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Dexheimer, Florence Chambers, 1866-1925 / Sketches of Wisconsin pioneer women
([1924?] )
Kent, Antoinette Cowles
Eliza Chappel Porter, pp. 77-80
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Page 79
In this connection, allow the writer to include in the war service the work of Miss Pamela Hand who was one of the first to be employed by the Freedman's Bu- reau as teacher. She was less than twenty years of age at that time. Mrs. Porter, on horseback, visited almost daily their crowded camp at Fort Pickering. During her stay here, her daughter managed to visit the camp at the Fort, which now had been rendered com- fortable. Mrs. Porter rode her horse to Shilo, distributing texts and delicate food to sick soldiers. Corinth, Vicks- burg, and Chattenooga, Savannah and Cairo were visited, sometimes alone, sometimes with Mrs. Bickerdyke. Once while Mrs. Porter was ministering to a wound- ed soldier, her own son rushed in and said, "Mother, I am all right," and darted away. While these terrors were going on in camp, Mrs. Susan Ross and Mrs. Bushnell of Beloit and their loyal band of women, were preparing huge barrels of food, even sending barrels of pickled potatoes to the soldiers who were suffering with scurvy. Mrs. Porter made one visit to Chicago. Great preparations were made for her safety and letters of commendation were sent. In October, she witnessed the marriage of her sec- ond son, Edward W. Porter, to Ellen H. Brown of Beloit, daughter of the pioneer Benj. Brown, sister of Wm. F. Brown. In the last year of the war, the youngest son was also now in the service. In 1872, Mr. and Mrs. Porter saw their son Henry ordained. In 1879, all the family gathered to witness in Beloit his marriage to Elizabeth Chapin. In a suburb of Austin, Texas, Mason Town, Porter Chappell as a memorial to the Porters was dedicated to the colored people July 1855. 79 -
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