Mrs.
Adaline Tyler, as we have already said in our sketch of her, took charge
as Lady Superintendent of the Hospital at Chester, Pennsylvania, which
had previously been in the care of a Committee of ladies of the village,
she sought for volunteer assistants in her work, who would give
themselves wholly to it.

Miss Titcomb, Miss Susan Newhall, and Miss Rebecca R. Usher, all from
Portland, were among the first to enter upon this work. They remained
there eight months, until the remaining patients had become
convalescent, and the war had made such progress Southward that the post
was too far from the field to be maintained as a general hospital.

The duties of these ladies at Chester, were the dispensing of the extra
and low diet to the patients; the charge of their clothing; watching
with, and attending personally to the wants of those patients whose
condition was most critical; writing for and reading to such of the sick
or wounded as needed or desired these services, and attending to
innumerable details for their cheer and comfort. Dr. Le Comte, the
Surgeon-in-charge, and the assistant Surgeons of the wards, were very
kind, considerate and courteous to these ladies, and showed by their
conduct how highly they appreciated their services.

In August, 1863, when Mrs. Tyler was transferred to the Naval Academy
Hospital, at Annapolis, these ladies went thither with her, where they
were joined soon after by Miss Adeline Walker, Miss Almira F. Quimby,
and Miss Mary Pierson, all of Portland, and Miss Mary E. Dupee, Miss
Emily W. Dana, and Mrs. Eunice D. Merrill, all from Maine. Their duties
here were more varied and fatiguing than at Chester. One of them
describes them thus: "The Hospital was often crowded with patients
enduring the worst forms of disease and suffering; and added to our
former duties were new and untried ones incident to the terrible and
helpless condition of these returned prisoners. Evening Schools were
instituted for the benefit of the convalescents, in which we shared as
teachers; at the Weekly Lyceum, through the winter, the ladies in turn
edited and read a paper, containing interesting contributions from
inmates of the Hospital; they devised and took part in various
entertainments for the benefit of the convalescents; held singing and
prayer-meetings frequently in the wards; watched over the dying, were
present at all the funerals, and aided largely in forwarding the
effects, and where it was possibl