Rose Rooney, of Company K,
Fifteenth Louisiana Regiment, who left New Orleans in June, 1861, and
never deserted the "b'ys" for a day until the surrender.
She was no hanger-on about camp, but in everything but actual fighting
was as useful as any of the boys she loved with all her big, warm,
Irish heart, and served with the undaunted bravery which led her to
risk the dangers of every battle-field where the regiment was engaged,
unheeding the zip of the minies, the shock of shells, or the horrible
havoc made by the solid shot, so that she might give timely succor to
the wounded or comfort the dying. When in camp she looked after the
comfort of the regiment, both sick and well, and many a one escaped
being sent to the hospital because Rose attended to him so well. She
managed by some means to keep on hand a stock of real coffee, paying
at times thirty-five dollars per pound for it. The surrender almost
broke her heart. Her defiant ways caused her to be taken prisoner. I
will give in her own words an account of what followed.
"Sure, the Yankees took me prisoner along with the rest. The next day,
when they were changing the camps to fix up for the wounded, I asked
them what would they do with _me_.
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