Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/382

Rh was also Israel Stark. He was associated with the Christian Commission during the Civil War. A brother of Mrs. Hampton lost his life while at the head of his regiment in the battle of the Wilderness. Mrs. Hampton rendered valuable assistance during the war, and since that conflict, her zeal has not relaxed in the interest of those who wore the blue. She is a literary woman, and has long represented the Woman's Relief Corps in the National Council of Women of the United States. Her home is in Detroit, Michigan.

Mrs. Charity Rusk Craig,' the sixth national president of the Woman's Relief Corps, comes of patriotic stock, and has shown her patriotism by her work while a member of this great patriotic organization. She is a woman of fine presence and is gifted in speech.

For a number of years her home was in Viroqua, Wisconsin, but for some time past she has been living in Asheville, N. C.

Mrs. Annie Wittenmeyer, seventh national president of the Woman's Relief Corps, went out as a young woman, in charge of a nurse corps, under orders from Governor Curtin of Pennsylvania, and her name is lovingly mentioned, and her presence fondly remembered by thousands of old soldiers who came under her kindly ministrations in the dark days of the war.

She was not only all through the war, but many times was actually "under the guns." If one thing more than another established her fame, it is that she was the first to think of establishing diet kitchens, and hundreds of soldiers are alive to-day, because of the clean, nourishing food which was provided them under her direction.

It was through her influence that hundreds of army nurses have been pensioned in their old age. She is also well known as a poet, and "I have entered the valley of blessing so sweet," is as well known, as her poem telling of the miraculous breaking forth of the spring at Andersonville during the Civil War. when "The prisoner's cry rang up to Heaven; God heard and with His thunder cleft the earth, and poured His sweetest water gushing there."

Mrs. Wittenmyer died a few years ago at her home in Sanatoga, Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Mary Sears McHenry, eighth national president of the Woman's Relief Corps, comes of Revolutionary stock, being a direct descendant of Isaac Sears. Her husband was an orderly sergeant during the Civil War, afterwards settling at Denison, Iowa, where he became a prosperous banker. Mrs. McHenry came to the head of the order fully prepared for the duties, having passed through all the chairs in her own department, she therefore made an exceptionally good presiding officer.