the problem of how to provide the necessary nurses for both the union and confederate armies. sisters not able to volunteer without the approval of their superiors. an interesting epistle from archbishop hughes to archbishop kenrick. the new york prelate appointed by president lincoln as a peace commissioner to france. a characteristic letter from the martyred president to the great archbishop. quelling the draft riots in new york city.
lincoln.
very early in the war the question of providing nurses for the sick and wounded soldiers of both armies became a serious problem, not only to the civil authorities, but also to the church officials. in every great emergency questions of this kind generally solve themselves. it proved so in this instance. the first shot had hardly been fired, the first battle fought and the first improvised hospital put into service, before volunteers from all sections of the country had placed themselves at the disposal of generals of the contending armies. these offers came both from lay women and from members of the various sisterhoods connected with the catholic church in the united states. the sisters, of course, 24 being under certain rules and discipline, were not able to volunteer until they had obtained the consent and approval of their superiors.
in the beginning the nurses for the armies were taken from all walks of life. while they were zealous and entered upon their work with the desire of alleviating suffering, they did not have the disposition or training necessary to carry on the work with the ease and thoroughness essential to complete success. as the war progressed and battles occurred more frequently, and the number of sick and wounded became alarmingly large, the medical directors in both the union and confederate armies began to recognize and appreciate the real value of the sisters.
the following letter4, written by archbishop hughes, of new york, to most rev. francis patrick kenrick, d. d., archbishop of the see of baltimore, shows that the subject was a live one in church circles at that time:
to the archbishop of baltimore. may 9, 1861.
most reverend and dear sir:—
the superior of the jesuits here called upon me more than a week ago to state that their society would be prepared to furnish for spiritual necessities of the army, north and south, as many as ten chaplains, speaking all the civilized languages of europe or america. i heard him, but did not make any reply. for myself i have sent but one chaplain with the sixty-ninth regiment, and to him i have already given the faculties which you had the kindness to confer upon me for such an occasion.
there is also another question growing up, and it is about nurses for the sick and wounded. our sisters of mercy have volunteered after the example of their sisters toiling in the crimean war. i have signified to them, 25 not harshly, that they had better mind their own affairs until their services are needed. i am now informed indirectly that the sisters of charity in the diocese would be willing to volunteer a force of from fifty to one hundred nurses. to this last proposition i have very strong objections. besides, it would seem to me natural and proper that the sisters of charity in emmittsburg should occupy the very honorable post of nursing the sick and wounded. but, on the other hand, maryland is a divided community at this moment, whereas new york is understood to be all on one side. in fact, as the question now stands, maryland is in america, for the moment, as belgium has been the battlefield of europe. as i mentioned several days ago, baltimore must be destroyed or it must succumb to northern determination.
on these several points i would like much to know what your grace thinks and would advise.
sincerely your devoted brother and servant in christ.
john, archbishop of new york.
while, as the archbishop stated in his letter, maryland might have been a divided community, the same could not be said of the sisters of charity of emmittsburg. they were united in occupying “the very honorable post of nursing the sick and wounded” on both sides of the great conflict. soon after this the archbishop changed some of his views regarding the sisters, as expressed in the above letter. both the sisters of charity and the sisters of mercy in the diocese of new york served in the camps and the hospitals. to begin with, the archbishop withdrew his “strong objection” to the one hundred sisters of charity who desired to volunteer in the early stages of the war. after that all those who were willing to undertake the humane work went into it with his blessing and best wishes. 26
the following letter from president lincoln to archbishop hughes is of interest. it was the beginning of a warm personal friendship between two strong men—a friendship ended only by death.
washington, d. c., october 21, 1861.
archbishop hughes.
rt. rev. sir:—i am sure you will pardon me if, in my ignorance, i do not address you with technical correctness.
i find no law authorizing the appointment of chaplains for our hospitals, and yet the services of chaplains are more needed, perhaps, in hospitals than with the healthy soldiers in the field. with this view i have given a sort of quasi appointment (a copy of which i enclose) to each of three protestant ministers, who have accepted and entered upon the duties.
if you perceive no objection i will thank you to give me the name or names of one or more suitable persons of the catholic church to whom i may with propriety tender the same service.
many thanks for your kind and judicious letters to governor seward, and which he regularly allows me the pleasure and profit of perusing.
with the highest respect. your obedient servant,
a. lincoln.
there are conflicting opinions regarding the propriety of the “war stand” taken by the archbishop, but it is generally agreed that he was one of the heroic figures of war times. he had the absolute confidence of president lincoln, and on the 21st of october, 1861, was sent abroad with thurlow weed on a “peace commission.” the archbishop went to france, while mr. weed confined his work to england. at the same time messrs. mason and slidell were in europe on a mission in the interests of the confederacy. 27 the late bishop mcnierny, of albany, then a young priest in new york city, accompanied the archbishop to france, acting in the capacity of private secretary.
these two rival “missions” to europe were covered with all sorts of honeyed diplomatic terms, but their real purpose was well known. messrs. mason and slidell went to induce one or more of the powerful nations of the old world to throw the weight of their influence with the southern confederacy. the mission of the archbishop and mr. weed was to prevent that result.
a letter written by archbishop hughes to cardinal barnabo, at the time of his appointment by president lincoln, goes to show that the archbishop accepted the mission with the very highest motives. after explaining that he had refused it once and only reconsidered his refusal at the earnest request of the president, he adds: “my mission was and is a mission of peace between france and england on the one side, and the united states on the other. the time was so brief between my visit to washington and my departure from new york that i had no opportunity of writing to your eminence upon the subject, or of consulting any of the other bishops in regard to it. i made it known to the president that if i should come to europe it would not be as a partisan of the north more than of the south; that i should represent the interests of the south as well as of the north; in short, the interests of all the united states just the same as if they had not been distracted by the present civil war. the people of the south know that i am not opposed to their interests. they have even published that in their papers, and some say that my coming to europe is with a view to bringing 28 about a reconciliation between the two sections of the country. but in fact no one but myself, either north or south, knows the entire object of my visit to europe.”
archbishop hughes was one of the great men of his day. he was on terms of friendship with several of the presidents who preceded mr. lincoln, and also enjoyed the confidence and respect of the leading statesmen of the nation. as early as 1847 he preached before congress upon the invitation of such men as john quincy adams, john c. calhoun and thomas h. benton. his subject was: “christianity, the only source of moral, social and political regeneration.”
in july, 1863, archbishop hughes was instrumental in quelling the draft riots in new york city. the mob was beyond the control of the local authorities, and the archbishop finally consented to say a few words in the interest of law and order. the venerable prelate was fast approaching his end. he was so weak at this time that he had to be conveyed to the balcony of his residence in an arm chair. he spoke briefly, and succeeded in inducing the rioters to return to their homes for the time being. it was his last public appearance, and soon after this he peacefully passed away, surrounded by friends and relatives and the ever faithful sisters of charity.
in the chapters that follow it is proposed to deal with the labors of the sisters of charity, taking up first the cornette or emmittsburg sisters, then the “sisters of charity of nazareth,” and finally the “black caps” or mother seton sisters. the concluding chapters deal with the sisters of mercy, the sisters of st. joseph and the sisters of the holy cross in the order named.
