplies from, 46; aids Home fair, 168.
Harvey, Mrs. Cordelia A. P., early life, 118; husband's death,
119-121; sanitary agent, 122, 123; in Southern hospitals, 123-
133; visits to Lincoln, 132, 134-143; founds Orphans' Home,
144-147; aids Chicago fair, 156; portrait, frontispiece.
Harvey, Gov. Louis P., calls for supplies, 34; distributes aid, 36;
marriage, 118; elected governor, 118, 119; death, 120, 147;
hospital named for, 141.
Harvey Hospital, supplies for, 56, 57; founded, 141, 143, 144;
site, 147.
Harvey Zouaves, equipped, 119.
"Havelocks," uselessness of, 21.
Hazel Green, supplies from, 46.
Helena (Ark.), hospitals at, 126.
Henshaw, Mrs. S. E., Our Branch and its Tributaries, 10, 21, 37,
39, 42-45, 48, 51.
Hewitt, Mrs. Lydia, plans Soldiers' Home, 161, 162; president of
association, 164, 166, 173, 174, 176.
Hoge, Mrs. A. H., in Southern hospitals, 51, 52, 75, 76; sanitary
work, 41, 56; promotes fair, 155.
Hollanders, aid Home fair, 168.
Holton, E. D., allotment commissioner, 121.
Some Fair Journal, 163-165, 167-169, 171, 173.
Hopkins, Mrs. B. F., edits pamphlet, 89.
Horicon, aids Home fair, 168.
Hosmer, Harriet, sculptor, 173.
Hospitals, bad conditions in, 108, 109, 112, 113, 116; Governor
Harvey visits, 119, 120; Wisconsin women in, 51-53, 113-116,
133-133; in Northern states, 132, 134-144; matrons for, 115,
116.
"Housewives," furnished soldiers, 27.
Howe, Elias, inventor, 85.
Howe, Timothy O., letter from, 12; petitions for hospital, 134.
Howland, Eliza W. See Bacon and Howland.
[iSi]

INDEX
Hoyt, Mrs. J. W., edits pamphlet, 89.
Hudson, soldiers' families at, 65.
Hurlbutt, Trume, mentioned, 3.
iLLmois, contributions from, 46-48; suffers from drought, 43.
Ilsley, Miss Lottie, in Milwaukee Aid Society, 58.
Iowa, women farmers in, 80; supplies from, 43, 46, 47.
Iron Ridge, aids Home fair, 168.
Ironton (Ky.), hospital at, 126.
Island Number Ten, captured, 87.
Jackson, Mrs. Margaret, in Aid Society work, 49.
Jackson, Mrs. William, in Milwaukee Aid Society. 58.
Jackson (Miss.), hospital at, 131.
Janesville, entertains regiment, 14; supplies from, 27, 28, 54; aids
Home fair, 168; Light Guard, 13; Gazette, 107.
Jefferson, soldiers' families at, 65.
Jeffersonville, supplies from, 32. ,
Johnson, Rossiter, History of War of Secession, 18.
Kbllbt, Mrs. C. V., in Milwaukee Aid Society, 58.
Kellogg, Mrs. A. W., infiuence on Soldiers' Home directors, 175.
Kenosha, banquets regiment, 14, 15; soldiers' families at, 75; early
settlers, 118.
Kentucky, invaded, 36.
Keyes, Elisha W., aid acknowledged, 103.
Kilbourn City, soldiers' families at, 65; aids Home fair, 168.
Kimball, Mrs. J. M., director of Soldiers' Home, 164.
King, Gen. Rufus, at Milwaukee, 10.
Kingston, reception at, 13.
Knitting for soldiers, 29, 30.
La Crosse, regiments feasted at, 11; aids Home fair, 168.
Lafonte, Mrs. — , aids soldier's family, 70.
La Grange (Mo.), hospital at, 131.
Lake Mills, soldiers from, 103; aids Home fair, 168.
Lake Monona, hospital near, 143.
Lamertine, aids Home fair, 168.
[182I

INDEX
Lancaster, flag made at, 8; aids Home fair, 168.
Leindecker, Mrs. Isabel, anecdote of, 69-71.
Letters, for soldiers and their families, 92-98.
Lewis, Gov. James T., plans Orphans' Home, 145; aids Home
fair, 167.
Lincoln, Abraham, call for troops, 18; authorizes Sanitary Com
mission, 19; medallions of, 169; interviewed by Mrs. Harvey,
135-142.
Lint, methods of preparing, 25, 26.
Little Rock (Ark.), Christian Oommission at, 152.
Liverjnore, Mrs. Mary E., sanitary work, 41, 45, 52, 56; promotes
fairs, 155, 161; visits Wisconsin, 80-82; My Story ofthe War,
19, 30, 52, 83, 93, 108, 155, 156.
Lodi, soldiers' families at, 67.
Louisville (Ky.), woman worker at, 49.
Love, William De Loss, Wisconsin in the War of the RebeUion, 7,
10, 54, 64, 123.
Lyon, Col. William P., incident concerning, 106, 107.
Lyon, Mrs. WUUam P., with the army, 106, 107.
McClube, Mrs. — , in Milwaukee Aid Society, 49.
Mclntyre, G. H., aid acknowledged, 130.
Madison, soldiers feasted at, 11-13; supplies from, 34, 43, 46;
contributions, 63, 145, 153, 157, 160, 173; hospital at, 131, 143;
aids soldiers' familien, 68, 69; cares for prisoners, 88; cloth
ing contract at, 58; Ladies Union League, 68, 89, 90; semin
ary, 169; newspaper, 75; interview at, 83. See also Camp
Randall.
Manitowoc, mentioned, 71; aids fairs, 157, 168, 169.
Manitowoc County, donation from, 169.
Marquette, daughter of regiment from, 102; aids Ohicago fair,
159.
Maryland, invaded, 36.
Mauston, aids Home fair, 168.
Mazomanie, supplies from, 54; aids Home fair, 168.
Melrose, aid society at, 42.
Memphis (Tenn.), hospitals at, 53, 126, 129-131; supplies for, 51;
Christian Commission at, 151, 152.
[183]

INDEX
Menasha Wooden Ware Company, employs women, 85.
Menomonie, daughter ol regiment from, 100.
Merrill, Mrs. S. S., director of Soldiers' Home, 164.
Michigan, drought in, 43; supplies from, 46.
Middleton, provides for banquet, 11.
Milwaukee, flag presented at, 10; regiments, 11, 15-17; supplies
from, 29, 30, 34-36, 43, 44, 46, 47, 54; hospital at, 143, 144;
aids Chicago fair, 157-160; Soldiers' Home, 161-176; govern
ment home, 174-176; Chamber of Commerce, 55; College, 169;
cemetery, 165; park, 168; zouaves, 38; News Annual, 166;
Sunday Telegraph, 26, 76; Wisconsin, 34. Bee also Wisconsin
Aid Society.
Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien Railroad, gives transportation, 58.
Minnesota, soldier from, 128.
Missouri, invaded, 36, 123.
Mitchell, Alexander, contributes to fair, 166.
Monroe, aids Home fair, 168.
Moore, Prank, Women of the War, 57, 76, 148.
Mosby, John S., guerrilla leader, 59.
Mound City (Ark.), hospital at, 119.
National Asylum for Disabled Soldiers, located at Milwaukee,
174-176.
National Tribune, cited, 25.
Nazro, Mrs. John, in Milwaukee Aid Society, 49.
New Orleans (La.), hospitals at, 132, 137.
New York city. Christian Commission organized at, 148.
Northwestern Sanitary Commission, fair, 155-160; Reports, 47, 51.
See also Chicago.
Oak Creek, supplies from, 54.
Oconomowoc, aids Home fair, 168.
Oconto, soldiers' families at, 65.
Ogden, Mrs. — , in Milwaukee Aid Society, 49.
Ohio, soldiers from, 39.
"Old Abe," at Home fair, 173.
Olin, Mrs. D. A., director of Soldiers' Home, 164.
Olmstead, Frederick Law, in Sanitary Commission, 40.
[184]

INDEX
Omro, aids Home fair, 168.
Osceola Mills, donations from, 169.
Oshkosh, regiments feasted at, 11; supplies from, 46; army
nurse, 113; aids Home fair, 168.
Paducah (Ky.), hospital at, 119.
Pennsylvania, invaded, 36.
Perrine family, in Kenosha, 118.
Peterson, Belle, enlists in army, 103.
Philadelphia, women join Christian Commission, 150.
Pittsburg Landing (Tenn.), hospital at, 119, 120. Bee also Battles.
Platteville, contribution to soldiers' families, 63; aids Home fair,
168.
Plover, aids Home fair, 168, 169.
Pollis, Mrs. H. A., letter from, 42.
Port Pulton, supplies from, 32.
Port Washington, supplies from, 55.
Portage, supplies from, 54.
Porter, Mrs. Eliza, petitions for Northern hospitals, 134, 135.
Prairie du Chien, supplies from, 46; soldiers' families at, 82;
hospital, 143, 144; aids Home fair, 168; Sacred Heart
Academy, 144.
Prairie du Sac, supplies from, 54; aids Home fair, 168, 169.
Prescott, aids Home fair, 168.
Prices, in war times, 73, 74.
Quarterly Journal of Eeonomics, cited, 78.
Quincy (111.), hospitals at, 139.
Quiner, E. B., collects clippings, 5; Military History of Wisconsin,
34, 122, 134.
Quinine, used in army, 27, 33,
Racine, camp at, 7; flag described, 8; dinner at, 11; supplies
from, 31, 43, 44; sanitary agent, 112; soldiers, 37.
Randall, Gov. Alexander W., message of, 1, 2.
Read, Thomas B., "Wagoner of the Alleghanles," cited, 61.
Ream's Station (Va.), prisoner taken at, 75.
[i8s]

INDEX
Rebellion Records, 110, 116.
Recruits, drilled, 6, 7.
Reedsburg, aids Home fair, 168.
Retrenchment, the Duty of Womsn of the North, 89-91.
Rhodes, James Ford, History of the United States, 62.
Richland County, provides for soldiers' families, 66, 85.
Riehr, Mrs. C. A., in Milwaukee Aid Society, 49.
Ripon, cavalry company, 31; soldiers' families at, 65; supplies
from, 55; aids Home fair, 168, 169.
Rittenhouse, Edward, aid acknowledged, 144.
River Falls, aids Home fair, 168.
Rivers: Mississippi, 125, 139, 151; Tennessee, 147.
Robinson, Mrs. Mary BurneU, in Christian Oommission work,
151, 152.
Rochester, aids Home fair, 168.
Rock County, oflioials in, 118.
Rogers, Earl M., cited, 3S.
Rogers, Mrs. J. H., director of Soldiers' Home, 164.
Rogers, John, sculptor, 173.
RoUa (Mo.), Wisconsin troops at, 105, 106; hospital, 136.
Rood, H. W., "One little Mother,'' 76-78; Company E and the
Twelfth Wisconsin, 3-7.
Rubicon, aids Home fair, 168.
Sage, gathered for sale, 85.
St. Louis (Mo.), Wisconsin troops at, 37, 104, 105; hospital, 129;
medical director, 127-129; convalescents, 131; sanitary agent,
122, 123, 125; donations for, 49, 56, 57; Sanitary Commission,
54. See also Western Sanitary Commission.
Salem, supplies from, 46.
Salisbury (N. O.), prison at, 75.
Salomon, Gov. Edward, appoints sanitary agents, 122; letters for,
125, 129; desires hospitals, 134.
Salomon, Mrs. Edward, visits Southern hospitals, 105, 106; edits
pamphlet, 89; aids fairs, 156, 157, 173.
Sanitary Oommission. See United States Sanitary Commission.
Sanitary Reporter, cited, 45.
Sauk City, aids Chicago fair, 157.
[i86]

INDEX
Sauk County rifles, leave home, 13.
Savannah (Tenn.), Governor Harvey drowned at, 130.
Schuyler, Louisa Lee, in Sanitary Commission, 22-24, 118.
Scurvy, attempts to prevent, 42-46.
Selkirk, Mrs. James, aid acknowledged, 124.
Sewing-machines, use of, 85, 86.
Sheboygan, supplies from, 43, 46, soldiers' families at, 65; aids
Home fair, 168; Telegram, 9.
Sherman, Gen. William T., commands on Mississippi, 51, 52.
Shopiere, Harveys at, 118.
Showalter, Mrs. Martha, aid acknowledged, 8, 73, 102.
ShuUsburg, aids Chicago fair, 159.
Simmons, Mary E., aid acknowledged, 9, 28, 29, 42, 95.
Singer sewing-machines, 86.
Skinner, Mary E., aid acknowledged, 147.
Soldiers' Orphans' Home (Madison), described, 144-147.
Solomon, Jim, mentioned, 3.
Somers, aids Home fair, 168.
Sparta, soldiers' families at, 65; aids Home fair, 168, 169.
Spiritualists, aid Home fair, 168.
Spring Prairie, supplies from, 44.
Stanton, Edwin M., secretary of war, 136, 137.
Stevens Point, aids Home fair, 168, 169.
Sun Prairie, provides for banquet, 11.
Swift Hospital, at Prairie du Chien, 144.
Tallmadge, Mrs. J. J., director of Soldiers' Home, 164.
Tarbell, Ida M., "The American Woman," 18, 110.
Teale, Mrs. — , cited, 40.
Tennessee, battles in, 34, 36, 123.
Thwaites, R. G., "Cyrus Hall McCormick and the Reaper," 78;
Wisconsin, 143.
Troy, aids Home fair, 168.
Trumbull, Henry C, War Memoirs of a Chaplain, 92, 94.
Turner, Mrs. — , army nurse. 113.
Turn-Verein, members aid Home fair, 168.
Tustin, soldiers' families at, 75.
[187]

INDEX
Tuttle, C. R., History of Wisconsin, 50, 53, 120, 136, 130-132.
Two Rivers, aids Home fair, 168.
United States, postal facilities for army, 93, 94; Census Reports^
83, 84.
United States Christian Commission, purposes, 148, 149; supplies,
114, 153, 154; women's part in, 150-152; criticized, 155;
Wisconsin branch, 150, 151; Ladies' Auxiliaries, 150.
United States Sanitary Oommission, described, 18-30; forwards
supplies, 33, 34, 39, 40, 45; opposed, 37, 38; fights scurvy,
42-46; revived, 41, 42; relief for soldiers' families, 59, 60;
Wisconsin agent, 112; Milwaukee branch, 49-60; statistics,
46-48; holds fair, 155-160; Bulletin, 20, 22, 27, 46, 54, 60;
Documents, 40. Bee also Aid Societies, Northwestern Sani
tary Commission, and Western Sanitary Commission.
Van Valkenburg, Mrs. Susannah, services, 113-115.
Van Vechten, Peter, aid acknowledged, 162, 173.
Vaughan, M. C. See Brockett and Vaughan.
Vedder, Mrs. Hannah, plans Soldiers' Home, 161, 162.
Vernon County, enlistment in, 5.
Vicksburg, captured, 36; supplies for, 45, 51; Grant besieges,
131; hospitals at, 132, 139; Christian Commission work, 153.
Virginia, Wisconsin women in camps of, 107.
Viroqua, aids Home fair, 168; Leader, 33.
Walker, George, secures government home, 174.
Walker, Mrs. George, presents flag, 10.
Wallin, A. 0., aid acknowledged, 82.
Washington (D. 0.), hospitals at, 31; Mrs. Harvey, 132, 134-142,
145; Milwaukee committee, 174.
Waterman, J. H., "Rosendale Squad," 25.
Waterford, aids Home fair, 168.
Watertown, supplies from, 28, 46; aids fairs, 157, 168.
Waukesha, soldiers' family at, 73; aids Home fair, 168.
Waupaca, patriotic teacher at, 86, 87; interviews by author, 71,
72, 79, 80, 87.
Wausau, aids Home fair, 168.
[i88]

INDEX
Waushara County, enlistments in, 6; women farmers, 79, 89.
Wauwatosa, supplies from, 55.
Webster, Dan, and Cameron, Don C, Story of First Wisconsin,
Battery, 5-7.
West Bend, aids Home fair, 168.
West Milwaukee, collects vegetables, 44.
Western Sanitary Commission, supplies, 125, 131. See also
St. Louis.
Weyauwega, soldiers' families at, 80.
Wheeler & Wilson sewing machines, 85.
Whitewater, supplies from, 43, 44; soldiers' families at, 65; aids
Home fair, 168.
Williams, Serg. — , death of wife, 107.
Williamsburg (Va.), Wisconsin soldiers at, 77.
Wilson, Eliza, daughter of Fifth regiment, 100-102.
Wilson, Mrs. Teresa, "A Memory of War Times," 74.
Wilson, William, Wisconsin senator, 100.
Windsor, supplies from, 44.
Winneconne, aids Home fair, 168.
Wisconsin, sparse population, 43, 47; adjutant-general, 65;
quartermaster-general, 58; secretary of state, 59; surgeon-
general's Report, 144; hospitals in, 133, 143; supplies from,
43-48; provision for soldiers' families, 63-66; sanitary agents,
116, 117, 132-133; women's occupations in, 78-84; grant to
Soldiers' Home, 163; aids Chicago fair, 158-160; schools aid
Home fair, 170-172; soldiers, 147; 1st Infantry, 10, 14, 32; 2nd
Cavah-y, 132; 3d Cavalry, 104; 4th Infantry, 11-13, 65, 159; Sth
Battery, 173; 5th Infantry, 11-13, 100-103; 6th Infantry, 32,
33, 99, 105; 7th Infantry, 14, 31, 32, 102, 104, 107; Sth Infantry,
33, 104, 106, 173; 11th Infantry, 104; 13th Infantry, 106; 19th
Infantry, 87, 88; 21st Infantry, 173; 22nd Infantry, 175; 24th
Infantry, 16, 17, 173; 25th Infantry, 173; 36th Infantry, 27.
Wisconsin Christian Oommission, 150, 151.
Wisconsin Historical Society, library, 5; Proceedings, 78.
Wisconsin Soldiers' Aid Society, 49-60; Report, 57, 58, 60.
Wisconsin Soldiers' and Citizens' Biographical Record, 114.
Wisconsin State Journal, cited, 2.
[189]

INDEX
Wolcott, Dr. E. B., surgeon-general, 34, 148, 144; secures^ gov
ernment home, 174-176.
Wofnan's Central Association of Relief, formed, 18, 23.
Woodland, aids Home fair, 168.
Wording, W. E., sanitary agent, 112.
Wording, Mrs. W. E., acts as nurse, 112.
Young's Point (La.), hospital at, 52, 131, 132.

[ 190 1

YALE UNIVERSITY

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