Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/559

 furloughs for sick soldiers in hospitals, thus saving many lives. When she found armies camped in unhealthy localities she managed in numerous cases to exert influence to get the camp removed to a healthier location. She was one of the originators of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home established in Iowa at Davenport for the care and education of dependent children. She projected the Special Diet Kitchens which were established at hospitals, where such special food was prepared for the sick as was recommended by the surgeons in charge. This was the beginning of a great and much needed reform in providing suitable food for sick and wounded soldiers, in the hospitals. The entire supervision of these kitchens was placed under the control of Mrs. Wittenmyer. The reform was warmly indorsed by General Grant and there is no doubt that hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives of suffering soldiers were saved by this salutary change in food. When this reform was fully organized, more than a million of rations were issued through it each month. In 1892 Mrs. Wittenmyer spent a large portion of the winter in Washington working with Congress to secure pensions for army nurses. For more than twenty years these worthy workers for the relief of suffering soldiers had applied in vain for any recognition by the Government for their invaluable services. But Mrs. Wittenmyer knew so much of their unselfish devotion in war times and told it so earnestly that a pension of twelve dollars a month was granted the nurses. Mrs. Wittenmyer was largely instrumental in securing the purchase and preservation of the grounds embraced in the Andersonville prison pen. Eighty-five acres have been secured under the control of the Woman's Relief Corps, including the "Providential Spring," and the grounds enclosed in the deadly stockade. After a long life almost entirely devoted to good works of a public nature, this noble woman died at her home on the 2d of February, 1900. WILLIAM P. WOLFE was born at Harrisburg, Stark County, Ohio, on the 31st of December, 1833. He received a liberal education and taught school several years in Ohio. In 1856 he came to Iowa, locating in Cedar County, where he again engaged in teaching. He studied law with Hon. Rush Clark of Iowa City and was admitted to the bar. He was one of the friends of John Brown when that noted emancipator was helping slaves to freedom and making his headquarters at Springdale. Mr. Wolfe removed to Tipton and entered upon the practice of law. He served as county superintendent of schools. In 1863 he was elected on the Republican ticket Representative in the Tenth General Assembly. In May, 1864, he was appointed captain of Company I, of the Forty-sixth Iowa Infantry. At the close of the war he was for a time editor of the Tipton Advertiser. In 1867 he was elected to the State Senate, serving in the Twelfth and Thirteenth General Assemblies. In 1870 he was elected Representative in Congress to fill a vacancy. In 1881 he was again elected Representative in the Legislature and reëlected in 1883. He was chosen Speaker of the