Clara Davis.
- Miss Davis not a native of this country -- her services at the Broad and Cherry Street Hospital, Philadelphia -- one of the Hospital Transport corps -- the steamer “John Brooks” -- mile Creek Hospital -- Mrs. Husband's account of her -- at Frederick City, Harper's Ferry, and Antietam -- Agent of the Sanitary Commission at camp Parole, Annapolis, Maryland -- is seized with typhoid fever here -- when partially recovered, she resumes her labors, but is again attacked and compelled to withdraw from her work -- her other labors for the soldiers, both sick and well -- obtaining furloughs -- sending home the bodies of dead soldiers -- providing head-boards for the soldiers' graves
This lady, now the wife of the Rev. Edward Abbott, of Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, was one of the earliest, most indefatigable and useful of the laborers for Union soldiers during the war. Her labors commenced early in the winter of 1861-62, in the hospitals of Philadelphia, in which city she was then residing. Her visits were at first confined to the Broad and Cherry Street Hospital, and her purpose at first was to minister entirely to the religious wants of the sick, wounded and dying soldiers. Her interest in the inmates of that institution was never permitted to die out. It was not patriotism,--for Miss Davis was not a native of this country-but rather a profound sympathy with the cause in which they were engaged which led her, in company with the late Rev. Dr. Vaughan of Philadelphia (of whose family she was an inmate) to visit this place and aid him in his philanthropic and official duties. The necessity of the case led her to labor regularly and assiduously to supply the lack of many comforts which was felt here, and the need of woman's nursing and comforting ways. By the month of May, ensuing, she was giving up her whole time to these ministrations, and this at a considerable sacrifice, and extending her efforts so as to alleviate the temporal condition of the sufferers, as well as to minister to their spiritual ones. In the early part of this summer, memorable as the season of
