“Every train will bring large numbers of soldiers, hungry, fatigued, many, perhaps, sick and faint. Refreshments are essential immediately upon their arrival. Our City Council has appointed the undersigned a committee to attend to this matter.
“The new building erected as a depot for the South Carolina Railroad Company has been kindly given up for the reception of the soldiers, and ample accommodations prepared for the sick and disabled. We want cooks, waiters, nurses, fuel, hospital stores, etc. Our citizens, we are sure, will come to our aid.
“All communications should be addressed to Prof. F. S. Holmes, at his residence, at the corner of Calhoun and St. Philip Streets, or at the depot of the South Carolina Railroad.
H. R. Banks,
F. S. Holmes,
J. S. Riggs,
Committee
Charleston Wayside Hospital
Charleston Mercury, January 7, 1862.
“The following contributions are acknowledged for the Wayside:
“Mr. W. Roman, laudanum, paregoric, and other medicines.
“Mrs. E. H. Rodgers, comforts, and hospital stores.
“Mrs. Emily J. few, Hillsboro, N. C, $5.00.
“Mrs. T. M. P., rags for surgeons’ use.
“Mrs. John H. Porcher, Black Oak, grits, lard, and services of a Negro man for nurse.
“J. DuBose Porcher, jar of lard and a man nurse.
“Mrs. Isabella J. Porcher, Black Oak, lard, and potatoes.
“Mrs. A. R. Drayton, bath tub.
“Col. J. D. Aiken, load of wood.
“The committee tender their grateful thanks to Messrs. John Fraser & Company for their contribution towards the establishment of the Wayside Hospital at the Citadel Square, consisting of mat-tresses, fifty pillows, ten washstands, basins, etc. Also to General DeSaussure and officers of the Fourth Brigade, for the use of their building on the Citadel Square as a branch of the Wayside Hospital. To Professor Hume, of the Citadel, we acknowledge our obligations for many favors.
F. S. Holmes, Superintendent.
“Acknowledgements to
“Mrs. F., six bottles pickles.
“Master Wm. Hummel, two bottles brandy.
“Mrs. Harriet Erwin, one bale cotton.
“Miss Julia Mulligan, coffee, tea, etc.
“Mrs. M. E. Tanno, Pendleton, S. C, six pillow-cases.
“Mrs. John Fripp, one pair turkeys, bag meal.
“Miss S. Tunno, coverlets.
“From absent citizens of Charleston, through Mr. W. P. Holmes, two demijohns of gin.
“Mrs. S. C. Williams, Society Hill, ten mattresses, four litters, and a barrel of hospital stores.
“Anonymous, by railroads, bale containing six mattresses, five sheets, three comforts, six pillows and cases, and several bundles of dried herbs.
“Death – W. R. Childs, a private in Calhoun’s Battery, died January 3d, and was buried at Magnolia Cemetery.
F. S. Holmes, Superintendent.
Charleston Mercury, January 13, 1862.
The Wayside Hospital and Soldiers’ Home is reported fully organized and ready for sixty patients at a time – forty-eight were there at the time. A long list of donations is published – large sums of money from the men, and numberless articles, from beds to slippers, sent by the women.
“It is impossible to name the large number of ladies who daily provide milk, soup, and refreshments of every kind.”
Charleston Mercury, January 31, 1862.
The Wayside Hospital Committee acknowledges many donations, and publishes a number of deaths, among others, that of “one of our faithful nurses – Scye – the property of Wm. Ravenel, Esq., of Black Oak.”
Charleston Mercury, July 14, 1863.
The Wayside Hospital in Charleston continued under that name, with what modification of its work we do not know. Whether the patients received there were only those in transit to other places (as was the case in Columbia), or were kept there, we do not know; but in the newspaper of July 14, 1863 (Mercury), we see a call for another Wayside Hospital or Home.
Charleston Mercury, July 25, 1863.
The announcement follows shortly that the need had been filled, and a home established at the old American Hotel, King Street.
Charleston Courier, September 15, 1864.
Soon after, we see that the first Wayside Hospital changes its name (to prevent confusion), and becomes the first Louisiana Receiving and Distributing and Transient Hospital, located at 564 King Street, Surgeon Robert Lebby.
Mrs. Bryce’s Reminiscences.
Minutes of Young Ladies’ Hospital Association.
Mrs. Bryce reports the thorough organization of the Wayside, in Columbia, in October, 1862; but in the report of the Young Ladies’ Hospital Association for July, 1862; we see a donation to the Way-side Hospital, which probably may fix the date of its going into operation.
Minutes of Young Ladies’ Hospital Association, of Columbia, in possession of Miss I. D. Martin.
We return now to the “old book” and give from it the list of members of the Young Ladies’ Hospital Association. It is a pathetic little roll to those of us who can recall the fresh, bright faces; one by one, as we see the names.
Young Ladies’ Hospital Association.
List of members
Miss Black.
Miss M. Watson.
Miss Herndon.
Miss Brown.
Miss C. Watson.
Miss N. Heyward.
Miss Sallie Bryce.
Miss Thornwell.
Miss A. Heyward.
Miss Maggie Bryce.
Miss E. Levy.
Miss DeSaussure.
Miss E. Clarkson.
Miss Gracey.
Miss M. Crawford.
Miss J. Clarkson.
Miss Adams.
Miss Trenholm.
Miss S. Clarkson.
Miss R. Shand.
Miss H. Trenholm.
Miss Davis.
Miss Crawford.
Miss A. Taylor.
Miss Elmore.
Miss Scott.
Miss B. Sims.
Miss Echols.
Miss Martin.
Miss Fowles.
Miss Edwards.
Miss J. Mordecai.
Miss M. Fowles.
Miss McLean.
Miss Fisher.
Miss Glaze.
Miss McCully.
Miss Gibbes.
Miss Annie Leverett.
Miss E. McCully.
Miss Guignard.
Miss Howe.
Miss Niernsee.
Miss Goodwyn.
Miss H. Parker.
Miss A. Parker.
Miss A. Hampton.
Miss Baker.
Miss Powell.
Miss S. Hampton.
Miss A. Huggins.
Miss Preston.
Miss Huggins.
Miss P. Rhett.
Miss S. Preston.
Miss Harris.
Miss Hayne.
Miss Scarborough.
Miss Lyons.
Miss Mary Leverett.
Miss Stark.
Miss Manning.
Miss Holmes.
Miss Sims.
Miss McCord.
Miss Mordecai.
Miss E. Seibels.
Miss Reynolds.
Mrs. DeSaussure.
Miss S. Seibels.
Miss Murdoch.
Miss Kelly.
Miss F. Smith.
July, 1861. – Minutes of the Y. L. H. A.:
Committees for the Month
Shopping Committee
Miss Stark.
Miss McCord.
Miss Thomwell.
Forwarding Committee.
Miss Sims.
Miss Niernsee
Miss Hampton
Miss Reynolds
Cutting Committee.
Miss Edwards
Miss Parker
Miss Davis
Miss M. Watson
Miss E. Clarkson
Miss Scarborough
Superintendents of Work for the Month.
Miss Guignard
Miss Bryce.
August, 1861.
Committees for the Month
Shopping Committee
Miss Davis
Miss Shand
Miss Huggins
Forwarding Committee.
Miss McLean
Miss Edwards
Miss Manning
Miss Crawford
Miss Martin
Miss Gracey
Cutting Committee
Miss Lyons
Miss Guignard
Miss S. Preston
Miss Stark
Miss McCully
Miss Echols
Superintendents for the Month
Miss Martin
Miss Goodwyn
Miss Black.
Articles forwarded:
August 1, 1861. – To Dr. Cabell, at Charlottesville, through Mrs. Price, one box of hospital clothing.
August 9, 1861. – To Dr. Cabell, through Mrs. Price, one box of clothing and stores.
September, 1861. – Committees unchanged. Articles forwarded:
September 1, 1861. – One box to Kershaw’s Regiment, containing hospital clothing and stores.
September 15, 1861. – One tierce rice, to Hampton’s Legion.
September 20, 1861. – To Mr. Barnwell, at Charlottesville, one box hospital clothing and one box hospital stores.
September 29, 1861. – Twenty-five flannel shirts to Captain Wal-lace, one box medicine to Hampton’s Legion, twenty-five flannel shirts to Captain Carson.
October, 1861.
Committees
Shopping Committee
Miss Elmore
Miss Edwards
Miss Shand
Forwarding Committee
Miss Taylor.
Miss McLean
Miss Stark.
Cutting Committee
Miss Fisher
Miss Gracey
Miss Davis
Miss Adams
Miss Niernsee.
Superintendents of Work.
Miss Lyons
Miss Scott.
Articles forwarded:
To Captain Taylor’s Troop, twenty-five shirts.
To Mrs. McCord, six pairs canton flannel drawers.
Mrs. Bryce, for town hospital, three flannel shirts.
Dr. Wallace, for “Lightwood Knot,” two bed-tickings, two home-spun shirts, one pair sheets.
Mrs. Bryce, twelve pairs drawers, and six shirts.
November, 1861
Committees
Shopping Committee.
Miss Martin
Miss Gracey
Miss Preston
Forwarding Committee.
Miss Elmore
Miss Scarborough
Miss Echols
Cutting Committee…
Miss Taylor.
Miss Herndon.
Miss Crawford
Miss Bryce
Miss Black
Miss Murdoch.
Superintendents of Work
Miss Stark
Miss Fisher.
Articles forwarded:
November 4, 1861. – One box to Gregg’s Regiment.
November 10, 1861. – Twenty gray flannel shirts, eight pairs drawers, to Captain Radcliffe’s company.
November 29, 1861. – Three boxes of whiskey to Hampton’s Legion.
December, 1861. – Committees unchanged.
December 2, 1861. – Articles forwarded:
One box hospital clothing, to Rev. Munroe Anderson, for hospital at Pocataligo (not acknowledged).
December 12, 1861. – One box to Rev. R. H. Phillips, Staunton, Va., for the sick of Maryland Regiment (not acknowledged).
January, 1862.
Committees.
Shopping Committee.
Miss Huggins
Miss K. Crawford
Miss Niernsee
Forwarding Committee.
Miss Manning
Miss A. Heyward
Miss E. Clarkson
Cutting Committee
Miss N. Heyward
Miss Trenholm
Miss McCully
Miss Edwards
Miss Elmore
Miss Crawford
Superintendents of Work
Miss Scarborough
Miss Shand
Articles forwarded:
January 1, 1862. – Twenty-five flannel shirts to Captain Sligh’s company.
June, 1862. – Some pages are here torn out, but in June is re-ported:
Twenty-one sheets, two shirts, soap, sugar, one bushel rice, band-ages, sent to Richmond, through Mrs. J. Bryce.
June 3, 1862. – Officers were reelected, and the following rules adopted:
I. The society must meet every Tuesday morning at 9:30 o’clock.
II. Every member who is absent shall pay 10 cents fine, if she cannot give a sufficient excuse.
July, 1862. – To Mrs. McCord, for the College Hospital: One box, containing thirty-four shirts, fifteen sheets, twenty-nine drawers, fifteen pillow-slips, thirty-eight pillow-cases, six bed-ticks, thirty-six towels, two packages sugar, ten fans, soap, hominy, rice, cologne, one hundred and forty-four bandages.
To Wayside Hospital, six shirts, six pairs drawers.
To individuals, two shirts.
One box ligatures to Miss Norton, Richmond.
August, 1862. – The society has been employed in making bed sacks, etc., for the hospital at the college.
September 5, 1862. – One box to Rev. R. Barnwell, through Dr. LaBorde, containing hospital stores and clothing for South Carolina sick at Richmond, Va.
September 25, 1862. – Eighteen shirts, eighteen pairs drawers to hospital of Capt. T. Ferguson’s battery, Summerville, S. C.
July, 1863. – The treasurer reports that she has received, during the year, $1,062, of which $664.75 h as been spent, leaving on hand a balance of $397.25.
Articles forwarded during the past year:
To Richmond, for South Carolina soldiers, two bales of hospital stores.
Major Huger’s battery, Army of Potomac, one bale.
Major Ferguson’s battery, Summerville, one bale.
McPhersonville Hospital, one bale.
Wayside and Ladies’ Hospital, various small donations.
College Hospital, shirts and drawers.
Fredericksburg sufferers, two pieces of cloth, bandages, and lint.
Yellow Sulphur Springs, Va., one piece of cloth, thirty shirts, and twenty-four drawers.
Trapman Street Hospital, Charleston, one bale.
Sums received by association from Dr. R. W. Gibbes $ 88.00
Work done for College Hospital, through Mrs. McCord 29.00
South Carolina Railroad Company 250.00
Industrial Association 50.00
Industrial Association 5.00
Mrs. Huger 15.00
Proceeds of concert by Sig. Torriani 25.00
August 7, 1863. – Fifty pairs socks, Captain Calhoun’s battery.
One package books to Howard Grove Hospital.
August 15, 1863. – One bale shirts and drawers to hospital of Sixth Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, at Adams Run.
September 18, 1863. – Sold to Mrs. White, at cost price, two pieces of cloth, for Fredericksburg Orphan Asylum.
September 24, 1863. – Eighteen sheets, eighteen pillow-cases, eight dozen bandages, four dozen towels, seventeen shirts, twenty-four pairs drawers, two packages dried fruit, one package green tea, three bottles whiskey, one bag flour, four packages lint, linen and cotton rags, to hospitals in the West.
October, 1863. – Fifty pairs socks to Nineteenth Regiment, Colonel Wallace.
December, 1863. – To Jimmie, two shirts, two pairs drawers.
February, 1864. – To Arkansas troops, Johnston’s Army, twenty-one shirts, eight pairs drawers, twenty-four towels, five pairs socks, one pair wristlets.
March, 1864. – To Stafford’s Louisiana Brigade, twenty pairs drawers, eight pairs socks, eight shirts.
April, 1864. – To Mrs. Proctor, for her son, four pairs drawers.
May, 1864. – To private Brazil, one shirt, two pairs drawers.
To private Fenton, two shirts, two pairs drawers.
To Jimmie, two suits of clothes.
To Rev. Mr. Yates, for sailors, $500.00.
June, 1864. – To the committee for transporting wounded soldiers from Charlotte Depot, $100.00.
To Jimmie Mathews, two shirts.
To Wayside Hospital, twenty-seven pillow-slips.
To Atlanta, through Central Association, twenty slings.
From this time the reports cease, whether because the work was merged into the Wayside Hospital or because the secretary was too busy to write reports, we do not know. A member of the association – Miss Grace Elmore – says: “Miss Amanda Graeser was our chief cutter, but we soon deferred to Mrs. John Fisher in all our difficulties, and a most lovely and efficient adviser she was.”
The old book from which these records have been taken has been lent by us to Miss Isabella D. Martin, the Secretary of the Young Ladies’ Hospital Association. Miss Mary Cantey Preston, after-wards the wife of Dr. John T. Darby, Surgeon Confederate States Army, was the President; Miss Eugenia Goodwyn, the Treasurer.
Mrs. Bryce’s Reminiscences
Mrs. Campbell Bryce says that Mrs. John Fisher, Mrs. John Bryce, and herself, found the first patients for the Columbia Wayside Hospital, in four men, sick with the measles, sitting on the platform at the South Carolina Railroad Depot. Mrs. Stratton, living on Gervais street, consented to take them in. These ladies then applied to Mr. Bollin for a little room at the depot, which he gave them.
This room was furnished with a bed, bedding, etc., by the Young Ladies’ Hospital Association. Mrs. Bryce says: “I made that bed with my own hands.”
After this, an old ice-house, which had been floored and repaired by Mr. Campbell Bryce, for this purpose, was made ready to receive the sick, and give them lodgings for a few days, if necessary. The original officers of the Wayside were Mrs. George Howe, President; Mrs. John Bryce, Vice-President; Mrs. John Fisher, Secretary and Treasurer; Mrs. Wm. Martin, Miss Mary Stark, Miss Amanda Graeser, Mrs. Campbell Bryce.
Two of these ladies met the early train each day, and gave break-fast to the sick and wounded. Again in the evening, two met the incoming train, and gave the sick supper and lodging for the night. Mrs. Bryce speaks gratefully of their cook – Dinah Collins – a free colored woman.
Mrs. Thomas Taylor, 1901.
Mrs. Taylor speaks of a day when, ”being notified by Mr. Halcott Green of a battle in Virginia, that a large number of wounded men would pass through Columbia, and that nurses, with supplies of food, lint, bandages, etc., must be at the Wayside to meet and take care of them,” she remembers “seeing Mrs. Bryce with a huge coffeepot in her hand, standing in the Wayside kitchen; Mrs. Fisher, with a long spoon, stirring something cooking on the stove; the invaluable Dinah Collins making up something, and turning a portly figure and kindly face to one and any who spoke to her, at the same time giving directions which kettle to get warm water from.
“Dr. Robert Wilson, kind and devoted, had asked me (Mrs. Taylor) to help him dress a head. I was to hold the basin. Then we passed on to a cot to attend to an arm of one who was in from the recent battle.”
Mrs. Bryce’s Reminiscences.
Many ladies volunteered and were appointed on committees to serve in this hospital, having each her day for receiving and caring for sick and wounded soldiers.
Gradually, accommodations were increased and quarters enlarged. An old building, formerly a car factory, near the Charlotte Depot, was fitted up by the efforts of the ladies and the liberality of several gentlemen who gave work and material. It was capable of accommodating seventy or eighty patients. Mrs. Bryce says that Mr. Brown, the glazier, when glass gave out, literally pieced the window glasses out of strips not wider than two fingers.