always neat and cleanly in person, she
was indifferent to the attractions of dress, and amid the flying sparks
from her fires in the open air, her calico dresses would often take
fire, and as she expressed it, "the soldiers would put her out," _i. e._
extinguish the sparks which were burning her dresses. In this way it
happened that she had not a single dress which had not been more or less
riddled by these sparks. With her clothing in this plight she visited
Chicago again late in the summer of 1863, and the ladies of the Sanitary
Commission replenished her wardrobe, and soon after sent her a box of
excellent clothing for her own use. Some of the articles in this box,
the gift of those who admired her earnest devotion to the interests of
the soldiers, were richly wrought and trimmed. Among these were two
elegant night dresses, trimmed with ruffles and lace. On receiving the
box, Mrs. Bickerdyke, who was again for the time in charge of a
hospital, reserving for herself only a few of the plainest and cheapest
articles, traded off the remainder, except the two night dresses, with
the rebel women of the vicinity, for butter, eggs, and other delicacies
for her sick soldiers, and as she purposed going to Cairo soon, and
thought that the night dresses would bring more for the same purpose in
Tennessee or Kentucky, she reserved them to be traded on her journey. On
her way, however, at one of the towns on the Mobile and Ohio railroad,
she found two poor fellows who had been discharged from some of the
hospitals with their wounds not yet fully healed, and their exertions in
traveling had caused them to break out afresh. Here they were, in a
miserable shanty, sick, bleeding, hungry, penniless, and with only their
soiled clothing. Mrs. Bickerdyke at once took them in hand. Washing
their wounds and staunching the blood, she tore off the lower portions
of the night dresses for bandages, and as the men had no shirts, she
arrayed them in the remainder of these dresses, ruffles, lace, and all.
The soldiers modestly demurred a little at the ruffles and lace, but
Mrs. Bickerdyke suggested to them that if any inquiries were made, they
could say that they had been plundering the secessionists.

Visiting Chicago at this time, she was again invited to Milwaukie, and
went with the ladies to the Chamber of Commerce. Here she was very
politely received, and the President informed her that the Chamber
feeling deeply impressed with the good work,