Page 179 - Arkansas Confederate Women
P. 179
SKETCH OF MRS. LAURA C. DOSWELL,
OF NEWPORT.
By Mrs. C. H. Wilmans, of Newport.
Mrs. Laura C. Doswell, of Newport/ Ark., is one of the true
type of loyal Southern women. She came to Arkansas from
Virginia, to make her home out here with her brother, Colonel
Franklin Doswtell, many years ago. Mrs. Doswell's experi-
ences as a young girl, during the war between the States, are
tyery interesting and quite worthy of place in the historical
pamphlet, but her extreme modesty prevents our securing a very
extensive account of the subject.
One interesting experience of Mrs. Doswell is told most
entertainingly by her, in about these words, "Yes, I remember so
clearly the sad day on which the battle of Manassas was fought.
Sunday, July 21. I was at Old Fork church that day. As soon
as possible, several from our neighborhood, myself among the
number, went to Culpepper Court House, to assist in caring
for the dead and dying men there. We took with us many dain-
Aties, medicines, and all sorts of supplies. hospital had been
temporarily established at a large private residence. I was
stationed in the linen room there, where I remained for many
weeks assisting in getting ready the clothes, bed linens, band-
ages, etc., for the wounded and dying. The lady in charge of
this department was Mrs. Dade, the widow of Major Dade, kill-
ed in the Seminole war in Florida. ! child, there are so many
my mypainful recollections ! But
service was so little and ex-
periences like those of so many others/5 And thus it is we fail
to get lengthy articles from these brave 'and modest women.
When we read between the lines we can not fail to see the suffer-
ing and sacrifices, the sacredness of sorrow that neither they
nor we can put into words.
Mrs. Doswell sends a contribution of money, saying that
she desires "to assist in building the monument to those noble
women who so deserve it." She does not seem to realize the
fact, but nevertheless she is truly one of "those noble women."
