Identifier: mystoryofwarwoma1889live (find matches)
Title: My story of the war: a woman's narrative of four years personal experience as nurse in the Union army, and in relief work at home, in hospitals, camps, and at the front, during the war of the rebellion
Year: 1889 (1880s)
Authors: Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice, 1820-1905
Subjects: United States Sanitary Commission Flags
Publisher: Hartford, A. D. Worthington and company
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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o do but dresswounds and administer medicines. She drew outclean shirts or drawers from some corner, wheneverthey were needed. Nourishment was ready for everyman as soon as he was brought on board. Everyone was sponged from blood and the frozen mire ofthe battle-field, as far as his condition allowed. Hisblood-stiffened, and sometimes horribly filthy uni-form, was exchanged for soft and clean hospitalgarments. Incessant cries of Mother! Mother!Mother! rang through the boat, in every note ofbeseeching and anguish. And to every man sheturned with a heavenly tenderness, as if he wereindeed her son. She moved about with a decisiveair, and gave directions in such decided, clariontones as to ensure prompt obedience. We all had S r* g-l I ^ i^; H a i7 ■ m ^ ^ ^ ^ ^^ n> o ^- r) s. w, 0) tr H f» a. ^ 8 N-: Tl C5 s ^ ^^ 0 o ^^1 D- -l J—J S-^ 1^ CO- y? 5 oo- § ^ X r o5. ^ § ^ V c o3 CO. 1 3 n> ^ 00. CL r J3^ n K ^ >- CO f^ o N:;. ^ ■?H. (r ^(^ te « p. > d 0 ^ PJ pL O 0) y 8
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OJSr THE BATTLE-FIELD AT NIGHT. 487 an impression that she held a commission from theSecretary of War, or at least from the Governor ofIllinois. To every surgeon who was superior, sheheld herself subordinate, and was as good at obeyingas at commanding. And yet, at that time, she heldno position whatever, and was receiving no compen-sation for her services; not even the beggarly pit-tance of thirteen dollars per month allowed bygovernment to army nurses. At last it was believed that all the wounded hadbeen removed from the field, and the relief partiesdiscontinued their work. Looking from his tent atmidnight, an officer observed a faint light flittinghither and thither on the abandoned battle-field, and,after puzzling over it for some time, sent his servantto ascertain the cause. It was Mother Bickerdyke,with a lantern, still groping among the dead. Stoop-ing down, and turning their cold faces towards her,she scrutinized them searchingly, uneasy lest somemight be left to die uncared fo

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