Chapter I: Front Matter

S. SEYMOUR THOMAS’ MASTERPIECE.]

SECOND EDITION--REVISED AND ENLARGED.

ANGELS

OF THE○

BATTLEFIELD.

A History of the Labors of the Catholic Sisterhoods in
the Late Civil War.

BY GEORGE BARTON.

... 1898 ...

THE CATHOLIC ART PUBLISHING COMPANY.

PHILADELPHIA, PA.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the
year 1897

By George Barton, Philadelphia, Pa.,

In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at
Washington, D. C.

AUTHOR’S PREFACE.

The object of this volume is to present in as consecutive and comprehensive form as possible the history of the Catholic Sisterhoods in the late Civil War. Many books have been written on the work of other women in this war, but, aside from fugitive newspaper paragraphs, nothing has ever been published concerning the self-sacrificing labors of these Sisterhoods. Whatever may have been the cause of this neglect or indifference, it is evident that the time has arrived to fill this important gap in the literature of the war.

“The Sisters,” to quote an army chaplain, “do not have reunions or camp-fires to keep alive the memories of the most bloody lustrum in our history, but their war stories are as heroic, and far more edifying, than many the veterans tell.”

That genuine humility so characteristic of the Sisters has made the collection of the necessary data for this work very difficult. Most of the stories embodied in the pages that follow have been gathered by personal interviews, through examinations of various archives and records, and by an extensive correspondence with Government officials, veterans of the war and the superiors of convents and communities. It is impossible to enumerate all those who have aided in the work, but the writer desires to thank especially the Sisters to whom he is indebted for the chapters relating to the Sisters of Mercy who were with the Irish Brigade in the West, and to the Sisters of St. Joseph who were at Camp Curtin, in Harrisburg, Pa.

While the author has not hesitated to avail himself of every possible source of information, it is only fair to say that the great bulk of the material that goes to make up the volume has been drawn from entirely original sources, and is presented in printed form for the first time. In order to form a basis for the work all of the obtainable literature bearing upon the civil conflict was examined in a thorough and exhaustive manner. It is no exaggeration to say that nearly one thousand volumes bearing upon the “late unpleasantness” were searched with the hope of finding some data bearing upon the saintly work of the Sisterhoods. The books of reference included the more important histories of the war; the memoirs and recollections of the leading generals of both the Union and Confederate armies; the debates in Congress, the lives of the founders of the several religious orders; the histories of the Church and of the Sisterhoods, and a score of miscellaneous works too numerous to name in a preface. The official records and correspondence of the war, issued by authority of Congress, under the supervision and at the expense of the government, consists, in itself, of more than one hundred bulky volumes.

The return from this immense crop of literature, so far as the Sisters were concerned, was ridiculously small. It did not begin to be commensurate with the amount of time, labor and patience involved in the research. A rare letter or document, and the occasional mention of a Sister in the reports to the War Department constituted the sum total. The oft-quoted hunt for the needle in the haystack furnishes the only adequate comparison of the work in this instance. The Generals and the officials who had the direction of the awful struggle were, in the main, too busily engaged in making history to pause long enough to mention the modest hands that bound up their wounds, soothed their fevered brows and performed those other acts of faith and charity that seem to belong essentially, not to the _weaker_ but to the gentler sex.

In addition to this, the files of the secular and religious newspapers, from 1860 to 1865, were minutely examined and the results carefully collated. Magazines and other periodicals, including the illustrated weeklies of the time, were also searched. The material thus evolved while more promising than in the case of the histories and books of the war was not entirely satisfactory. The paragraphs were not only meagre and disconnected, but the dates and places were uncertain and at times unreliable. But where these newspaper stories could not be utilized, they were useful in furnishing clues upon which complete stories were afterwards built.

The general reader may not be deeply interested in these details concerning the making of the book, but they are given for the purpose of emphasizing the care and industry involved in the compilation and production of the work. Through it all there has been a conscientious effort to avoid political, sectional or religious controversy. In short, the desire has been to present a modest picture of the grand work done by the Sisters for HUMANITY.

Of course, there has been no intention of presenting a history, or even a sketch, of the war itself and the merest thread of its events has been introduced solely for the purpose of making the narrative of the Sisters as connected as the scattered data permitted. The aim has been constantly to present facts in an impartial manner. How far the writer has succeeded remains for the reader to judge.

The chivalrous men wearing both the Blue and the Gray, who caused American manhood and valor to be known and respected the world over, have on many occasions, and in various ways, given expression to the esteem and affection in which they hold the women who devoted their lives to the care of the sick and wounded. The ranks of the war Sisters have been gradually thinned out by death until but a handful of them remain. These survivors rest in their convent homes, tranquilly awaiting the final summons to a land where conflict is unknown. They may die, but the story of their patriotic and humane work will live as long as love for loyalty, regard for duty and admiration for self-sacrifice exist in the hearts of the American people.

G. B.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FACING PAGE

An Innocent Victim Frontispiece

Abraham Lincoln 23

Bombardment of Fort Sumter 39

“Peace for Her” 55

Sister Anthony 77

First Battle of Bull Run 97

Battle of Antietam 113

General Benjamin Butler 118

General Meade at Gettysburg 137

Sister Mary Gonzaga 159

Mulvaney’s Sheridan’s Ride 177

Obsequies of Sister Mary Lucy 189

Battle of Wilson’s Creek 207

Sisters of Satterlee Hospital 212

An Army Express Office 227

Grant, Sherman and Sheridan 251

Lee, Jackson and Beauregard 271

Lincoln at Gettysburg 286

Farragut in the Rigging 303

Union Leaders of the Civil War 319

Confederate Leaders of the Civil War 331

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAGE

AUTHOR’S PREFACE 3, 4, 5, 6

CHAPTER I.

THE ORDERS THAT PARTICIPATED

One of the effects of the war. The productive force of the nation
deprived by death, disease and disability of one million men. The
task of caring for the sick and wounded. Four notable orders--The
Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of St. Joseph and
Sisters of the Holy Cross. Their history and the discipline,
experience and self-sacrifice brought to bear upon their work
during the war. 19

CHAPTER II.

ARCHBISHOP HUGHES AND THE SISTERS.

The problem of how to provide the necessary nurses for both the
Union and Confederate Armies. Sisters not able to volunteer
without the approval of their superiors. An interesting epistle
from Archbishop Hughes to Archbishop Kenrick. The New York prelate
appointed by President Lincoln as a peace commissioner to France.
A characteristic letter from the martyred President to the great
Archbishop. Quelling the draft riots in New York city. 23

CHAPTER III.

IN AND AROUND RICHMOND.

Sisters of Charity inaugurate their labors in the Confederate
Capital. St. Anne’s Military Hospital begins with three hundred
patients. A zealous Sister makes her colleague prisoner in the
pantry. An odor of death and how it was caused. The Union soldier
who was “shot at Manassas.” Nurses who first got “a puff and then
a buff.” 29

CHAPTER IV.

HARPER’S FERRY.

The adventures of three Sisters who were detailed from the mother
house at Emmitsburg. Their offer to retire in the interest of the
ladies of Winchester. A night’s “repose” with foreheads resting
upon umbrella handles. A journey homeward by car and stage, and
then across the Potomac River in a flat canoe. A Sister received
at the convent as one from the grave. 36

CHAPTER V.

ST. LOUIS MILITARY HOSPITAL.

The border state of Missouri the scene of some of the most
dramatic events of the war. Soldiers ask the nurses if they are
Free Masons. The Chaplain obtains a pardon for a prisoner of war.
Archbishop Ryan and his work among the sick and wounded. The young
Confederate who declined to express sorrow for his course in the
war. Amusing and pathetic incidents. 45

CHAPTER VI.

IN AND AROUND WASHINGTON.

Dilapidated frame buildings serve as hospitals at the National
Capital. A convalescent patient who was “tired and vexed.” A whole
day spent in going from store to store in a vain attempt to
purchase “one of those white bonnets” for a Sister. The soldier
whose life was saved by being “shot in the U. S. A.” 62

CHAPTER VII.

SISTER ANTHONY AT SHILOH.

Terrible loss of life at the battle of Pittsburg Landing or
Shiloh. Sister Anthony wins enduring laurels. Seven hundred
wounded soldiers crowded on one boat. The deck of the vessel
resembles a slaughter house. A Sister of Charity acts as assistant
surgeon. Sisters refuse to abandon their patients. Sketch of the
life of Sister Anthony. 71

CHAPTER VIII.

PORTSMOUTH AND NORFOLK.

The contest between the Monitor and the Merrimac, and general
operations of the war during the seven days’ battle near Richmond.
The taking of the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth by the Union
forces. Sisters narrowly escape drowning while crossing the river
in a row boat. One instance where hatred was turned to love. 87

CHAPTER IX.

LABORS IN FREDERICK CITY.

The Sisters quartered in a stone barracks that had been occupied
by General Washington during the Revolutionary war. Patients see
no necessity for “tincture of iron” from the doctors. Soldiers
without food for thirteen days. Young scholastics from the Jesuit
Novitiate in the capacity of nurses. Not enemies “except upon the
battlefield.” 93

CHAPTER X.

WHITE HOUSE.

Sixty Sisters depart from Baltimore for the station in Virginia.
Wounded and dying men upon transport boats. Nurses who shared
every horror with their patients. Two Sisters who were martyrs to
duty and humanity. The worn-out Sister of Charity buried with
military honors upon the banks of the Potomac. Death of a
deserter. 101

CHAPTER XI.

MANASSAS AND ANTIETAM.

Five Sisters charged with the care of five hundred patients.
Bodies of the dead consumed by the flames. The military hospitals
at Gordonsville and Lynchburg. Boonsboro and Sharpsburg selected
for hospital purposes for the men wounded at Antietam. General
McClellan’s kindness to the Sisters. A man who had met Sisters
during the Crimean war. The brave flag bearer. 109

CHAPTER XII.

NEW ORLEANS.

The capture of the commercial metropolis of the Southwest by
General Butler and Admiral Farragut. Butler’s chivalrous letter to
the Superior of the Convent at Donaldsonville. His tribute to the
Sisters of Charity. Bishop Elder and the panic stricken people of
Natchez. Work of the Sisters in other localities. 119

CHAPTER XIII.

SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS.

A letter from Central Georgia begging for sisters of
Charity.--“Are they men or women?” A cautious priest who took the
good nurses for impostors. The train crashes through a bridge. The
“magic” lunch basket and how it fed an unlimited number of Sisters
and soldiers. The hospitals at Marietta and Atlanta. 125

CHAPTER XIV.

GETTYSBURG.

Twelve Sisters depart for the battlefield from the Mother House at
Emmittsburg. A white handkerchief on a stick serves as a flag of
truce. An open charnel house red with the blood of American
manhood. The little church in the town of Gettysburg filled with
the sick and wounded. A Sister saves the life of a helpless man.
“I belong to the Methodist Church.” 132

CHAPTER XV.

SATTERLEE HOSPITAL.

A sketch of the remarkable labors of Sister Mary Gonzaga and her
work as the executive head of a hospital where 50,000 sick and
wounded soldiers were cared for. The chaplain kept busy preparing
men for death. Bishop Wood visits the hospital and administers the
sacrament of confirmation. A soldier who was saved from the
stocks. A veteran’s tribute. 144

CHAPTER XVI.

THE FALL OF RICHMOND.

Preparing for the close of the war. Sisters of Charity in the West
enlisted in the military prison at Alton. Smallpox cases removed
to an island in the Mississippi. Leaders of the Southern
Confederacy realize that their cause is lost. Scenes of wild
excitement in Richmond. Blessings for the Sisters. 172

CHAPTER XVII.

SISTERS OF CHARITY OF NAZARETH.

Bishop Spalding sends a letter to General Anderson tendering the
services of the Sisters. The offer accepted and the volunteers
assigned to work in the hospitals in and around Louisville. “Oh,
Sister, put your head down by me and don’t leave me.” The
martyrdom of Sister Mary Lucy. Tender-hearted soldiers keep a
vigil around the coffin with blazing torches made of pine knots.
182

CHAPTER XVIII.

MORE ABOUT NAZARETH.

Bardstown occupied successively by the Union and the Confederate
troops. Six Sisters start for Lexington under a flag of truce. A
courteous letter from Brigadier-General Wood. Ex-Secretary of
State Guthrie applies to President Lincoln for protection to the
Nazareth Convent. A brief sketch of a famous school and some of
its distinguished graduates. 192

CHAPTER XIX.

SISTERS OF MT. ST. VINCENT.

A joint request from the Mayor of Cincinnati and the Archbishop of
the Diocese promptly answered. Appalling sights witnessed by the
Sisters. Young men seated on their own coffins prepare for
execution. General Rosecrans and his kindness to the Sisters. The
Governor of Indiana calls for nurses. Labors in Kentucky. 202

CHAPTER XX.

THE SISTERS OF MERCY.

An application from the Secretary of War to the Superior of the
order. Nine Sisters depart for the Government Hospital at
Beaufort, N. C. A dinner of pork and beans and mouldy bread. The
steward who expected the Sisters to poison some of the patients.
Complimented by Jefferson Davis. A convent confiscated by General
Slocum. Secular ladies who had “other engagements” when the
smallpox appeared. 211

CHAPTER XXI.

THE NORTH CAROLINA HOSPITALS.

Solicitude of the Sisters for the patients under their care.
Friendships formed that were only parted by death. Interesting
reminiscences of Mother M. Augustine MacKenna concerning the
Government Hospital at Beaufort, N. C. A victim of camp fever and
how he was relieved by the nurse. 222

CHAPTER XXII.

LABORS IN THE WEST.

The Sisters of Mercy attend the sick and wounded in the “Irish
Brigade.” The command organized by Colonel Mulligan, whose life
was sacrificed in the Union cause. Sisters leave Chicago for
Lexington, Mo. One brave, religious Sister who wanted to finish
her office before being shot. General Fremont and his staff call
upon the Sisters. Taking charge of the hospital department of the
steamship Express. 233

CHAPTER XXIII

THE STANTON HOSPITAL.

The authorities in Washington invite the Sisters of Mercy to take
charge of both the institutions at the capital and the Western
Pennsylvania Hospital, in Pittsburg. Death of the Superior of the
Stanton Hospital. Buried with military honors. President Lincoln
commends the Sisters for their self-sacrificing labors. A warm
tribute from Father Canevin. How the Civil war helped to wipe out
religious bigotry. 247

CHAPTER XXIV.

SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH.

The Surgeon General applies for nurses to care for the sick
soldiers in Camp Curtin, Harrisburg. Bishop Wood gives a ready
assent. Their valuable Services at the State Capital. An official
letter of thanks from Governor Curtin. Down the James River in the
Commodore to bring the wounded from the battlefield of Yorktown. A
poor soldier abandoned in an isolated tent. Rescued from death
itself. A grateful patient. 258

CHAPTER XXV.

SISTERS OF THE HOLY CROSS.

The heroic life and labors of Mother Angela. A cousin of the late
James G. Blaine. She gives up her school at South Bend, Ind., to
serve through the war. A historic meeting between Mother Angela
and General Grant. Rev. L. A. Lambert, the chaplain at Mound City.
Sixty Sisters of the Holy Cross on duty. Sister Angela, of the
Visitation Community, and her love for the soldiers. 267

CHAPTER XXVI.

MOTHER ANGELA.

Related to many eminent men of the century; her tranquil death in
the convent in Indiana; her ability as a writer and an educator.
An incident of the war told by her in a powerful and dramatic
style. The original of a Holy Cross Sister portrayed in a poem.
282

CHAPTER XXVII.

NON-CATHOLIC TRIBUTES.

Comment of Mary A. Livermore upon the work of Mother Angela at
Mound City: “The world has known no nobler and more heroic women
than those found in the ranks of the Catholic Sisterhoods.” A
famous scout gives his impressions of the Sisters. Susan D.
Messinger tells of the work of the Sisters at New Berne, N. C. 297

CHAPTER XXVIII.

A LESSON IN CHARITY.

An incident of the war in which a gentle Sister of Charity and a
stern military commander played the leading parts. “What do you do
with your beggings?” The Red River campaign and its fatal results.
The general in the hospital. “Did you get the ice and beef?” A
grateful patient and his appreciation of the real worth of the
Sisters. 315