USA > Pennsylvania > Martial deeds of Pennsylvania, Vol. 2 > Part 42
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of the Meadville Relief Association, in arousing the active interest of those throughout the entire county who might other- wise have been lukewarm or indifferent, in conducting the daily duties of her office, receiving material in every variety of form and condition, preparing and packing for transportation, and con- ducting a correspondence with other societies and with agents at distant points. Her friend, Miss E. G. Huidekoper, says of her : " Thoroughness was one of Mrs. Moore's characteristics. What- ever she undertook, she endeavored to do in the best way, at whatever cost of toil and energy to herself. Her labors were not confined to the Relief Rooms. Almost the whole of her strength and time were devoted to the work before going to the Rooms, and after her return, frequently till late at night, though very weary with the duties at the society meeting. She wrote many letters to neighboring societies and to individuals whom she thought would contribute, encouraging them to continue their donations, or giving needed information, and promptly acknowl- edging contributions."
During the year 1863 there were shipped from the Rooms eighty-six boxes, twenty-one barrels, and sixteen firkins, to the fol- lowing points : Fortress Monroe, Frederick, Baltimore, Washing- ton, Philadelphia, Gettysburg, and Cleveland. The material usually came in crude form, and everything needed to be assorted and prepared for transportation. All this received her constant personal supervision. There were made up at the Rooms of the Central Society in Meadville, 3536 yards of cotton, and 600 yards of flannel. The parties to whom these packages were addressed are unanimous in their acknowledgment of their great value and excellent condition. In a letter from the Central Office for Northern Ohio, at Cleveland, the Manager says : " As always, they were extremely valuable. You have accomplished wonders in your society, and especially have you in your own person." Again on the 18th and 20th of July, 1863, Miss Mahan writes : " We have received from your society, twelve boxes and one keg of hospital stores. I will not attempt to repeat, what Miss Brayton has so often expressed to you, our cordial, hearty admi- ration of your noble society." Again, on the 31st, the same hand acknowledges the receipt, "July 22d, of one keg, July 24th, of
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MRS. HANNAH MOORE.
six boxes and one keg, and July 28th, of five boxes (Nos. 70 to 82, inclusive). For them all you have our renewed thanks. Your first shipment of last week of twelve boxes and one keg was sent on the 24th to Louisville, for Vicksburg and Port Hudson. The remainder will be forwarded next week to Nashville." We thus see how the patient labors of this devoted woman, far removed from danger or the excitement of arriving and departing troops, resulted in scattering comforts and relief at the great centres of conflict at a time when urgently needed. From Fred- erick, Maryland, on the 27th of August, Miss Bantz writes: "The boxes were received, after some delay, in good condition; for which please accept our thanks, as also for the kind interest you manifest toward us. If all in charge had their hearts in the work, it would add greatly to the comfort of our brave boys, who have so nobly left their homes and loved ones for the cause."
From St. Louis, the Rev. W. G. Eliot, D. D., writes : " We acknowledge with much pleasure the receipt of two admirably well-filled boxes, which arrived yesterday in excellent order. As there are now nearly 2000 in hospital here, and 500 more expected from the interior camps, or with the returning army, your kindness will not have been in vain."
Mr. Joseph Shippen, an agent of the Sanitary Commission, who was employed on the Gettysburg field soon after the close of the battle, writes on the 30th of July : "A pleasing feature of the hospital was that our men bore so heroically, almost jubi- lantly, their sufferings. A soldier would tell you first what regiment he belonged to, and where he was hit, and then, 'Oh, but didn't we make them skedaddle! They thought they were going to fight nothing but militia, and found here the old Army of the Potomac.' Whatever the individual loss, whether one leg or two, every man rejoiced in the battle gained. A second redeeming feature was the grand manifestation of the patriotism, humanity, and Christianity of our land through the voluntary relief afforded to the sufferers. Surrounded by a pile of boxes, on one of which she was seated, a lady with an intelligent face, in very plain attire, was pointed out to me as Miss Dix. Mrs. Harris of Philadelphia was also on the ground with stores. The Baltimore firemen had a depot from which were distributed many
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supplies to our wounded. The Adams' Express Company also had stores which were devoted to the same good object. The Christian Commission was largely represented by some two hundred delegates, for the most part preachers and divinity students from all parts of the country. On this emergency the same promptness and liberality was shown by the Sanitary Com- mission that has marked its course on all the great battle-fields of the war. With Meade's advancing columns several army wagon-loads of supplies were pushed forward and afforded great relief on the second and third days of the fight. While the cannon were dealing out death and destruction, these gifts of the people possessed a life-saving power. Some of the surgeons were ready to exclaim, " In the name of heaven, where did the Sani- tary Commission come from !" . .. Among the many articles dealt out with liberal hand to the hospitals were ten thousand pounds of fresh soft bread, ten thousand pounds of fresh poultry packed in ice, five tons of fresh vegetables, ten thousand dozen of fresh eggs, five thousand shirts and drawers, three hundred boxes of lemons and oranges, one ton of tamarinds, ten thousand pounds of condensed milk, and a like amount of concentrated beef, together with large quantities of sheets, towels, slippers, gowns, bandages, fans, etc. These rude estimates of quantities were made of what had been distributed during the first two weeks after the battle. . . . Coming through the regular channels of supply, the wounded are generally ignorant that they are the free-will offering of the people. I asked a wounded man from Crawford county where he had got his clean white shirt and drawers, and he did not know until I showed and explained to him the mark of the 'U. S. San. Com.' . .. The Commission dealt out generously to the wounded rebels, and many were the expressions of appreciation and thanks made by surgeons, officers, and men. . . . The Commission did a grand work of special relief . in feeding, sheltering, and assisting the wounded at the railroad station before starting for Baltimore. . . . Each day hundreds would find their way to the town from the woods and fields with heads bound up or arm in a sling, or with wound in the foot or leg, not so severe as to prevent their limping along or hobbling with the help of a fence-rail or pole cut in the woods. Poor
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MRS. HANNAH MOORE.
fellows ! it made one's heart bleed to see them tottering along, so weak and so suffering. At the depot we had six large tents, where they could lie and rest on clean hay, have their wounds dressed, receive food and such articles of clothing as they needed. . . . Hot soup and hot coffee were always kept ready, and fresh . bread, soft crackers, and cold water were at hand in abundance. Thus from six to twelve hundred wounded were fed each day for a fortnight."
A letter addressed to Mrs. Moore by Miss Brayton, of the 11th of August, thus acknowledges the value and extent of her labors: " Miss Mahan tells me that the receipts from your society are 'perfectly astonishing.' I can well believe it, when I remember that you are charged with the whole duty of arousing the county, gathering in donations, packing and shipping. The task you have imposed upon yourself is a heavy one. I hope your health will not fail under it. We are always glad to hear that a Mead- ville Box is on the way, knowing its contents will rejoice many a poor sufferer's heart." The solicitude expressed in the above extract for the health of Mrs. Moore proved to have been reason- ably excited. It was impossible that the most firm and enduring constitution could long withstand the strain which she volun- tarily took upon herself. Wearing labors by day, and anxiety by night, made such inroads upon her strength that she was finally obliged to resign her office of President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Association, being succeeded by Mrs. William Thorpe, and after a short illness sank to the grave, as really a martyr to the cause of her country as he who pours out his lifeblood upon the field of battle. In personal appearance she was rather above the medium height, of fine figure, with dark and expres- ' sive eyes, easy and graceful in her manners. She had that kindness of heart which prompts to generous action, and which lies at the foundation of politeness and attractiveness in social life. Gifted by nature with more than ordinary mental endowments, persons of high culture enjoyed her society for the vivacity of her spirit, for her quickness of appreciation, and that subtle refinement of thought which is more of a gift than an acquisition, betokening the finest mould of humanity. On the other hand she won the hearts of those in humble life by the
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abandon with which she placed herself in communion and sym- pathy with their condition, their trials or their sufferings. She had a wonderful faculty of animating others with her own zeal and enthusiasm, and her magnetic power made those about her esteem it a privilege, instead of a drudgery, to be permitted to cooperate with her in her labors.
Her good taste, her love of order, and her kindness of heart all came into play in her efforts in behalf of the sick and wounded soldiers during the war, and she remained at her post of duty until failing health drove her away from it. The following stanzas formed part of an obituary notice, and the prediction in the concluding lines finds its fulfilment in the memorial wreath annually placed upon her grave on Decoration Day, by the Boys in Blue, who hold her services and sacrifices in their behalf in grateful remembrance :
. " The poor, whose humble homes ye oft have sought, With blessings breathed thy name ; And the sick soldier on his lonely cot, To whom thy offerings came-
" Genial alike unto the old and young, E'en childhood at thy knee, Spell-bound, with radiant visage, hung, Charmed with thy sympathy.
" Farewell ! thy cheerful voice which banish'd gloom Is lost to social ring ; Yet loving hands shall ofttimes strew thy tomb With the fresh flowers of spring."
CHAPTER III.
HE UNION VOLUNTEER REFRESHMENT SALOON of Philadelphia, a name dear to many a soldier in the late war, originated in an humble but generous impulse of humanity and patriotism. As the troops began to move towards the National Capital, in response to the call of the President, it was seen that by the time they had reached Phila- delphia, journeying from New England, New York, and States from the West, and even from parts nearer, they needed some rest, nutritious food, warm drink, and a spark of the humanizing influ- ence which comes from a generous deed. The Sixth Massachusetts, which had been quartered at the Girard House, was joined by Colonel Small's regiment, and these, in Baltimore, were attacked by the mob, some killed, several wounded, and the road destroyed, cutting off further travel by that route. After this, troops were compelled to go by Annap- olis. As there was delay in moving, at first they were fed upon the street, or taken into the houses of people living in the neigh- borhood of the Baltimore Depot, on Broad street. The offering was from the heart, many bestowing from their own scanty stores, one poor woman giving away all her customers' milk. Seeing that the calls were becoming frequent, and recognizing the pressing necessity of allowing none to pass uncared for, Mr. Bazilla S. Brown gave notice that he would receive contribu- tions of material for this purpose, and with eleven pounds of coffee, he commenced the work of dispensing from a table improvised from boards wrenched from a neighboring fence. Thus humble were the beginnings of this noble charity.
Those who were active in the work were laboring men and could ill afford to lose time and sleep in waiting and watching.
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MARTIAL DEEDS OF PENNSYLVANIA.
Accordingly, by an arrangement with the railroad companies, the coming of troops was telegraphed, so that preparations could be duly timed. The first notice was of the Eighth New York, 800 strong, to arrive at three o'clock on the morning of the 28th of May, 1861 .. On the back of this telegram Mr. Paul I. Field wrote to Mr. Arad Barrows: "The bearer of this, Mr. B. S. Brown, is in every way responsible. If you will lend him the kettle he wants I will guarantee its safe return." The kettle was duly delivered from the establishment of Messrs. Savery & Co., and the regiment, which was that of Colonel Blenker, received refreshment on Washington Avenue, possession being taken of a vacant boat-house in the neighborhood for making the necessary preparations. This building on the Ist of June was leased, and appropriately fitted. The lease stood in the name of Mr. B. S. Brown, and an organization was effected, known as the Volun- teer Refreshment Saloon, subsequently changed to the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon. A few days later another huge boiler was procured, and the two connected and ingeniously com- bined with ovens, so that a moving column of large proportions could be quickly supplied. That every soldier might enjoy the luxury of a free ablution, the Fairmount water was led into the building, and a long line of bowls provided where soap and snowy napkins were plentifully supplied. With every body of troops, whether going to or from the field, were always some languish- ing, often too sick to pursue their journey. To accommodate such, a hospital-the very first to be established in any part of the country-was opened, over which Dr. Eliab Ward presided, giving his services through the entire war without reward other than that which follows a good deed incited by a pure motive. This was provided with drugs and medicines gratuitously contributed, and furnished with comfortable cots. Books, periodicals, and papers were supplied, and noble, kind-hearted women volunteered their services, leaving comfortable homes by day and by night, to minis- ter to the weary and war-worn soldiers. Nearly eleven thousand sick and wounded in the progress of the war were nursed, and received medical attendance, nearly twice that number had their wounds dressed, and over forty thousand had a night's lodging.
,
segí no
Samuel B Fales
:
"THE SOLDIER'S FRIEND'
UNION VOLUNTEER REFRESHMENT SALOON.
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" The Soldier here, upon his wistful way From Peace to War (sad contrast), paused an hour;
Just near enough to death to own his sway- Just far enough from home to feel its power:
" This nicely-balanced moment found the word And work of solace ready for his heart ;
A thousand cups rose reeking on the board As by the touch of the magician's art.
....
" The care-worn matron, at the signal's call, Gave her own breakfast to that mother's son
Who'd left behind a thousand miles his all, While she who bore him bravely urged him on."
The charities of this institution were not confined to soldiers actually in the service of the Union Army, but were extended to more than fifteen thousand Southern refugees, deserters from the rebel army, and freedmen. For many of the latter employ- ment was found. The necessities of the association soon outgrew the building first taken, and additions were made until a space 95 by 150 feet was covered, the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railway leasing the ground and refusing any compen- sation. In its enlarged dimensions 1200 men could be supplied at once, and 15,000 have been received in a single day. Deaths occurred among its guests, and a ground was secured where about fifty of the number lie buried. An accurate record was kept of all its operations, and the books show that over 800,000 soldiers were received and 1,025,000 meals were furnished-figures the significance of which we can scarcely comprehend. What a charity was this! How prompt in its inception ! How broad in its bounty ! How self-sacrificing and tireless in its execution !
In summing up its results we are led to consider the great ex- pense which must have attended operations on so grand a scale, and to inquire whence came the funds. The cost, in consequence of the judicious management of its finances, was very moderate, the entire amount of money expended being but $98,204.34, and material estimated at $30,000-an aggregate of $128,204.34; and of this sum nothing came from any public treasury. When it was seen that a great work was being done, the city govern- ment signified its willingness to appropriate ; but the managers decline the proffer, preferring to depend upon the free-will offer- ings of the people. It was only necessary to make known that
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MARTIAL DEEDS OF PENNSYLVANIA.
.
money or material was wanting, and they flowed in abundance into its coffers. Festivals were given for which contributions came from the city and the rich champaign contiguous, extending to New Jersey and Delaware, and from which the receipts were generous. On the occasion of the Strawberry Festival held in June, 1862, bountiful supplies of flowers, cakes, bread, butter, fruit and meats were received; released prisoners from the steam- ship Union brought a flag made in the jail at Salisbury; and thirty-four ladies from New Jersey, headed by ex-Senator Savery, came bringing a grand bouquet in acknowledgment of the care of wounded Jerseymen. There were 36,000 ticket-holders, an evidence of the hearty cooperation which the citizens of Phila- delphia accorded to this enterprise. Entertainments of various kinds were given at places of amusement in its aid, and the direct subscriptions of wealthy citizens were frequent. But the most generous and princely gift was that of the time, and even the life-current, of the attendants. Many of them, after laboring at their regular occupations the whole day, would spend a part of the night, often rising at the dead hour at the call of the signal gun, and, ministering to the tired, worn soldier, send him on his way with a glad heart. Women who had already passed the limit of an ordinary life were found daily at their posts lending a strong, willing hand to the good work.
The method of conducting the Saloon is a matter of interest. A correspondent of the Boston Journal, of November 19th, 1861, thus writes : " It is a spacious building and divided into a dining- room, store-room, and a large apartment for cooking. The walls of the main apartment are hung with very pretty paintings, engravings, and cards neatly designed, having inscriptions : 'Welcome to the brave Volunteers.' 'The city of Philadelphia invites you to her hospitality, and bids you God-speed on your way to the Union army.' 'Be brave; your deeds for liberty will never die.' 'You have the prayers of all honest, loyal hearts for your success in arms, and a safe return to your friends, crowned with honor and glory.' . . . The rooms are open at all hours, with dishes on the tables and fuel under the boilers. When a regiment leaves Jersey City a telegram is sent to Philadelphia, and a cannon is immediately fired to inform the citizens that the
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UNION VOLUNTEER REFRESHIMENT SALOON.
soldiers are on the way. When the men are within a few miles of the city another gun is fired, which brings out those who wait upon the tables. The ladies who attend to the soldiers are true women in every sense of the word. Their constant endeavor is to show the soldier that they love the great principles of our government, and that they also love every brave volunteer who goes forth to defend them. When they see a soldier who appears homesick or low-spirited, no false dignity prevents them from going up to him and cheering him with kind and loving words. Let no cold-hearted critic say that this is a wrong method of pro- cedure. We must respect our soldiers, and the more we impress upon their minds the idea that we love them, the higher will be their standard of action, and the braver their deeds upon the field of battle. . .. In the hospital room of the main building there is a large table covered with writing materials, where the soldiers can prepare letters while the trains to convey them away are being made up. These letters are given to the attendants of the Saloon, who stamp and send them to their destination free of charge. In one corner of the room is a desk where large bundles of the city papers are deposited, in readiness for gratuitous dis- tribution. The food furnished the men is better by considerable than the average fare at our city hotels. The bill embraces beef of all kinds, ham, pickles, sweet and common potatoes, excellent white bread, tea and coffee, and often cakes and pies. The coffee- boilers hold 180 gallons, which is reduced, on account of its strength, to 360 gallons. Each regiment upon an average uses seven barrels of coffee, besides many gallons of tea. The average cost of a soldier's meal varies from nine to ten cents." Later in the war the cost was about doubled.
The gun mentioned, which was fired to notify the attendants when troops left a far off station and again upon their arrival at the city, has an interesting history. It was manufactured at Springfield, Massachusetts. In the war with Mexico it fell into the hands of the enemy, was put on board a Mexican privatecr called the Wasp,-which was overhauled by an American guu-boat and sent to Philadelphia,-was placed upon the receiving ship at the Navy Yard,-which was sunk by an ice-jam, was raised,-and was finally loaned to the Union Saloon. A curious autobiography.
.
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MARTIAL DEEDS OF PENNSYLVANIA.
was written of this gun in which the old piece was made to say : " I am housed up on Washington Avenue, and it is only on par- ticular occasions, or when I am in a filthy condition-owing to the black food they ram down my throat, and against which I kick tremendously -- that they let me see the bright sun, or the twinkling stars; and then I must be gazed at as an object of curiosity, or slushed with water, and rubbed and scoured until I can flash back the rays of old Sol, who, in another climate, often heated me so that my friends were heartily glad to keep their hands off. I was in Mexico, and I often astonished the greasers on the Rio Grande with my iron compliments. . . . I make as much noise as possible whenever I know our noble volunteers are coming to our Saloon. I do this to welcome them and call our committee from home to wait on them, for they deserve good treatment. . . . I often hear them say: 'Bully for Philadelphia !' "They do things up; don't they?' 'That's the best meal I have had since I left home.' I once heard a sick soldier who had been in the hospital say to his comrade whom he had brought down to see me: 'They could not have taken better care of me if I had belonged to them.' I sometimes think that all this talk of the volunteers induces the gunner that feeds me to cram too much down my throat, for often after a large number have been at the Saloon, and the excitement runs high, and everybody is overflowing with good humor, and other troops are expected soon, he gives me a big dose, or greases my mouth, and when he fires me off, the glass rattles from the windows around. It makes no difference to me, for I have brass sufficient about me to break anybody's windows." The flag-staff which stood in front of the Saloon also had a story. It was the mainmast of the revenue cutter J. C. Dobbin, which was for a while in the hands of the enemy in the Savannah River bearing the rebel flag, but was rescued, and when condemned at the Navy Yard, this staff was loaned to the Union Saloon.
The substantial and palatable character of the entertainment furnished, its abundance, and the hearty good-will and even love with which it was given, arrested the attention of all, and called forth their thanks and gratitude. Mr. L. P. Brockett, of Brook- lyn, New York, under date of June Sth, 1863, writes to Samuel
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UNION VOLUNTEER REFRESHMENT SALOON.
B. Fales, the Corresponding Secretary and financial agent of the . association : " I was conversing a few weeks since with an officer of one of the Eastern regiments. . .. We were speaking of the demoralizing influences of camp life, and he remarked that while at cast New York, his regiment, composed in large part of far- mers' sons and lads who had had a considerable amount of moral training at home, became sadly demoralized. The camp was surrounded by grog-shops, and the rations were of the poorest- filthy, insufficient, and not half cooked-and all the associations of the camp were evil; the men had become dispirited, feeling that no one cared for them, except as food for powder; and though he and some of the other officers endeavored to cheer them, they were sullen, and seemed about ready for mutiny and desertion. 'But,' said he, 'orders came for the regiment to march, and the men went on board the steamer much as if they were going to the gallows. We reached Philadelphia, and were marched to the Volunteer Refreshment Saloon, and the warm welcome, the hearty shake of the hand, and the ample and delicious fare served up for us, put a new spirit into the men. They had landed in a mutinous mood; they left Philadelphia feeling that they were the cherished soldiers of the nation, loved for the cause in which they were to fight. Over and over again, during our passage from Philadelphia, I heard remarks like this from one and another of the men : 'Well, they showed that they did care for us after all.'-' Weren't those nice, handsome ladies that helped us there?' This influence did not leave them after they went to the field ; often was that night's supper at the Re- freshment Saloon spoken of, and its influence in preventing demoralization, and rousing the ambition and self-respect of the men, was wonderful. When, on Thanksgiving Day, the towns- men of the soldiers had provided a bounteous dinner, more than one of the soldiers said to me: 'This seems like that supper in Philadelphia, only we haven't the ladies to wait on us.'"
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