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.
General Grant, who had been laying siege to Vicksburg, had captured that
stronghold on the Fourth of July, 1863. Then came the surrender of Fort
Hudson and the battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary
Ridge.
[Illustration]
Grant in 1864 was made Lieutenant-General and placed in command of all
the armies of the United States. Early in May he led the Army of the
Potomac across the Rapidan toward Richmond. For six weeks he tried to
get between Lee’s army and Richmond without success. In this fruitless
effort he fought the battles of the Wilderness, North Anna, Bethesda
Church and Gold Harbor, losing 40,000 men. Then he moved his whole army
south of the James and laid siege to Petersburg.
The burning of Chambersburg by the Confederates and the valor of
General Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, with Admiral Farragut’s
achievements at sea, completed the notable events of 1864.
In the fall of 1864 Sherman began his march to the sea, which was unique
in modern warfare, and was completely successful. The last campaign
began in the spring of 1865. On April 1, 1865, Petersburg was evacuated,
the Union Army entered Richmond on the 2d. On the 9th of April came the
surrender of Lee to Grant at Appomattox, which was the practical end of
the war. Long before this the Sisters of Charity felt that their work
was drawing to a close. In the meantime, however, their services were
being utilized in the West. Colonel Ware, who was then in command of the
prisons of that section, applied to the Bishop of Alton, Ill., for the
Sisters of Charity to attend the prisoners at Alton. Accordingly, Bishop
Yonker applied to the Sister servant of St. Philomena’s School, St.
Louis. One of the Sisters was at that time in St. Louis at the Gratiot
State Prison Hospital. She received a dispatch from Father Burlando to
go to Alton and take with her three Sisters. They started early the next
morning, March 15, 1864, and reached Alton in twenty-four hours. There
they were met by Father Harty, who conducted them to the residence of a
gentleman, a member of the City Council.
Colonel Ware soon called to see them and accompanied them to the prison,
which had been formerly called the Illinois State Penitentiary. It had
been vacated before the war for a more commodious and healthy locality.
Before reaching the main entrance the Sisters had to ascend a very
rugged road, well protected by guards. Here a residence would have been
provided for them, but they did not think it safe or prudent to accept
it. They passed through the yard, which was crowded with prisoners,
numbering four thousand Confederates and one thousand Federals, the
latter being confined there for desertion and through follies committed
in camp. The two parties were separated, except in the hospital. The
poor sick were so delighted to see the Sisters that they could scarcely
contain themselves.
It is said that the men died in this hospital at the rate of from six to
ten a day. The place was too small for the number of inmates, who were
all more or less afflicted with diseases. Some were wounded, other a
prey to despondency, typhoid fever and the smallpox; consequently the
atmosphere of the prison was very foul. Fortunately the smallpox cases
were removed to an island in the Mississippi as soon as discovered. The
Sisters made arrangements with Colonel Ware to visit the sick twice a
day. As there were no accommodations for the Sisters to remain in the
prison they returned to the residence of Councilman Wise, who had so
kindly received them in the morning. He could not accommodate them, but
procured lodgings for them in the house of his sister, where they
remained for nearly six weeks. On their return to the prison the next
day the Sisters found written orders from the Government. They also met
there the attending physicians, who appeared glad to see them and said
that they hoped soon to see an improvement in the condition of the
sufferers, who had been heretofore much neglected. The Sisters were
informed that four of the patients had died during the previous night. A
place was allotted to them to prepare drinks and nourishment for the
sick. It was an old workshop, and the floors were in such a condition
that the Sisters were continually in danger of falling through. The
attendants, who were prisoners, were exceedingly kind and obliging, so
much so that they would even anticipate the wishes of the Sisters.
Two weeks had scarcely elapsed before the sick began to improve. The
doctors acknowledged a change for the better, saying that there were
fewer deaths, and that despondency had nearly disappeared. A look of
commiseration or a word of encouragement soon made these poor victims
feel that they were cared for at least by the lowly children of St.
Vincent. The Sisters visited the Federal Guards Hospital and the
smallpox island hospital at the request of Colonel Ware. They visited
the Federal Guards Hospital once a day and the smallpox island hospital
once a week, but even that consoled the poor patients, as the Sisters
provided them with delicacies and nourishment they mostly craved.
On the 1st of May the Sisters took possession of a house belonging to
St. Joseph’s, Emmittsburg, that had been previously occupied as a
school, but was then vacated. They were now one mile distant from the
prison, and an ambulance was sent daily to convey them to and fro.
On July 1 they were notified that their services were no longer required
at the prison. They could do nothing until the superiors were acquainted
with their situation. Meanwhile the citizens were anxious to have them
remain in Alton and convert their house into a hospital. They soon
received a letter from the venerated Mother Ann Simeon, giving
permission to open a civil hospital for the citizens of Alton. One of
the Sisters was sent to St. Joseph’s Hospital, Alton, to wait on the
sick and wounded soldiers from the battle of Winchester. There was one
man in the ward who was nicknamed “Blue Beard,” from his ferocious
manners and large mustache. He would never ask for anything nor take
anything offered to him. One day when he was being urged to take some
nourishment he replied:
“Sister, I do not wish for anything that you have. There is only one
thing, and that I do not think you can procure for me.”
The Sister inquired what it was and assured him that if it were in her
power she would get it for him. He then replied:
“Sister, I should like to have a lily. I think it would do me so much
good.”
The wish was a strange one, nevertheless she at once determined to
gratify him, which the kindness of a friend enabled her to do. This
little act of kindness was not without effect, and from that time the
man had a high regard for the Sisters.
At the termination of the war, in 1865, the prisoners received their
discharge. It was sad to see the streets of the city lined with the
ragged and distressed looking men. The sick were brought to St. Joseph’s
Hospital, which was soon filled. The Sisters gave the soldiers the very
best attention and consideration, and within a few months the majority
of the men were enabled to return to their homes and families.
The little band of Sisters who had been laboring in Frederick City, Md.,
from 1862 to 1864 certainly did their share in caring for helpless
humanity. They were kept actively employed in Frederick City during
the summer and autumn of 1862. They found then that their work was not
nearly done. The winter set in with heavy rains and deep snow, to which
they were constantly exposed. The poor patients had likewise much to
suffer from the badly constructed buildings. The wind, rain and snow
penetrated through the crevices, leaving the poor men in a most
uncomfortable condition. This was called to the attention of the chief
surgeon, who immediately gave orders for the dilapidated barracks to be
repaired as much as possible.
[Illustration: MULVANEY’S “SHERIDAN’S RIDE.”]
Some of the soldiers were quite amusing with their grateful intentions.
A Sister was asked one day whether she ever wore any other color but
gray or black, “for,” he continued, “I wish to present Sister Agnes with
a new dress; she has been so truly good to me.”
The soldiers seemed to have the greatest confidence in the Sisters,
whose advice they preferred before that of the physicians. General
Hunter had now received command of the Shenandoah Valley. He visited the
hospital and issued an order that all the prisoners should be placed by
themselves in separate barracks entirely apart from the Union men. Soon
after the United States surgeon in charge of the hospital inspected all
the barracks and found one filled with Confederates and with no Sister
to take charge of them. The sufferings of these poor men touched him so
much that he immediately went to the Sister servant and requested her to
send a Sister from a ward of the Union soldiers to take care of the
Confederates. The patience of these poor sufferers was the admiration of
all. A worthy clergyman once remarked that in his visits to the
hospital he was always edified by their resignation. He said he had
never heard the least murmur escape their lips, and commenting upon this
he remarked: “I think the intensity of their pain, both mentally and
physically, might, if offered in unison, expiate the sins of their whole
life.”
About this time the leaders of the Southern Confederacy began to realize
that the clouds were gathering about them and that their cause was
hanging in the balance, if indeed it was not already destined to
failure. They resolved to concentrate their hospital facilities in and
around the city of Richmond, Va. The Sisters who had been doing work
upon the various battlefields in the South were summoned to the Southern
Capital. The Sisters had served at Harper’s Ferry, Manassas, Antietam,
Fredericksburg and White House, Va.
Those who were located in Richmond at this time began to feel “in their
bones” that the fall of the city was imminent. They were right. The long
expected event occurred in April, 1865. Jefferson Davis, the President
of the Southern Confederacy, was at worship in an Episcopal church when
he was handed a telegram telling him that Richmond must be evacuated. He
presented a calm exterior, but bad news is hard to conceal, and the
exact situation was soon noised about the city. The wildest excitement
prevailed. Men, women and children rushed hither and thither, knowing
not what to do or where to go. Finally their frenzy assumed a decisive
shape and a general evacuation of the city began. The Sisters, who
constituted the calmest portion of the population, looked on the scene
with mild amazement.
The City Councils met and with the general interests of the people in
view determined to destroy all the liquor in Richmond. This work was
begun at midnight and before the first gray streaks of dawn revealed the
terror-stricken city to the public gaze the streets and gutters were
running with veritable lakes of whisky, wine and beer. Many of the
soldiers and some of the residents balked the good intentions of the
Councils by drinking the liquor, and then scenes of drunken revelry were
added to the general confusion. Thieves broke loose, houses were robbed,
public buildings were fired and bridges leading from the city were
destroyed.
Notwithstanding the foresight of the authorities on the coming defeat,
its arrival was most appalling. Medical stores, commissary departments
and other houses were thrown open. The city was troubled from the
blowing up of the gunboats in the river. The Sisters were preparing to
go to Mass early in the morning when suddenly a terrific explosion
stunned, as it were, the power of thought. The noise of the breaking of
windows in the hospitals and neighboring buildings added greatly to the
alarm. The Sisters soon learned that the Confederates had blown up their
supplies of powder which were very near the hospital buildings; then
followed an explosion of all the Government buildings.
After the surrender a Federal officer rode up to the door of the
Sisters’ house and told them they were perfectly safe, their property
would be respected and that he would send a special guard to protect
their house. No resistance was shown to the Union troops. The city was
placed under military rule and General G. F. Shepley made Governor. One
thousand prisoners were found in the city and five thousand sick and
wounded were in the hospitals. The prisoners were set free and the
Sisters with joy hailed the peace that was once again to dawn on a
blood-washed land. They remained in Richmond until the sick and wounded
were able to quit the hospitals and then returned home to Emmitsburg,
followed by the gratitude and blessings of the men of both armies.
The soldiers who were in the Washington hospitals also returned to their
homes impressed with the kindest feelings toward the Sisters. The
officers and doctors all concurred in expressing unlimited confidence in
them. Printed placards were hung in all the wards, reading: “All
articles for the use of the soldiers here are to be placed in the care
of the Sisters of Charity, as also papers, books and clothing.”
Early in the summer of 1865 the Sisters took their departure and the
hospital was permanently closed. Another hospital in Washington began
its operations in March, 1865, and closed in October of the same year.
The Sisters were placed in charge, and, since their customs and calling
were known, did not experience as much annoyance as in the beginning of
the war.
The house was well filled with the sick and wounded. During the month of
July the Jesuit Fathers were giving a jubilee at their church in the
city of Washington and many of the convalescents attended.
The officers of the hospital expressed much gratitude for all that had
been done by the Sisters. The first surgeon was at a loss to know how to
put his satisfaction into words, saying that the Sisters of Charity had
marvelously lessened the cares of the physicians and surgeons in all of
the hospitals in which they served.
This concludes the story of the work done by the Sisters of Charity of
Emmittsburg from the beginning to the close of the war. While they were
at work, however, the Sisters belonging to branches of the order and to
other orders were not idle, as will be seen by the chapters that
follow.