The Women of the ConfederacyUnderwood, J. L. (John Levi)
History
The Women of the Confederacy
Underwood, J. L. (John Levi)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Anecdotes; Women -- Confederate States of America
As the two armies confronted each other two miles to the north and
northwest of Jonesboro, it so happened that the little house and farm
of a poor old widow was just between the two lines of battle when the
conflict opened, and, having nowhere to go, she was necessarily caught
between the fire of the two commanding lines of battle, which was at
comparatively close range and doing fierce and deadly work. The house
and home of this old lady was soon converted into a Federal hospital,
and with the varying fortunes she was alternately within the lines of
each contending army, when not between them on disputed ground.
During the whole of this eventful day this good and brave woman,
exposed as she was to the incessant showers of shot and shell from
both sides, moved fearlessly about among the wounded and dying of both
sides alike, and without making the slightest distinction. Finally
night closed the scene with General Schofield's army corps in
possession of the ground, and when the morning dawned it found this
grand old lady still at her post of duty, knowing, too, as she did,
the fortunes, or rather misfortunes, of war had stripped her of the
last vestige of property she had except her little tract of land which
had been laid waste. Now it was that General John M. Schofield, having
known her suffering and destitute condition, sent her, under escort
and arms, a large wagon-load of provisions and supplies, and caused
his adjutant-general to write her a long and touching letter of
thanks, and wound up the letter with a special request that she keep
it until the war was over and present it to the United States
government, and they would repay all her losses.
She kept the letter, and soon after the Southern Claims Commission was
established she brought it to the writer, who presented her claim in
due form, and she was awarded about $600--all she claimed, but not
being all she lost. The letter is now on file with other proofs of the
exact truth of this statement with the files of the Southern Claims
Commission at Washington. Her name was Allie McPeek, and she died
several years ago.
WINCHESTER WOMEN
[Fremantle's Three Months in Southern Lines.]
Winchester used to be a most agreeable town, and its society extremely
pleasant. Many of its houses are now destroyed or converted into
hospitals, the outlook miserable and dilapidated. Its female
inhabitants (for the able-bodied males are all absent in the army) are
familiar with the bloody realities of war. As many as 5,000 wounded
have been accommodated here at one time. All the ladies are accustomed
to the bursting of shells and the sight of fighting, and all are
turned into hospital nurses or cooks.
SPARTA IN MISSISSIPPI
[Gen. J. B. Gordon.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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