“Say, lady! Can’t you bring me a drink of water?”
Immediately a hundred hands were lifted. We could scarcely see them in the faint light of the early morning, but we could hear the voices.
“Bring me some water.”
“Bring me something to eat.”
I called out cheerily,—
“Yes, yes; we’ll help you all we can.”
It was a great relief to have something to do. We went with gladness to our work. I was the pioneer, and went right onto the boat lying nearest.
The surgeon in charge of our hospital boat had gone off to the field. There was no one in authority left on the boat, and we took possession.
I had several boxes of canned oysters, and three or four barrels of crackers, but we soon exhausted these; then we began on the beef in the storeroom.
Barrels of soup were made and distributed. The other two ladies made the soup, and I distributed it from boat to boat, and from one to another. Oh, the sights and scenes I witnessed that day!