The Curious Dutchman

Mrs. Georgeanna Muirson (Woolsey) Bacon, a nurse with the United States Sanitary Commission, came to Gettysburg accompanied by another woman from the commission, to assist with the wounded at Camp Letterman. Their main duty during the three weeks they stayed at the hospital was to help feed the multitude of Union and Confederate wounded who came into the "Sanitary Lodge" located near temporary railroad depot near the camp. Here the wounded men waited for the next train to take them out of Gettysburg, to hospitals in Baltimore and Philadelphia. The hours were long and wearisome, but Mrs. Bacon stuck through the hard times and assisted hundreds of injured soldiers. She wrote about her experiences soon after, praising the local Gettysburg women for their faithfulness and charity to the wounded and strangers who came to town. She was not so kind to the local male populace, especially in recounting the visit of a curious farmer to the camp: "Few good things can be said of the Gettysburg farmers... One of this kind came creeping into our camp three weeks after the battle. He lived five miles only from the town, and had 'never seen a rebel.' He heard we had some of them, and came down to see them. 'Boys,' we said, marching him into the tent which happened to be full of rebels that were waiting for the train; 'Boys, here's a man who never saw a rebel in his life, and wants to look at you;' and there he stood with his mouth wide open, and there they lay in rows, laughing at him, (the) stupid old Dutchman. 'And why haven't you seen a rebel?' Mrs. --- said; 'why didn't you take your gun and help to drive them out of your town?' 'A feller might'er got hit!'- which reply was quite too much for the rebels. They roared with laughter at him, up and down the tent." - from THREE WEEKS AT GETTYSBURG, Anson D. Randolph Printers, New York, 1863

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