The Dermott News

Young Woman
Hei
Heroine
of
Gettysburg

There is, or was, a couple of years ago, a little old rusty iron stove of primitive pattern carefully preserved by the Davis family of Gettysburg, Pa., in memory of Josephine Davis, a brave girl who did what she could to alleviate the sufferings of both armies the first day of the great battle. Josephine was only eighteen at the time, but a notable bread baker and housekeeper. When the guns began to rumble she arose and stoked up her little stove with wood. She was alone in her little cottage, all her men folks having gone with the Southern army, and the neighbors had fled, for the row of small houses of which hers was one, was in the line of battle.

She had only a half barrel of flour and some molasses in the house, but she baked up all the flour into great crusty loaves; these loaves she sliced in thick generous pieces, covered them with molasses, and piled them in pans. As the hungry soldiers passed her door she gave them bread, irrespective of the color of the uniforms they wore. Later in the day, badly wounded or dying men stumbled to her door, and were taken in and tenderly cared for by this heroic girl. The tiny dwelling was filled to capacity, its walls and floors were blood-stained, and it echoed with groans. All the sheets, tablecloths, towels and underwear in the house were torn up for bandages. Some of the less seriously hurt helped her to care for the worst cases, after she had bound up their wounds. Seventeen dead soldiers—both in blue and gray—were carried from Josephine's cottage after the battle was over, and double that number of wounded thanked and blessed her when the ambulance bore them away.—Kansas City Times