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Note N2991
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Farming in Illinois.
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Note N2992
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Home is near Ashland, Ks.
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Note N2993
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Calculated from 1880 Census date.
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Note N2994
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47th Congress, > SENATE. ( Eepoetl8t Session. ] | No. 848.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.
July 22, 1882. - Ordered to be printed.
Mr. Van Wyck, from the Committee on Pensions, submitted the following REPORT:
[To accompany bill H. R. 219.]
The Committee on Pensions^ to whom was referred the hill (R, R. 219) granting a pension to Elizabeth Leebrick have examined the same, and report as follows :
It appears, from an examination of the petition and accompanying papers, that the petitioner is a resident of Quincy, 111., and is now over eighty-two years of age, the daughter of Jacob Angus, a Revolutionary soldier of the State of Pennsylvania.
The evidence before your committee shows that this lady rendered valuable aid to the soldiers, as nurse and attendant, in the different hospitals in the Southwest during the war of the rebellion, which were entirely gratuitous on her part, and that she spent of her own private means about the sum of $700 in this charitable work.
Dr. E. Nicholls, surgeon general hospital, Quincy, 111., June 8, 1803, states :
Mrs. Leebrick having told me that it is reported that she receives pay for her services to the soldiers, I certify that never to my knowledge has she received any compensation for the valuable services rendered by her to this hospital.
Newton Flagg states. May 20, 1869, in a letter to the petitioner dated Quincy, 111.):
I was stationed at this place as assistant quartermaster and acting commissary of subsistence during the late war. I can testify that during all that time you were the constant and devoted friend of all our soldiers, but more especially of those who were sick and suffering. I know that the greater part of your time for four years was spent In their service, and that by your efforts» many thousands of dollars were gathered and distributed to the sick and wounded, not only in our own hospital, but to those in the field.
There are other letters showing the character and value of the service rendered by the petitioner, especially to our invalid soldiers, and it is shown that she met with a severe accident while assisting in the transfer of the sick and wounded, after the battle of Shiloh, to Quincy, Ill.
The petitioner is partially blind, having lost the sight of an eye, and her husband has been totally blind for eight years. An application was made three years ago to the Pension Office for her relief, but, as there is no law allowing a pension to this class of cases, nothing could be done there.
Your committee are of the opinion that this is a meritorious case, and, in view of the fact that there have been precedents established covering similar cases, and in view of the advanced age of the petitioner and her helpless condition, report favorably on her prayer, and recommend the passage of the bill (H. R..219) for the relief of Mrs. Elizabeth Leebrick, with the following amendment: Add the words, at the rate of sixteen dollars per month.
St. Louis Republic Sat. Nov 1, 1890 OBITUARY. Death of Elizabeth Leebrick A Famous Nurse of the War. Quincy, Ill. Oct 31. Mrs. Elizabeth A Leebrick died here last night. Her name was for years a household word in this section of the country, and is to be treasured in the memory of thousands of the surviving veterans of the civil war. Some years ago she was allowed a pension by a special act of Congress in recognition of her services to the country.
Elizabeth A Leebrick was born in Pennsylvania on October 29, 1799 and was therefore, at the time of her death, 91 years and 1 day old. Her father was a soldier in the revolutionary war and suffered with Washington at Valley Forge. From her father she inherited her zeal and patriotism. It was during the civil war that Elizabeth Leebrick became famous. When Fort Sumpter was fired on Elizabeth Leebrick was 62 years old, but young in strength and spirit and patriotism and decided to consecrate her time and resource to the interests of her country.
In 1862 four government hospitals were established in Quincy, whereupon Mrs. Leebrick broke up house keeping in order to work to better advantage. Her increasing labors extended into all the counties in the central military district of Illinois, from Pike County on the south to Warren and Henderson counties to the north. She was constitutionally independent, and had a generous contempt for red tape. In 1862 she went to Pittsburgh Landing and waited upon the hundreds of wounded who had been placed on a large steamer en route for Quincy. An accident that tool place on this steamer ... illustrates Mrs. Leebrick's character. A large amount of provisions arrived. The wounded soldiers were on part rations and badly needed wholesome food. Mrs. Leebrick approached the captain and asked why the provisions in the forecastle were not distributed among the sick and well-nigh famished men. He replied that he had not yet received orders to that effect. "But," said she "the men are in immediate need of them," He answered that he knew it, but could do nothing. "Have you an axe near at hand, captain " asked Mrs. Leebrick. "Yes" replied the captain, and directed a deckhand to bring an axe. It was brought and put into Mrs. Leebrick's hands. She marched to the forecastle, and, regardless of the remonstrances of the captain, who told her that he would be compelled to report her at headquarters, she plied the axe among the boxes of provisions until she found what she wanted, which she distributed among the sick and wounded.
Mrs. Leebrick's efforts were incessant. The Good Samaritans and Needle Pickets were represented by local societies and the women of Quincy, inspired by Mrs. Leebrick's words and sets, collected over $30,000 cash and carloads of provisions for the use of the Sanitary Commission. During a comparatively short time Mrs. Leebrick collected 40 car-loads of provisions in Adams and surrounding counties. On more than one occasion she went to the front to personally distribute the provisions contributed at her solicitations.
"A True Heroine. To the Editor of the Quincy (Ill.) Herald. During the late American rebellion there were but few women who manifested as much patriotism for their country and humane feeling for the sick and wounded soldiers as Mrs. Elizabeth A Leebrick, of Quincy, Ill., now in her 68th year. She is a native of Pennsylvania, but for many years a resident of this city. She well recollects the war between the United States of America and England, of 1812, which doubtless prompted her to patriotic deeds. She is a Christian, with much of holy love and zeal in her heart, and strong faith in the promises of God, and felt it her duty to manifest Christian principles by Christian deeds, which she did by noble, heroic, humane and commendable labor and sacrifices in attending to the great and pressing wants of the sick and wounded soldiers. A person's deeds are commendable, to a great extent, in proportion to the sacrifices required in the performance of those deeds. Mrs. Leebrick made very many and great sacrifices. The circumstances herein named were gathered in part by the writer's personal knowledge of her labors,, and in part from frequent conversations with her, and it is due to her to give publicity to her untiring labors.
Soon after the beginning of the war, as she saw the omnibus going along the streets of Quincy, with wounded soldiers in it, and blood running from them, she said to her husband, "Let us rent our house and board, and you go to the hospital and read and write for the soldiers and I will help to nurse them." Her proposition met with the good pleasure of Mr. Leebrick, and arrangements were made to devote their time in doing good to both the souls and the bodies of soldiers. Thus the comforts of a good home were sacrificed for the sake of the country's good. Like a Good Samaritan, she dressed the soldiers' wounds, combed their hair, etc. She shrank from nothing that was prudent for a woman to do in the hospital. Very many things were needed for the welfare of the inmates of the hospitals which government did not supply. These, to a great extent, were procured by her money and personal efforts. With her money she hired help in the hospitals and wagons to haul to the soldiers things she begged or bought. She spend hundreds of dollars of her own money for the country's good. She borrowed several hundred dollars at ten per cent interest, with which to purchase necessary articles for the soldiers. Occasionally she was aided by pecuniary donations with which to pay for her board and lodging when out begging. She made six or seven begging trips into Iowa, the result of which was wagon loads of provisions. While on one of these trips, she asked an omnibus man to take her to a certain place, but he would not unless she would pay him twenty-five cents. She said, "No, I will not give it, for twenty-five cents will buy two and a half dozen eggs, and so I will walk and give it to the soldiers." The weather at the time was inclement. In the village of Vermont, Ill., she asked an individual to contribute aid for the soldiers but he said he would not give a cent, to which she replied, "When you are dead your children will feel ashamed of you and refuse to mark your grave with tomb-stones, feeling that their father was a disgrace to his country and unworthy of his resting place being marked." He then replied, "I will give you five dollars if you will go away and not come back again." "I will take the money," said she, "but I will not promise not to come back again." He finally not only gave her the money on her terms, but said, "This tin ware belongs to my brother, but if you want any of it, you can take it and I will stand good for it."
She went down to Pittsburgh Landing, soon after the battle there, and rendered great service in behalf of the wounded soldiers. Though aged and much fatigued, she had there to be content with the hard floor for her bed during what time she rested in sleep, which was but little, for she was employed almost constantly, day and night, in attending to the pressing wants of the suffering and wounded soldiers. Two weeks after the battle there, she found soldiers in their bloody clothes, which they had on when wounded, and but little attention was paid to them. This considerably excited her sympathetic feeling. She discovered a number of boxes which had been sent there with clothes in, and which had not been opened. Near there was an inhuman military officer (I wish I knew his name, for it ought to be published), with his feet elevated between earth and sky, puffing a cigar, seemingly ignorant of the suffering condition of the soldiers around him. Mrs. Leebrick said to him, "What mean all these boxes here, not opened, with clothes in them, and the soldiers here in the bloody garments in which they were wounded two weeks ago?" "Sit down, madam," said he, "and I will explain the matter." "I cannot sit down while there is so much suffering here," said she. "Well, madam," said he, "I wrote to know how to proceed with them, and am waiting for an answer." "What ", said she, "waiting two weeks, and the soldiers here in such a suffering condition? I shall not wait. Gentlemen (addressing some subordinates) opun these boxes " "O no ", said the would-be great officer, "don't you open them, the law is very strict." "Give me an axe." said Mrs, Leebrick, and I will open them. My father was a revolutionary soldier, and fought for liberty, which I intend to enjoy in this case." With an axe, she mounted a box and quickly let daylight into it, saying, "If these cannot be opened, how is it that those which had wind, etc., in them, have been opened?" On her mission to Pittsburgh Landing she proved to be an angel of mercy to the suffering soldiers, both while there and on their way to the hospitals at this point, doing more than all the doctors,, so said a soldier on the boat with them. She did not confine herself to any particular territory in which to operate for the benefit of the country, but extended her labors hundreds of miles from home, into Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, and in distant parts of Illinois. Her efforts to procure provisions of various kinds were crowned with great success. She begged and bought vast quantities of hospital necessaries, and shipped them to Quincy, and, on her return home, she would, in person, see that the articles were promptly distributed among the inmates of the five large hospitals there. In fruit time, she hired a wagon and boys, for two days and a half, to go with her to the country and help her gather apples and bring them to Quincy, and then, mostly by her own labor, she converted those apples into apple-butter for hospital use. Twelve barrels of cider were donated and brought to her yard to be made into apple butter for the soldiers. having a good supply of apples and cider, but no wood, she sat about devising a way to procure that very necessary article. She made her difficulty known to a merchant here, but he refused to render aid. She then said she would make her request known to the Lord, which she did, and the next day, she received a letter containing seven dollars, with which to purchase wood. This quick answer to prayer opened the way to future supplies of wood to be used in her benevolent enterprise, for the merchant above alluded to was so astonished at the quick answer to her prayer that he made such frequent mention of the circumstance to his country customers that many of them, when leaving their homes for the city, would put a few sticks into their wagons for "Mother Leebrick." The means through which she got a supply of wood are named, in part, to show the power of prayer and faith. She begged 800 pounds of meat, and made it into bologna sausage for the soldiers. After some time, without any claim being made by Mrs. Leebrick, a part of the money she had expended of her own for passage and freight was refunded, and railroads and steamboat companies gave her free passage. Five of among the largest buildings in Quincy were used as hospitals, and in these Mrs. Leebrick's labors, when not on errands of mercy, were almost incessant,, laboring from early in the day until sometimes near the midnight hour. No mother could show more regard for her child than this woman did for the soldiers. her motherly attention to their wants soon won for her the appellation of the soldiers' mother; and hundreds of them have caused now to thank God for "Mother Leebrick's" kindness. Frequently, inn feebleness of health, rendered so in part by her patriotic labors and inclemency of weather, she labored as but few did in the same cause, and under like circumstances. Mrs. Leebrick's sacrifices and labors for the good of our common country were free-will offerings, for she was not hired, nor did she expect or receive any pecuniary compensation from the government or any other source, and yet her labors were greater than the labors of most persons who were on large salaries, and boarded and lodged by government. She boarded and lodged herself. it may be inferred, from the foregoing, that her temporal means were very flush, but this was not the case, they were limited, but her faith in God was unlimited. Her sacrifices and labors did not cease with the close of thew war, for she and her husband, having resumed housekeeping, the entertained soldiers to such a degree that their house might truly be called "Bethesda." Many soldiers, after they got their discharges at the close of the war, while on their way home and being without money would be detained here a few hours or a whole night, waiting for a change of conveyance, made their cares known to some, and were told to "go to Mother Leebrick's, she is the soldier's mother." In this way, she has fed and lodged, at different times, over two hundred soldiers, and prior to the close of the war, and after she resumed housekeeping, she fed, at different times, seven hundred and forty-one soldiers, and all this mostly at her own expense, for she had a little means of her own,, independent of Mr. Leebrick's.
The foregoing is but a meagres sketch of the sacrifices and labors of Mrs. Leebrick, endured during the war for the good of our country. Before the end of the war, the Quartermaster here said she had already saved the government $14,000. No one is more worthy of commendation and compensation by the government than she is, and justice and holy principles dictate that she ought to be liberally noticed by the government in a pecuniary point of view.
When General Grant was here last summer, he met with her in church, and recognizing her, and calling to mind some of her noble deeds, of which he had some knowledge, he said to her: "Live forever, Mrs. Leebrick."--30 May 1869, Chicago (IL) Tribune
"Mrs. Elizabeth A. Leebrick is dead at Quincy, Ill., aged 91 years. Her father was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and suffered with Washington at Valley Forge. During the Civil war, she was identified with the work of the "Good Samaritans."--12 Nov 1890, New Ulm (MN) Review