her the best friend they had. Every day she contrived to save a
bucket of coffee and a pail of delicate soup, and would take it over
and give it with her own hands to the wounded an the rebel hospital.
While she was thus waiting on these helpless and almost deserted
sufferers, she one day saw two of the Newbern ladiess who had come in
silks to look at their wounded countrymen. 0ne of them was standing
between two beds in such a position as to obstruct the narrow
passage. Our heroune politely requested her to let her pass, when she
remarked to the other female who came with her, "That's one of our
women, isn't it?"
"No," was the sneering response, "she's a Yankee -----," using a term
which never defiles the lips of a lady. The rebel surgeon very
properly ordered her out of the house.
It is but justice, however, to say that in some of her rebel
acquaintances at Newbern human nature wars not so scandalized.
Colonel Avery, a Rebel offlcer, soon after he was captured. said
something to her about carrying the wrong flag, and that "the stars
and bars" was the flag. "It won't be the flag till after your head is
cold," was her quick reply. The colonel said something not so
complimentary to her Judgment, when General Burnside, who was
standing near, told him to cease that language as he was talking to a
woman. Immediately the colonel made the most ample apologies, and
expressed his admiration of her spirit and courage, and afterwards
insisted on her receiving from him sundry Confederate notes in
payment of her kindness to the wounded among his men. There was one
poor rebel, who died of lockjaw from an amputated leg, whom she
really pitied He said he "allus was agin the war" never believed Jeff
Davis and them would succeed no how and talked about his poor wife
and his seven children who would be left in poverty, and whom he
would never see again in a way so natural and kindly that she forgot
all about the brutal engineer and the insulting woman in silk, and
did ad she could to make the poor old man comfortable. He was fond of
smoking and in the terrible pain he suffered, the narcotic effect of
the tobacco was very soothing. Kady used to light his pipe for him at
the hospital fire, and so and give at to him
In April Robert could bear removal, and was made as comfortable as
possible on a cot on the steamship. Arriving in New York, he lay a
long time at the New England Rooms ; and his faithful wife, as tender
as she is brave, thought only of his life and his recovery. But it
was eighteen months before he touched ground, and then the surgeons
pronounced him unfit for active service; and as his soldier days were
over, Kady had no thought of anything more but the phin duties of the
loving wife and the kind friend. The colors she so proudly carried
she still keeps as well as her discharge, signed A. E. Burnside, and
the sergeant sword, with her name cut on the seabbard, and sundry
other trophies of the Newbern days. An excellent rifle, which she
captured she gave to a soldier friend who carried it back to the
front, and fought wlth if till the war was ended.
