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

by L. P. Brockett; Mary C. Vaughan

Her first sacrifice was that of two of her sons, whom she gave to the service of the country in the army. Then, to use her own words, "feeling a burning desire to aid personally in the work, I did not wait to hear of sufferings I have since so often witnessed, but determined, as God had given me health and a good husband to provide for me, to go forth as a volunteer and do whatever my hands found to do." Few perhaps will ever know to the full extent, how much the soldier benefited by this resolve.

To such a spirit, waiting and ardent, opportunities were not long in presenting themselves. Mrs. Hosmer's first experiences, away from home, were at Tipton, and Smithtown, Missouri. This was early in the winter of 1862, only a few months after the commencement of the War; but as all will remember there had already been desperate campaigns, and hard fighting in Missouri, and there were the usual consequences, devastation, want and suffering to be met on all sides.

At this time the effects of that beneficent and excellent institution, the Northwestern Sanitary Commission, had not been felt at all points where need existed; for the field was vast, and even with the wonderful charities of the great Northwest, pouring into its treasury and store-houses, with a powerful organization, and scores of willing hands and brains at command, time was necessary to enable it to assume that sort of omnipresence which afterward caused it to be found in all places where battles were fought, or hospitals erected, or men suffered from the casualties of war, throughout that great territory.

Mrs. Hosmer found the hospitals at Tipton and Smithtown in the worst possible condition, and the men suffering for almost everything required for their comfort. This, under the circumstances, caused no surprise, for medical stores were not readily available at points so remote. But Mrs. Hosmer had the pleasure of causing a large box of Sanitary stores and comforts to be sent them by the kind and efficient agent at St. Louis, which she helped to distribute. She was thus enabled to leave them in a much more comfortable condition.

On her return to Chicago, a number of influential ladies residing there, formed an association to which the name of the "Ladies' War Committee" was given. Mrs. Hosmer was appointed secretary of this organization.

This association was very useful and efficient, and met daily to work for the soldiers, particularly in making up garments for the Regiments sent out by the Board of Trade of Chicago.

When these, the Eighty-eighth and Seventy-second Illinois Regiments, and the Board of Trade Battery, participated in any battle, they volunteered to go and look after the wounded. The first volunteers were sent out upon this charitable mission after the battle of Stone River, about the 1st of January, 1863, when two ladies, Mrs. Hosmer and Mrs. Smith Tinkham proceeded to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with a large quantity of supplies. They remained there, in constant and unwearied attendance upon the large number of wounded from this important battle, for nine or ten weeks.

The writer of this sketch was at that time in Chicago, and well remembers the return of these ladies from this errand of mercy, and the simple pathos of the report they then made, to the Board of Trade, of their work and their stewardship of the funds entrusted to them by that body for the expenses of the expedition, and the use of the wounded.

As these ladies were the first volunteers upon the ground, they were warmly welcomed by the medical director and surgeons, and their services at once rendered available both in the preparation of delicacies for the sufferers, and in personal attendance upon them. Here Mrs. Hosmer met with a most singular and touching incident. A soldier who had been wounded in the leg, and taken prisoner, had his leg amputated by a Rebel surgeon. He was afterwards recaptured, and being found in a dreadful and dangerous condition, had to suffer a second amputation. It was only by the closest and best of care that there remained a possibility that his life might be saved; and this the surgeon in charge requested of Mrs. Hosmer.

On approaching his bed, Mrs. Hosmer was almost painfully struck by his strong resemblance to one of her sons, while he was at the same instant, bewildered and excited by discovering in her an equally strong likeness to the mother he was never to see again.