January 31, 1862
Dined with Sister Frances*. All well & as usual, she busy making Haversacks and Flags for the Regiments to take the field in the Spring. Went visiting in the morning. Susan Rayner carried me into the Ladies Soldiers Aid Society, the same one to whom I gave my wool Mattrass in the Fall to be knit into socks. Ellen Mordecai is the President and Susan the Treasurer. We found about a dozen ladies all hard at work on Hospital shirts & drawers. Ellen & Susan had their Sewing Machines & all were as busy as possible. The work they have done is wonderful, indeed the Ladies all through the country have been heart & soul in the cause. Never was there such universal enthusiasm, enthusiasm too which does not evaporate in words but shows itself in work, real hard work, steady and constant. These Ladies have spent three days of the week at this Society room since Sept & show no signs of flagging. Promised Ellen & Susan some Dahlia Roots & some Tube Roses in the spring when I plant mine out. The first sunshiny days we have had in weeks! I hope it crippled Burnside.
* Longtime readers may recall that Catherine was extremely upset with Sister Frances last February, calling her a “terrible unionist.” See the post here:
http://wp.me/p1qIB8-L
Source: Edmondston, Catherine Ann Devereux, 1823-1875, Journal of a Secesh Lady: The Diary of Catherine Ann Devereux Edmondston 1860-1866. Crabtree, Beth G and Patton, James W., (Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1979).
http://nc-historical-publications.stores.yahoo.net/478.html
