Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 29.djvu/56

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42 Southern Historical Society Papers.

In the course of time she became ill, and elected to go to her own hospital for treatment.

While there she was elected an honorary member of the Associa- tion of the Maryland Line a society of which her husband was president.

On March 9, 1894, the governors of the Maryland Line presented her with a Maryland badge and an appropriate letter. The badge is a gold Maryland cross set in pearls and garnets, suspended by a ribbon of orange and black. The letter is as follows :

"The survivors of the Maryland Line of the Army of Northern Virginia recall with pride and gratitude the loving, devoted and im- portant service performed for them by Mrs. Bradley T. Johnson.

" In May, 1861, she armed, clothed, uniformed and equipped with tents and camp equipage the First Maryland regiment and during the trying summer of that year nursed and tended with the devotion of a mother and the affection of a sister, our comrades, sick and dying, from typhoid and other diseases of the young soldier.

"In 1863-64, when the Maryland Line was at Hanover Junction, she collected a library of good, instructive books for the use of the command, and encouraged the men to build, under her directions, a chapel, which was used alike by catholic and protestant, without regard to sect.

" Remembering these benign episodes in her, and our lives, our affection for her brightens with advancing years, and now that she is suffering on a bed of sickness, we extend to her our sympathies, we assure her of our love and esteem, and we pray the good God to restore her to us and to her family for many years of youthfulness and honor.

" As a slight evidence of our esteem and endless gratitude, the Board of Governors have unanimously elected Mrs. Bradley T. Johnson to honorary membership in the Association of the Maryland Line, and desire her acceptance of the accompanying memento of their affection and love.

GEORGE W. BOOTH, JOHN W. TORSCH,

GEORGE R. GAITHER, CHARLES H. CLAIBORNE,

JAMES L. AUBREY, MARK O. SHRIVER,

DANIEL L. THOMAS, R. JAMES STINSON,

JAMES R. WHEELER, WILLIAM T. THELIN,

JOHN F. HAYDEN, AUGUST SIMON,

Board of Governors, Association of the Maryland Line, Baltimore, March 6,