"The Gettysburg Dead" Come Home To Richmond Mothers, Widows And Orphans, 1872

I've been to both Hollywood in Richmond and Magnolia in Charleston and visited the Confederate dead from Gettysburg. It was moving and I spent some time in Magnolia reading the stones and thinking of those guys and their families.

In the article describing the ceremony in Richmond it mentions Rev. Hoge (misspelled once as Hodge). That was Rev. Moses Drury Hoge who was pastor of the Presbyterian church, a friend of Stonewall Jackson, and an ardent Confederate supporter and active minister to the troops (although he had opposed secession). His wife accompanied Stonewall Jackson's wife when she went to be with him after his wounding.

Anyway, his name caught my eye because he performed the marriage of John Winn and his first wife, my great grandmother.


Just bumping this because I found an incredible list from Magnolia Cemetery? The Ladies Aid assoiations ( fuzzy on how many, sorry- hate to leave names unmentioned ) figured heavily in the movement. List is inclusive of where men were buried at Gettysburg initially! Goodness, that must have been Weaver, Sr., at Gettysburg, continuing his work after the National Cemetery was dedicated, too.

It's incredible, what the Weavers contributed to loved ones. If Weaver, senior, exposed a Confederate soldier he made as many notes by way of ID he could before covering the grave again. His notes were used by his son, taking time off hs career as a doc, when Southern families reached out.

You simply cannot fathom how, in all the shambles, any, single grave was identified much less as many as is on this list from Magnolia. We knew " The Gettysburg Dead " was not just Richmond, flattens you, knowing how many were brought back. It'll be a long thread, and worth it.
 
In 2014, me and one additional man, Riley Gunter, raised enough funds to place an Historical marker for Dr. Weaver in Gettysburg. Most of the dead recovered were sent to Richmond. Sizable numbers were also sent to Raleigh NC, Charleston SC, and to Savannah, GA. A few were sent to other states. In all, Weaver returned 3,320 sets of remains. In the first shipment to Richmond, was my GGG Uncle Pvt. Robert Newton Crawford of the 11th Alabama Infantry regiment. He lost his life on the second day and was buried at the Adam Butt's farm. His family never knew where he was buried until I found him in Greg Coco's book. I will attempt to upload a photo of the marker we placed in Gettysburg. Its on Lefever street.
 
In 2014, me and one additional man, Riley Gunter, raised enough funds to place an Historical marker for Dr. Weaver in Gettysburg. Most of the dead recovered were sent to Richmond. Sizable numbers were also sent to Raleigh NC, Charleston SC, and to Savannah, GA. A few were sent to other states. In all, Weaver returned 3,320 sets of remains. In the first shipment to Richmond, was my GGG Uncle Pvt. Robert Newton Crawford of the 11th Alabama Infantry regiment. He lost his life on the second day and was buried at the Adam Butt's farm. His family never knew where he was buried until I found him in Greg Coco's book. I will attempt to upload a photo of the marker we placed in Gettysburg. Its on Lefever street.

Hi and yes, please? Thank you SO much for joining ( welcome )- pretty psyched to have this information. It's terribly difficult finding information on Weaver's work, much less where the soldiers' remains were sent. Had no clue so many towns were able to regain men. Both Weavers are fascinating and the son's contributions never seemed to me, to have been acknowledged. I hope so much your efforts were?

A lot of times these threads become a North/South thing and it just is not. A great deal is made of the mass burials, post battle, of Confederate men- as if it was done through disrespect. In a ridiculously hot July, with their regiments necessarily withdrawn, there was just no one to bury them as swiftly as needed.

Years post battle is where it gets awful. Money men raked in tourist dollars while all those thousands of soldiers lay beneath tourist feet. That sure was hugely disrespectful although am convinced engendered by greed, not on what side they fought- makes it worse.

Sorry to go off on a tangent- this project doesn't seem discussed enough, you know? Love to hear your story, please and thank you again!
 
The number cited in the above article mentions some 3400 being returned from the Gettysburg battlefield. Is that an accurate figure for the number of Confederate soldiers killed there? I have seen books where the authors have that figure being under 3,000 and if the reinterred figure is correct, their number cannot be that low.
In my research for the two historical markers for Weaver, one in Gettysburg, and the other in Hollywood cemetery in Richmond, Weaver returned a total of 3,320 sets of remains. Most of these (2,933) went to Richmond. The balance went to Raleigh, Charleston, and Savannah. This figure is not the total of those killed. Many were recovered by grieving families after the battle.
 
Just bumping this because I found an incredible list from Magnolia Cemetery? The Ladies Aid assoiations ( fuzzy on how many, sorry- hate to leave names unmentioned ) figured heavily in the movement. List is inclusive of where men were buried at Gettysburg initially! Goodness, that must have been Weaver, Sr., at Gettysburg, continuing his work after the National Cemetery was dedicated, too.

It's incredible, what the Weavers contributed to loved ones. If Weaver, senior, exposed a Confederate soldier he made as many notes by way of ID he could before covering the grave again. His notes were used by his son, taking time off hs career as a doc, when Southern families reached out.

You simply cannot fathom how, in all the shambles, any, single grave was identified much less as many as is on this list from Magnolia. We knew " The Gettysburg Dead " was not just Richmond, flattens you, knowing how many were brought back. It'll be a long thread, and worth it.
After the battle, my uncle's family was told he was killed on the second day, and buried in an unmarked grave, somewhere on a lost battlefield. Having this information, I was only interested in his regimental history. Fortunately, there had recently been published a history of the 11th Alabama. When I read the Gettysburg section, I found my uncle. One of his friends told of his death, in a letter home to his family. My uncle, Pvt. Robert Newton Crawford of Co. B, the 11th Alabama was mortally wounded on the second day, in the assault over Emmitsburg road. As he went in, he passed the Klingel farm. He was shot in his right hip, the ball passing thru this bowels. He cried out to his friends, "I am ruined!" As the battle continued, he made his way alone, back to the Klingel farm some 100 yards. When the fight was done, his mates came for him, and took him to a makeshift hospital at the Adam Butts farm. He was aware that the wound was mortal. He told Fleming Thompson, who was the author of the letter I found, to "tell my Pa, that I am not afraid to die". Thompson stayed with him until he passed away later in the evening. He was buried close to where he died on Butts farm. Since he died at a hospital, with those who knew him, his grave was marked. We do not know how it was marked, probably no more the a board with his name on it. That's how I came to find him. He had been lost to his family for almost 150 years when I found him.
 
Thanks so much for this moving thread! I tried to read it at work but got teary-eyed and realized I'd have to finish it at home to avoid sobbing at my desk. I was unaware of the the Weavers or this story before today, but I can only imagine how emotional those homecomings were for the families or how difficult it was to identify anyone.

My great-grandfather was killed during WWII in the Hurtgen Forest and his remains were repatriated back home to North Carolina several years later. Unfortunately, it sparked a nasty family feud that lasted for decades between those who wanted to bring him home to the family cemetery and those who thought it was disrespectful to disturb his grave in Europe. I think both sides sincerely meant well, so it's a shame that it got as ugly as it did. I hope for the Gettysburg families, the return of the soldiers brought some closure and comfort instead.
 
After the battle, my uncle's family was told he was killed on the second day, and buried in an unmarked grave, somewhere on a lost battlefield. Having this information, I was only interested in his regimental history. Fortunately, there had recently been published a history of the 11th Alabama. When I read the Gettysburg section, I found my uncle. One of his friends told of his death, in a letter home to his family. My uncle, Pvt. Robert Newton Crawford of Co. B, the 11th Alabama was mortally wounded on the second day, in the assault over Emmitsburg road. As he went in, he passed the Klingel farm. He was shot in his right hip, the ball passing thru this bowels. He cried out to his friends, "I am ruined!" As the battle continued, he made his way alone, back to the Klingel farm some 100 yards. When the fight was done, his mates came for him, and took him to a makeshift hospital at the Adam Butts farm. He was aware that the wound was mortal. He told Fleming Thompson, who was the author of the letter I found, to "tell my Pa, that I am not afraid to die". Thompson stayed with him until he passed away later in the evening. He was buried close to where he died on Butts farm. Since he died at a hospital, with those who knew him, his grave was marked. We do not know how it was marked, probably no more the a board with his name on it. That's how I came to find him. He had been lost to his family for almost 150 years when I found him.


You found him? A whole family's story re-written, how incredible. Thank goodness, what a testimony to the shambles it was- 150 years before your family knew. Thank you so much for bringing his name and story here. It must have been incredible to see the 11th Alabama's history published and have Robert finally heard from, that is so crazy! Do you know if Weaver was able to include the Adam Butts farm cemetery in his ' Gettysburg Dead ' efforts? One thing I've never been able to find is his records- or his fathers, on graves discovered and marked between July 1863 and the 1864 finish of the National Cemetery.

This is so odd. Just last night I was re-reading an account by a local woman, inclusive of the Klingel farm, and mentioning the barn nearby where Confederate wounded were being taken. She'd gone out to help, and stopped by a mortally wounded Union man. He waved her off, saying no, he knew he was dying, please give the food to ' that Johnny over there, he could make better use of it '. If it's helpful, the Gettysburg citizens aided Confederate men, not seeing enemies, just more awful suffering.
 
Thanks so much for this moving thread! I tried to read it at work but got teary-eyed and realized I'd have to finish it at home to avoid sobbing at my desk. I was unaware of the the Weavers or this story before today, but I can only imagine how emotional those homecomings were for the families or how difficult it was to identify anyone.

My great-grandfather was killed during WWII in the Hurtgen Forest and his remains were repatriated back home to North Carolina several years later. Unfortunately, it sparked a nasty family feud that lasted for decades between those who wanted to bring him home to the family cemetery and those who thought it was disrespectful to disturb his grave in Europe. I think both sides sincerely meant well, so it's a shame that it got as ugly as it did. I hope for the Gettysburg families, the return of the soldiers brought some closure and comfort instead.


Oh goodness, how doubly tragic for your family! Yes, and as generations pass, finally one will look back, like you, and see all the wasted time, children kept apart who should have grown up together, lost holidays, dissipated energy and how futile it all is in the end, all the anger. The feuding generations die too and no one will remember why no one knew each other. Our family has one of these ludicrous boils erupted, over something far less important. Sepsis now, no one can tell me ego isn't a culprit, not principle.

Yes, the Weavers must have been something, father and son. Weaver, senior took it upon himself to faithfully, studiously take note of every Confederate grave. Weaver, junior interrupted a medical career to take on this massive project. Have never been able to find their records, to know if or how men were identified- how astonishing, some could be, and how comforting.

Boy, I'm with you on bursting into tears. Working on the thread, coming across newspaper articles written by reporters covering funeral processions moving through the streets- like from the docks at Rocketts, to Hollywood, ruined me for the day.
 
Oh goodness, how doubly tragic for your family! Yes, and as generations pass, finally one will look back, like you, and see all the wasted time, children kept apart who should have grown up together, lost holidays, dissipated energy and how futile it all is in the end, all the anger. The feuding generations die too and no one will remember why no one knew each other. Our family has one of these ludicrous boils erupted, over something far less important. Sepsis now, no one can tell me ego isn't a culprit, not principle.

Yes, the Weavers must have been something, father and son. Weaver, senior took it upon himself to faithfully, studiously take note of every Confederate grave. Weaver, junior interrupted a medical career to take on this massive project. Have never been able to find their records, to know if or how men were identified- how astonishing, some could be, and how comforting.

Boy, I'm with you on bursting into tears. Working on the thread, coming across newspaper articles written by reporters covering funeral processions moving through the streets- like from the docks at Rocketts, to Hollywood, ruined me for the day.
Yeah I grew up hearing about how the other side were troublemakers. I imagine they felt the same about my more direct relatives. I always felt both sides had reasonable concerns, and that it was unfair to try to brand the opposite side as awful simply because they disagreed.

Those records would be fascinating. Do you think they're in private hands or just lost to time?

Oh I can only imagine how heartbreaking it was to do any of this research--thank you so much for still working on it!
 
Yeah I grew up hearing about how the other side were troublemakers. I imagine they felt the same about my more direct relatives. I always felt both sides had reasonable concerns, and that it was unfair to try to brand the opposite side as awful simply because they disagreed.

Those records would be fascinating. Do you think they're in private hands or just lost to time?

Oh I can only imagine how heartbreaking it was to do any of this research--thank you so much for still working on it!


Yes, where emotions run high there's just no point in wading in. I have an idea when these splits occur, they tend to run deeper than the original issue- weirdly, as we see in our awful war of 150 years ago. The proverbial kitchen sink. What's wonderful is the new generations, probably gluing it all back together.

I do have a guess where the records would be, a guess only? Hate to post it, but fair to say in extremely safe hands, if it's true. They'd be awfully gruesome, maybe why it's thought better not to release them? These poor men, North and South, falling in battle, have no choice on their privacy. You or I might wish to know locations of graves but there are some ridiculously ghoulish sites out there. People enjoy the macabre, you know? Sure as heck, we'd see descriptions from these records used poorly.

No researcher here, if I were good at it, would be so much further! Have a huge ' thing ' about family stories and the war, another ' thing ' about profiteers and the war, yet another interest in the hit women took, North and South between 1861 and 1865. ( there's more, it's what is relevant to The Gettysburg Dead )

Southern women faced rebuilding a shambles and no one seems to have made an effort to have met them halfway. Not getting one's loved one back, from a battlefield 100's and 100's of miles away, while a tourist trade wandered over what was a vast, unmarked cemetery, would just drive bitterness home, you know?
 
Yes, where emotions run high there's just no point in wading in. I have an idea when these splits occur, they tend to run deeper than the original issue- weirdly, as we see in our awful war of 150 years ago. The proverbial kitchen sink. What's wonderful is the new generations, probably gluing it all back together.

I do have a guess where the records would be, a guess only? Hate to post it, but fair to say in extremely safe hands, if it's true. They'd be awfully gruesome, maybe why it's thought better not to release them? These poor men, North and South, falling in battle, have no choice on their privacy. You or I might wish to know locations of graves but there are some ridiculously ghoulish sites out there. People enjoy the macabre, you know? Sure as heck, we'd see descriptions from these records used poorly.

No researcher here, if I were good at it, would be so much further! Have a huge ' thing ' about family stories and the war, another ' thing ' about profiteers and the war, yet another interest in the hit women took, North and South between 1861 and 1865. ( there's more, it's what is relevant to The Gettysburg Dead )

Southern women faced rebuilding a shambles and no one seems to have made an effort to have met them halfway. Not getting one's loved one back, from a battlefield 100's and 100's of miles away, while a tourist trade wandered over what was a vast, unmarked cemetery, would just drive bitterness home, you know?
I have to say, that the vast majority of Northerners were respectful of the southern dead, but some were not. Reports that filtered back to the south of the graves not being respected prompted the effort to have them returned. Rufus Weaver did most of his recovering of the remains from just after the harvesting and the planting of the next years crops. Many farmers were reluctant to let him work at other times. There was one very ghoulish incident that I did find. A farmer, whose name I will not mention, whose family is still in the Gettysburg area, kept a jawbone from a Major from Georgia because it had gold teeth. Weaver had to pay for it! Fifteen dollars was the ransom he paid.....
 
Yes, where emotions run high there's just no point in wading in. I have an idea when these splits occur, they tend to run deeper than the original issue- weirdly, as we see in our awful war of 150 years ago. The proverbial kitchen sink. What's wonderful is the new generations, probably gluing it all back together.

I do have a guess where the records would be, a guess only? Hate to post it, but fair to say in extremely safe hands, if it's true. They'd be awfully gruesome, maybe why it's thought better not to release them? These poor men, North and South, falling in battle, have no choice on their privacy. You or I might wish to know locations of graves but there are some ridiculously ghoulish sites out there. People enjoy the macabre, you know? Sure as heck, we'd see descriptions from these records used poorly.

No researcher here, if I were good at it, would be so much further! Have a huge ' thing ' about family stories and the war, another ' thing ' about profiteers and the war, yet another interest in the hit women took, North and South between 1861 and 1865. ( there's more, it's what is relevant to The Gettysburg Dead )

Southern women faced rebuilding a shambles and no one seems to have made an effort to have met them halfway. Not getting one's loved one back, from a battlefield 100's and 100's of miles away, while a tourist trade wandered over what was a vast, unmarked cemetery, would just drive bitterness home, you know?

Agreed about it being rooted in other issues!

No worries--I understand being careful about it. I'd hate for the records to be lost entirely since it's a part of history, but if someone does have them, I completely understand why they wouldn't want to release them to the general public or advertise them.

I was recently thinking of how difficult it would be for the survivors of the men who died at Gettysburg. With my family, getting my grand-grandfather back from Europe after WWII was a lot more feasible than it would have been for any of them during the Civil War, even though he was across an ocean. My great grandfather's survivors, as far as I know, were contacted by the military about his remains, and the army handled all the arrangements and logistics of repatriation. The only thing they had to worry about were the funeral and burial arrangements.

I haven't found that any of my relatives were at Gettysburg, but of the ones that could have been, it would have been highly unlikely their families could have traveled from their rural homes in Western North Carolina the 500 miles north to the battle site. And that's even assuming there was an identifiable grave or that they would even know who to contact. Based on census records, most of my family at the time were illiterate, so it's not like they would be mounting a letter-writing campaign for information or to incite further action. I'd imagine that's true for a lot of enlisted men's families.

I have found newspaper articles talking about one of my distant uncles leaving the area to visit his sons in Virginia while they were in the Confederate army during the war, but they were much better off financially and would have had the resources for that. Not sure they would have been in the position to do that after the war.
 
I haven't found that any of my relatives were at Gettysburg, but of the ones that could have been, it would have been highly unlikely their families could have traveled from their rural homes in Western North Carolina the 500 miles north to the battle site. And that's even assuming there was an identifiable grave or that they would even know who to contact. Based on census records, most of my family at the time were illiterate, so it's not like they would be mounting a letter-writing campaign for information or to incite further action. I'd imagine that's true for a lot of enlisted men's families.


That's exactly it. It was just so impossible! You read accounts post battle and some Southern women made it to the battlefield, post battle, to nurse, but wow- can you imagine? Off topic a little, a few hysterically were able to spring prisoners by bringing civilian clothing ( sorry to find that hysterical, would if it were Northern women, what a crazy venture! ). That's from reading nurses' accounts, who spent no time making stuff up. Still, a mere trickle. Some graves were thankfully marked- huge amounts could not be. It's sometimes presented as barbaric they were not, as are the mass graves. Not deliberate- summer heat and an awful lack of help made it terribly necessary to bury men quickly.

I'm sorry to be intrusive, it wasn't that long ago for your veteran. Our means of helping families by WWII seems as compassionate as it was possible to be, given such a loss. Thank you for sharing how they come home, when they do.
 
That's exactly it. It was just so impossible! You read accounts post battle and some Southern women made it to the battlefield, post battle, to nurse, but wow- can you imagine? Off topic a little, a few hysterically were able to spring prisoners by bringing civilian clothing ( sorry to find that hysterical, would if it were Northern women, what a crazy venture! ). That's from reading nurses' accounts, who spent no time making stuff up. Still, a mere trickle. Some graves were thankfully marked- huge amounts could not be. It's sometimes presented as barbaric they were not, as are the mass graves. Not deliberate- summer heat and an awful lack of help made it terribly necessary to bury men quickly.

I'm sorry to be intrusive, it wasn't that long ago for your veteran. Our means of helping families by WWII seems as compassionate as it was possible to be, given such a loss. Thank you for sharing how they come home, when they do.
Okay the civilian clothing thing is absolutely bonkers--I've never heard of that before! That's actually rather ingenious.

I agree that the quick burials were done out of necessity. Just the sheer amount of bodies left would have been overwhelming on its own without the other factors.

No worries! I didn't feel you were being intrusive at all. :smile:
 
My great-grandfather was killed during WWII in the Hurtgen Forest and his remains were repatriated back home to North Carolina several years later. Unfortunately, it sparked a nasty family feud that lasted for decades between those who wanted to bring him home to the family cemetery and those who thought it was disrespectful to disturb his grave in Europe. I think both sides sincerely meant well, so it's a shame that it got as ugly as it did. I hope for the Gettysburg families, the return of the soldiers brought some closure and comfort instead.

The Hurtgen Forrest was a terrible place to fight. That battle gained nothing. I had a relative who survived it, he said nothing good about it later. I would like to think everyone would have wanted a beloved family member home, who had fought in any war. A family member of ours was killed in the Philippines, and is still there because his wife, who didn't want him back versus his family that did, their son versus her feelings, and she had remarried before the Army contacted her. A mess, which I understand well. We always think families would want to have their beloved deceased family members back home. I think they do still. My dad is buried in a National Cemetery, not near me, and I wish he was closer, especially since I am disabled. My mom will be buried next to him. I should think everyone would like to be at home near those that cared and loved them, to be remembered by those in future generations of family. It means something to them, those that never knew them only as members of their family.
 
Okay the civilian clothing thing is absolutely bonkers--I've never heard of that before! That's actually rather ingenious.


Sorry to keep this going- if it's arduous, feel free to ignore any time- honest! Easily side tracked here, so don't tempt me to get into this stuff! Everything is interesting! :angel: These ladies are mentioned a few times, by nurses ( I think twice ) and a Christian Commission aid worker ( hope it is he ). Ingenious indeed! One nurse is terribly indignant over their plans, which tickles you a little. Of course a wife will go to any lengths, to swipe her wounded husband from a future prison, what army? I'm pretty fascinated by them and wish we had some idea if they made it home.
 
The Hurtgen Forrest was a terrible place to fight. That battle gained nothing. I had a relative who survived it, he said nothing good about it later. I would like to think everyone would have wanted a beloved family member home, who had fought in any war. A family member of ours was killed in the Philippines, and is still there because his wife, who didn't want him back versus his family that did, their son versus her feelings, and she had remarried before the Army contacted her. A mess, which I understand well. We always think families would want to have their beloved deceased family members back home. I think they do still. My dad is buried in a National Cemetery, not near me, and I wish he was closer, especially since I am disabled. My mom will be buried next to him. I should think everyone would like to be at home near those that cared and loved them, to be remembered by those in future generations of family. It means something to them, those that never knew them only as members of their family.


Seems timeless, doesn't it? Mourning is such a personal thing. Who knows what will help someone resolve this wound in their life. Being able to think the lost loved one still near is indeed helpful to a lot of us. Families can really prolong each other's pain by incomprehensible squabbles at one of the worst times we're fated to pass through. My grandfather is buried in Kentucky- nothing wrong with Kentucky. He just never lived there, we have no family there and he is only buried there because a new wife disliked his children. Weird, what we do to each other.

Used to have a plan to go dig him up and bring him back to PA but they tell me that kind of thing is frowned upon. Who knew?
 
The Hurtgen Forrest was a terrible place to fight. That battle gained nothing. I had a relative who survived it, he said nothing good about it later. I would like to think everyone would have wanted a beloved family member home, who had fought in any war. A family member of ours was killed in the Philippines, and is still there because his wife, who didn't want him back versus his family that did, their son versus her feelings, and she had remarried before the Army contacted her. A mess, which I understand well. We always think families would want to have their beloved deceased family members back home. I think they do still. My dad is buried in a National Cemetery, not near me, and I wish he was closer, especially since I am disabled. My mom will be buried next to him. I should think everyone would like to be at home near those that cared and loved them, to be remembered by those in future generations of family. It means something to them, those that never knew them only as members of their family.

I've never been able to bring myself to read much about the Hurtgen, to be perfectly honest, but everything I have read has been pretty appalling. In his last letter, which was found on him, my great-grandfather talked a little about the conditions, and it is one of the grimmest things I've ever read. I'm glad your relative made it home from there and am sorry to hear about your family member that was killed in the Philippines.

I tend to agree with you about bringing them home and wanting them close. But I do think in their own way my family who opposed bringing my great-grandfather home thought they were being respectful, and I can't fault them for it. They had an absolute horror of disturbing graves--not just his but anybody's and were appalled at anything of the sort, no matter what the reason. Not sure if it was due to religious beliefs, superstition, or personal quirks. I was reluctant to ask, and they're all gone themselves now.
 
Sorry to keep this going- if it's arduous, feel free to ignore any time- honest! Easily side tracked here, so don't tempt me to get into this stuff! Everything is interesting! :angel: These ladies are mentioned a few times, by nurses ( I think twice ) and a Christian Commission aid worker ( hope it is he ). Ingenious indeed! One nurse is terribly indignant over their plans, which tickles you a little. Of course a wife will go to any lengths, to swipe her wounded husband from a future prison, what army? I'm pretty fascinated by them and wish we had some idea if they made it home.
No, it's not arduous at all--I've found it fascinating and enjoyed talking to you!

It's hilarious to envision the nurses angry about it. I take it they didn't report the ladies and just fumed to themselves about it? Or maybe they just didn't catch it in time?
 
No, it's not arduous at all--I've found it fascinating and enjoyed talking to you!

It's hilarious to envision the nurses angry about it. I take it they didn't report the ladies and just fumed to themselves about it? Or maybe they just didn't catch it in time?


Will try to find the snips ( snipping tool is the best invention since cushion-bottomed socks ), they're here somewhere. No one seems to have turned anyone over to authorities but one group of relief workers did ask the women to find somewhere else to stay. Sorry to be so vague- it isn't intentional! Between " Our Army Nurses " , " Women's Work in the Civil War ", and various other accounts, saved a gazillion snips.

What I just cannot remember is where I read that prisoners were successfully ' sprung ', by ladies providing clothing. Can't state it as fact until finding that dratted source again. May be an account by one of the prisoners- rats! Post battle, prisoners seem to have had a lot of freedom anyway? Could have been accomplished, if one wished to slip away.
 
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