Woman's Work in the Civil War: A Record of Heroism, Patriotism, and Patience

by L. P. Brockett; Mary C. Vaughan

hiladelphia was distinguished throughout the war by the intense and earnest loyalty and patriotism of its citizens, and especially of its women. No other city furnished so many faithful workers in the hospitals, the Refreshment Saloons, the Soldiers' Homes and Reading-rooms, and no other was half so well represented in the field, camp, and general hospitals at the "front." Sick and wounded soldiers began to arrive in Philadelphia very early in the war, and hospital after hospital was opened for their reception until in 1863-4, there were in the city and county twenty-six military hospitals, many of them of great extent. To all of these, the women of Philadelphia ministered most generously and devotedly, so arranging their labors that to each hospital there was a committee, some of whose members visited its wards daily, and prepared and distributed the special diet and such delicacies as the surgeons allowed. But as the war progressed, these patriotic women felt that they ought to do more for the soldiers, than simply to minister to those of them who were in the hospitals of the city. They were sending to the active agents in the field, Mrs. Harris, Mrs. Husband, Mrs. Lee, and others large quantities of stores; the "Ladies' Aid Association," organized in April, 1861, enlisted the energies of one class, the Penn Relief Association, quietly established by the Friends, had not long after, furnished an outlet for the overflowing sympathies and kindness of the followers of George Fox and William Penn; and "the Soldiers' Aid Association," whose president, Mrs. Mary A. Brady, represented it so ably in the field, until her incessant labors and hardships brought on disease of the heart, and in May, 1864, ended her active and useful life, had rallied around it a corps of noble and faithful workers. But there were yet hundreds, aye, thousands, who felt that they must do more than they were doing for the soldiers. The organizations we have named, though having a considerable number of auxiliaries in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, did not by any means cover the whole ground, and none of them were acting to any considerable extent through the Sanitary Commission which had been rapidly approving itself as the most efficient and satisfactory agency for the distribution of supplies to the army. In the winter of 1862-3 those friends of the soldier, not as yet actively connected with either of the three associations we have named, assembled at the Academy of Music, and after an address from Rev. Dr. Bellows, organized themselves as the Women's Pennsylvania Branch of the Sanitary Commission, and with great unanimity elected Mrs. Maria C. Grier as their President, and Mrs. Clara J. Moore, Corresponding Secretary. Wiser or more appropriate selections could not have been made. They were unquestionably, "the right women in the right place." Our readers will pardon us for sketching briefly the previous experiences and labors of these two ladies who proved so wonderfully efficient in this new sphere of action.

Mrs. Maria C. Grier is a daughter of the late Rev. Dr. Cornelius C. Cuyler, a clergyman, formerly pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church in Poughkeepsie, and afterward of the Second Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, and married Rev. M. B. Grier, D.D., now editor of the "Presbyterian," one of the leading papers of the Old School Presbyterian Church. Dr. Grier had been for some years before the commencement of the war pastor of a Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. Wilmington, at the outbreak of the war, shared with Charleston and Mobile the bad reputation of being the most intensely disloyal of all the towns of the South. Dr. and Mrs. Grier were openly and decidedly loyal, known everywhere throughout that region as among the very few who had the moral courage to avow their attachment to the Union. They knew very well, that their bold avowals might cost them their lives, but they determined for the sake of those who loved the Union, but had not their courage, to remain and advocate the cause, until it should become impossible to do so longer, bearing in mind that if they escaped, their departure, to be safe, must be sudden.

Early in the morning of the 1st of June word was brought them that there was no time to lose. Dr. Grier's life was threatened. A vessel was ready to sail and they must go. Hurriedly they left a home endeared to them by long years of residence; Dr. Grier's valuable library, a choice collection of paintings and other treasures of art and affection were all abandoned to the ruthless mob, and were stolen or destroyed. Leaving their breakfast untouched upon the table, they hastened to the vessel, and by a circuitous route, at last reached Philadelphia in safety, and were welcomed by kind and sympathizing friends. Mrs. Grier's patriotism was of the active kind, and she was very soon employed among the sick and wounded soldiers who reached Philadelphia after Bull Run and Ball's Bluff, or who were left by the regiments hurrying to the front at the hospitals of the Volunteer and Cooper Shop Refreshment Saloons. With the establishment of the larger hospitals in January, 1862, Mrs. Grier commenced her labors in them also, and remained busy in this work till June, 1862, when at the request of the surgeon in charge of one of the Hospital Transports, she went to White House, Virginia, was there when McClellan made his "change of base," and when the wounded were sent on board the transport cared for them and came on to Philadelphia with them, and resumed her work at once in the hospitals. The battles of Pope's campaign and those of South Mountain and Antietam, filled the land with desolate homes, and crowded not only the hospitals, but the churches of Philadelphia with suffering, wounded and dying men, and Mrs. Grier like most of the philanthropic ladies of Philadelphia found abundant employment for heart and hands. Her zeal and faithfulness in this work had so favorably impressed the ladies who met at the Academy of Music to organize the Women's Branch of the Commission that she was unanimously chosen its President.

Mrs. Clara J. Moore, formerly a Miss Jessup, of Boston, is the wife of Mr. Bloomfield H. Moore, a large manufacturer of Philadelphia. She is a woman of high culture, a poetess of rare sweetness, and eminent as a magazine writer. She possessed great energy, and a rare facility of correspondence. In her days of Hospital work, she wrote hundreds of letters for the soldiers, and in the organization of the Women's Branch, of which she was one of the most active promoters, she took upon herself the burden of such a correspondence with the Auxiliaries, and the persons whom she desired to interest in the establishment of local Aid Societies, that when she was compelled by ill health to resign her position, a Committee of nine young ladies was appointed to conduct the correspondence in her place, and all the nine found ample employment. Her daughter married a Swedish Count, and returned with him to Europe, and the mother soon after sought rest and recovery in her daughter's Scandinavian home.

Of the other ladies connected with this Pennsylvania Branch, all were active, but the following, perhaps in part from temperament, and in part from being able to devote their time more fully than others to the work, were peculiarly efficient and faithful. Mrs. W. H. Furness, Mrs. Lathrop, Mrs. C. J. Stillé, Mrs. J. Tevis, Mrs. E. D. Gillespie, Mrs. A. D. Jessup, Mrs. Samuel H. Clapp, Mrs. J. Warner Johnson, Mrs. Samuel Field, Mrs. Aubrey H. Smith, Mrs. M. L. Frederick, Mrs. C. Graff, Mrs. Joseph Parrish, Miss M. M. Duane, Miss S. B. Dunlap, Miss Rachel W. Morris, Miss H. and Miss Anna Blanchard, Miss E. P. Hawley, and Miss M. J. Moss.

Of Mrs. Grier's labors in this position, one of the Associates of the Sanitary Commission, a gentleman who had more opportunity than most others of knowing her faithful and persistent work, writes:

"When the Women's Branch was organized, Mrs. Grier reluctantly consented to take the head of the Supply Department. In this position she continued, working most devotedly, until the work was done. To her labors the success of this undertaking is largely due. To every quality which makes woman admired and loved, this lady added many which peculiarly qualified her for this post; a rare judgment, a wonderful power of organization, and a rare facility for drawing around her the most efficient helpers, and making their labors most useful. During the whole period of the existence of the Association, the greatest good feeling reigned, and if ever differences of opinion threatened to interrupt perfect harmony, a word from Mrs. Grier was sufficient. Her energy in carrying out new plans for the increase of the supplies was most remarkable. When the Women's Pennsylvania Branch disbanded, every person conected with it, regretted most of all the separation from Mrs. Grier. I have never heard but one opinion expressed of her as President of the Association."

A lady, who, from her own labors in the field, and in the promotion of the benevolent plans of the Sanitary Commission, was brought into close and continued intercourse with her, says of her:

"She gave to the work of the Sanitary Commission, all the energies of her mind,—never faltering, or for a moment deterred by the many unforeseen annoyances and trials incident to the position. The great Sanitary Fair added to the cares by which she was surrounded; but that was carried through so successfully and triumphantly, that all else was forgotten in the joy of knowing how largely the means of usefulness was now increased. Her labors ceased not until the war was ended, and the Sanitary Commission was no longer required. Those only who have known her in the work, can form an idea of the vast amount of labor it involved.

"With an extract from the final report of the Women's Pennsylvania Branch, made in the spring of 1866, which shows the character and extent of the work accomplished, we close our account of this very efficient organization.