take care of him. It was then I learned a true soldier was a true friend and gentleman, and he did not cast aside his humanity and finer feelings when he buckled on his armor to go forth to the field of carnage. From that day the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Tennessee Regiment was endeared to me almost as though they had all been my own children, notwithstanding my son was subsequently transferred to the battery to which his father belonged. Not until life with me shall cease will the chord of affection for them be severed.

Imposing and grand was the sight to see those magnificent steamers plowing the waters of the majestic Missisissippi, and the boats seemed almost to manifest pride in having on board so many noble spirits. We watched, intently, the receding boats, giving and receiving farewell signals from our loved ones, until nothing could be seen but the outlines of the deck, on which they stood.

Then, with a sad heart, we left the almost deserted shore, and repaired to the place of our stopping, to await the departure of the next steamer for Memphis, which did not take place until the 29th. Bidding my husband a sad farewell, I took passage on the Grampus, (afterwards known as the "Dare Devil," on account of the many daring deeds it performed, between Columbus, Ky., and Cairo,) which landed us in eight hours after at our lonely home in Memphis. That loneliness was more deeply felt from the fact that I had just come from those that alone could make home happy. The yet sad impressions fresh upon my heart, of my recent trying separation, weighed me down.

Time past on, and nothing occurred of interest in our city, until the arrival of some sick soldiers from Madrid, who were placed at the hospital of the Southern Mothers. Then we had work enough for all. There was no shrinking from a duty which God had assigned to the weaker sexat least, to those who felt they had a duty to perform in

the great struggle that was pressing upon us, and that in the sick room was the place where the ladies were most needed, and where they could accomplish the most good.

The painful feeling that took possession of me on my first entrance into that place of suffering and distress, will never be erased from my memory, while life may last. As soon as intelligence had been received that patients had arrived, I, with one or two other ladies, hastened to the scene of suffering, with no other intention but to assume at once the work of trying to alleviate the sufferings of any who might need our aid, never reflecting for a moment that my heart would fail me in performing the self-selected work. But on entering, the scenes of distress that met my eyes on every side, caused my heart to sink within me, and my nerves to recoil; but rallying myself, I moved forward. On either side of the long room, on neatly arranged beds, lay suffering soldiers. I hastily passed through the ward on the first floor, for I felt too sick at heart to make a halt, and proceeded up stairs. On entering a small room, I found it contained but one patient-a stranger, in the agonies of death. I approached him, and made some brief inquiries concerning his home, friends and his prospects of a future state. I learned that he was a young married man, from Arkansas, having no means to defray the expense of his young and anxious wife to come and attend him in his dying hour; nor yet to send his body to his native home, where his widowed wife and mourning friends could be permitted to perform the mournful duty of shedding the disconsolate tears over the grave of the true and the brave one of that gallant and heroic band from Arkanses, who made themselves renowned upon many a hard tried battle field during the war.

My sympathy for the noble, intelligent looking being I gazed at, listening to his agonizing groans, and his broken sentences of loved ones at home, and they not aware of his

dying condition, became so great and overpowering that I had to leave the room to suppress my emotions, resolving to return and perform my whole duty, with the help of God, to the suffering soldier, however painful might be the scenes through which I would have to pass.

Just as we stepped out of the door to return to our homes, we met our beloved preceptress, who addressed herself to the numerous ladies present, (who were not idle,) saying, "Ladies, we want help; come, one and all, and help us. We have undertaken a great work, and we must be aided, or we will fail. All can do something, and, I hope, no one will shrink from the duty before us." We asked her what was most needed. She replied, anything that could be spared-such as beds, bedding, towels and numerous other articles unnecessary to enumerate.

We then started for home, my feelings yet unsuppressed. On my way I hired a dray, which I loaded with bedsteads, beds and bedding, towels, etc., etc., and ordered it to be reported to that dear, patriotic lady, whose name will long be enshrined in the heart of many a true Southerner, for the many benevolent acts she performed for her beloved country's defenders. In the afternoon of the same day, we determined to return to the hospital, and try to have more self-control. On my return, we found the dying soldier still lingering, and was enabled, by the aid of some to whom assistance was applied for, to administer to him in his dying moments; and while thus engaged, my mind became resolute and composed, so that subsequently we could stand around the bed of a sick or dying soldier any length of time without giving back or flinching. I mention this to merely prove the adage, "that we can get used to anything," however painful or repugnant at first to our feelings.

Day by day as time passed, and new evidences of the heroes of war were presented, we became more familiar

with, and adequate to, the task before us. We could witness the scenes of suffering and distress with less seeming emotion, nevertheless our sympathies were not in the least diminished, nor did we grow less determined to do our duty to those noble souls that were standing, as it were, like a wall of granite between us and the ruthless enemy. We could not, nor would we, have witnessed the ten thousand scenes of untold suffering had we been indifferent to the calls of mercy, and a sense of our imperative duty. With the conviction that our feeble efforts might, in some degree, alleviate the sufferings and distress of the wounded and mangled soldiers, and as the field of labor became, day by day, more extended, and our service of greater demand, we felt that we would incur the displeasure of God, and make a mockery of patriotism if we left the field uncultivated and unoccupied.

Such were my convictions; and doubtless they will meet with the approbation of the intelligent and humane people who sent their warriors forth to battle for that which they conceived to be their inherent and constitutional right. Everything was conducted with the utmost system in that well remembered home for the invalid soldier. I spent as much of my time as could be spared with them. I continued to make elothes for them, at intervals between my services at the hospital and domestic duties at home. In a few weeks General Pillow returned with his command from Missouri, and established his headquarters at Columbus, Kentucky.

Feeling a strong desire to see my husband and son againfor what good mother and wife would not-I, with one or two other lady friends, made an application for passports to visit our friends at Columbus, but were positively refused. A Mrs. Wainsburg, one of the ladies making the application, who had also an only son in the army, stationed at that point, was therefore, with myself, very anxious to

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see her son. Each one, in turn, made application with strong appeal to the passport agent, but all to no avail. We then asked if we could not go upon an accommodation boat. The reply was that we would be liable to arrest if we did. We informed him that we would risk that, and go upon our own responsibility, as we believed we had plenty of friends there who would vouch for our “loyalty;" so preparations were made, and on the 29th of September, in company with a young soldier who had been in my house as a patient, we took passage on board the steamer Kentucky, which soon got under way for the seat of war. Our hearts were buoyant with the hope of soon again seeing all that once had been the light of our then desolate homes.

Our trip on that occasion was very pleasant, indeed; more accommodating officers I never before met; and .we never spent two days more happily in our lives upon any vessel on which we had traveled. On the evening of the second day we landed upon the shore of that gallant old State of the "bloody ground," from whence many brave volunteers had exiled themselves, and took refuge among strangers in their sister States, in order that they might share the destiny of those who had taken up arms in defense of their homes, and all that a freeman holds sacred-the right of self-government. Oh, how often has my heart bled at the sad and destitute condition of those heroic souls from Kentucky, when sick, wounded and dying, far away from the tender care and sweet caresses of fond mothers and loved sisters, with no fond and affectionate kiss to sooth the last dying pangs of a beloved son or brother, no soft and delicate hand to wipe away the death dews from their marble, but manly, brows. Oft have I imagined what a sweet, but solemn, and sad consolation would it have been to either sisters or mothers of those manly, but dying, youths could they have been pres