L. P. Brockett, Women's work in the civil war: a record of heroism, patriotism and patience

“ [333] had my wound so well dressed since I was hurt.” Something cool to drink is the first thing asked for after the long, dusty drive; and pailfuls of tamarinds and water, “a beautiful drink,” the men used to say, disappeared rapidly among them.

After the men's wounds were attended to, we went round giving them clean clothes; had basins and soap and towels, and followed these with socks, slippers, shirts, drawers, and those coveted dressing-gowns. Such pride as they felt in them! comparing colors, and smiling all over as they lay in clean and comfortable rows, ready for supper,--“ on dress parade,” they used to say. And then the milk, particularly if it were boiled and had a little whisky and sugar, and the bread, with butter on it, and jelly on the butter: how good it all was, and how lucky we felt ourselves in having the immense satisfaction of distributing these things, which all of you, hard at work in villages and cities, were getting ready and sending off, in faith.

Canandaigua sent cologne with its other supplies, which went right to the noses and hearts of the men. “That is good, now;” --“ I'll take some of that ;” -- “worth a penny a sniff;” “that kinder gives one life;” --and so on, all round the tents, as we tipped the bottles up on the clean handkerchiefs some one had sent, and when they were gone, over squares of cotton, on which the perfume took the place of hem,--“just as good, ma'am.” We varied our dinners with custard and baked rice puddings, scrambled eggs, codfish hash, corn-starch, and always as much soft bread, tea, coffee, or milk as they wanted. Two Massachusetts boys I especially remember for the satisfaction with which they ate their pudding. I carried a second plateful up to the cars, after they had been put in, and fed one of them till he was sure he had had enough. Young fellows they were, lying side by side, one with a right and one with a left arm gone.

The Gettysburg women were kind and faithful to the wounded and their friends, and the town was full to overflowing of both. The first day, when Mrs.-- and I reached the place, we literally