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Higgs, deceased of Miliikin Bend, La.”Now, when General Grant was besieging Vicksburg he occupied the home of Mrs. Bledsoe, the mother of Miss Nannie, as his headquarters. He gave Mrs. Bledsoe a pass to Emmits-burg to be with her children and out of danger till the war was over.This angel of mercy at once went to work to make her patient as comfortable and as well as possible. The first thing was to clean up, provide clothing and bedding and suitablefood.After being made comfortable, the wounded soldier slept a sweet sleep and dreamed of his widowed mother and little brothers and sisters in the lar-off land of the pelican and the magnolia. When he awoke he spoke of mother and home. Then Miss Nannie proposed that he write to his mother and she would see that the letter would pass through the lines to the dear mother. She provided the material and held it so that he might write the message with his own hand that he was yet alive and under the care of a kind providence and being nursed back to life. That letter did reach the distressed mother and family and was the only word from the boy till he reached home, Mount Lebanon, Bienville parish, La., August 111, 1864, about a year after.Attending almost daily, bringing suitable nourishment and encouraging cheer, Miss Nannie continued her ministrations till the 20th of July, when those soldiers who could be transported were sent to hospitals where they might be provided for more conveniently in the north.Miss Biggs brought her album and requested Sergeant Smith to write amemento and she gave him her address as Independence, Washington county, Texas, as her future home when the cruel war was over. She gave him as a keepsake a talisman, a pearl case, containing a gold pencil knife, a small cushion and a strandof beads, a rosary. And when theyclasped hands and said the last good-by there passed to his hand a roll of “greenbacks,” to supply his future wants. IS';/, A:,Sergeant Smith was carried to the hospital, David’s Island, in New York bay, where he remained until November 12, 1863.During the time he corresponded with Miss Biggs and received from her and her mother financial aid. A few days after he was able to walk again he was sent by ship via Fortress Monroe to City Point, Ya., paroled and sent to Petersburg, Va., thence to Macon, Ga. There he remained visiting relatives and friends until August 8,
Newspaper Details
Bryan Daily Eagle
Bryan, Texas, US
Fri, Sep 06, 1918
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Joe O.
USA 02 Mar 2018
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