Berkshire County, Massachusetts, has long been noted as the birth-place of many men and women distinguished in the higher ranks of the best phases of American life, literature, law, science, art, philosophy, as well as religion, philanthropy, and the industrial and commercial progress of our country have all been brilliantly illustrated and powerfully aided by those who drew their first breath, and had their earliest home among the green hills and lovely valleys of Berkshire. Bryant gained the inspiration of his poems—sweet, tender, refined, elevating—from its charming scenery; and from amidst the same scenes Miss Sedgwick gathered up the quiet romance of country life, often as deep as silent, and wove it into those delightful tales which were the joy of our youthful hearts.

The men of Berkshire are brave and strong, its women fair and noble. Its mountains are the green altars upon which they kindled the fires of their patriotism. And these fires brightened a continent, and made glad the heart of a nation.

Berkshire had gained the prestige of its patriotism in two wars, and at the sound of the signal gun of the rebellion its sons—"brave sons of noble sires"—young men, and middle-aged, and boys, sprang to arms. Its regiments were among the first to answer the call of the country and to offer themselves for its defense. Let Ball's Bluff and the Wilderness, the Chickahominy, and the deadly swamps and bayous of the Southwest, tell to the listening world the story of their bravery, their endurance and their sacrifices.

But these men who went forth to fight left behind them, in their homes, hearts as brave and strong as their own. If Berkshire has a proud record of the battle-field, not less proud is that which might be written of her home work. Its women first gave their best beloved to the defense of the country, and then, in their desolate homes, all through the slow length of those horrible, sometimes hopeless years, by labor and sacrifice, by thought and care, they gave themselves to the more silent but not less noble work of supplying the needs and ministering to the comforts of the sick and wounded soldiery.

Foremost among these noble women, as the almoner of their bounty, and the organizer of their efforts, stands the subject of this sketch, Mrs. C. T. Fenn, of Pittsfield, whose devotion to the work during the entire war was unintermitted and untiring.

Mrs. Fenn, whose maiden name was Dickinson, was born in Pittsfield just before the close of the last century, and with the exception of a brief residence in Boston, has passed her entire life there. Her husband, Deacon Curtis T. Fenn, an excellent citizen, and enterprising man of business, in his "haste to be rich," was at one time tempted to venture largely, and became bound for others. The result was a failure, and a removal to Boston with the idea of retrieving his fortunes in new scenes. Here his only son, a promising young man of twenty-two years, fell ill, and with the hope of arresting his disease, and if possible saving his precious life, his parents returned to his native place, giving up their flattering prospects in the metropolis. It was in vain, however—in a few months the insidious disease, always so fatal in New England, claimed its victim, and they were bereaved in their dearest hopes.

This affliction did not change, but perhaps intensified, the character of Mrs. Fenn. She was now called to endure labor, and to make many sacrifices, while her husband was slowly winning his way back to competence. But ever full of kindness and sympathy, she devoted her time more unsparingly to doing good. Her name became a synonym for spontaneous benevolence in her native town. By the bed-sides of the sick and dying, in the home of poverty, and the haunts of disease, where sin, and sorrow and suffering, that trinity of human woe are ever to be found, she became a welcome and revered visitant. All sought her in trouble, and she withheld not counsel nor aid in any hour of need, nor from any who claimed them.

This was the prestige with which she was surrounded at the opening of the war, and her warm heart, as well as her patriotic instincts were at once ready for any work of kindness or aid it should develop. The following extract from the Berkshire County Eagle, of May, 1862, tells better than we can of the estimation in which she was held in her native town.

"Mrs. Fenn, as most of our Pittsfield readers know, has been for many years the kind and familiar friend of the sick and suffering. Familiar with its shades, her step in the sick chamber has been as welcome and as beneficial as that of the physician. When the ladies were appealed to for aid for our soldiers suffering from wounds or disease, she entered into the work with her whole soul and devoted all her time and the skill learned in years of attendance on the sick to the new necessities. Possessing the entire confidence of our citizens, and appealing to them personally and assiduously, she was met by generous and well selected contributions which we have, from time to time, chronicled. In her duties at the work room, in preparing the material contributed, she has had constant and reliable assistance, but very much less than was needed, a defect which we hope will be remedied. Surely many of our ladies have leisure to relieve her of a portion of her work, and we trust that some of our patriotic boys will give their aid, for we learn that even such duties as the sweeping of the rooms devolve upon her.

"Knowing that Mrs. Fenn's entire time had been occupied for months in this great and good cause, and that all her time was not adequate to the manifold duties imposed upon her, we were somewhat surprised to see a letter addressed to her in print a few weeks since, complimenting her upon her efforts for the soldiers and asking her to give her aid in collecting hospital stores for the clinic at the Medical College. Surely thought we, there ought to be more than one Dorcas in Pittsfield. Indeed, it occurred to us that there were ladies here who, however repugnant to aid the soldiers of the North, could, without violence to their feelings so far as the object is concerned, gracefully employ a share of their elegant leisure in the service of the Medical College. But Mrs. Fenn did not refuse the new call, and having let her charity begin at home with those who are dearest and nearest to our hearts, our country's soldiers, expanded it to embrace those whose claim is also imperative, the poor whom we have always with us, and made large collections for the patients of the clinic.

"We have thus briefly sketched the services of this noble woman, partly in justice to her, but principally as an incentive to others."

Very early in the war, a meeting of the ladies of Pittsfield was called with the intention of organizing the services, so enthusiastically proffered on all hands, for the benefit of the soldiers. It was quite numerously attended, and the interest and feeling was evidently intense. But they failed to organize anything beyond a temporary association. All wanted to work, but none to lead. All looked to Mrs. Fenn as head and leader, while she was more desirous of being hand and follower. No constitution was adopted, nor officers elected. But as the general expression of feeling seemed to be that all should be left in the hands of Mrs. Fenn, the meeting adjourned with a tacit understanding to that effect.

And so it remained until the close of the work. Mrs. Fenn continued to be the life and soul of the movement, and there was never any organization. In answer to her appeals, the people of Pittsfield, of many towns in Berkshire, as well as numbers of the adjoining towns in the State of New York, forwarded to her their various and liberal contributions. She hired rooms in one of the business blocks, where the ladies were invited to meet daily for the purpose of preparing clothing, lint, and bandages, and where all articles and money were to be sent.

Such was the confidence and respect of the people, that they freely placed in her hands all these gifts, without stint or fear. She received and disbursed large sums of money and valuable stores of all kinds, and to the last occupied this responsible position without murmur or distrust on the part of any, only from time to time acknowledging her receipts through the public prints.

Pittsfield is a wealthy town, with large manufacturing interests, and Mrs. Fenn was well sustained and aided in all her efforts, by valuable contributions. She received also the most devoted and efficient assistance from numerous ladies. Among these may be named, Mrs. Barnard, Mrs. Oliver, during the whole time, Mrs. Brewster, Mrs. Dodge, Mrs. Pomeroy, and many others, either constantly or at all practicable periods. Young ladies, reared in luxury, and unaccustomed to perform any laborious services in their own homes, would at the Sanitary Rooms sew swiftly upon the coarsest work, and shrink from no toil. A few of this class, during the second winter of the war manufactured thirty-one pairs of soldiers' trowsers, and about fifty warm circular capes from remnants of heavy cloth contributed for this use by Robert Pomeroy, Esq., a wealthy manufacturer of Pittsfield. The stockings, mittens of yarn and cloth, and hospital clothing of every variety, are too numerous to be mentioned.

Meanwhile supplies of every kind and description poured in. All of these Mrs. Fenn received, acknowledged, collected many of them by her own personal efforts, and then with her own hands arranged, packed, and forwarded them. During the war more than nine thousand five hundred dollars' worth of supplies thus passed directly through her hands, and of these nothing save one barrel of apples at David's Island, was ever lost.

During the entire four years of the war, she devoted three days of the week to this work, often all the days. But these three she called the "soldiers' days," and caused it to be known among her friends that this was not her time, and could not be devoted to personal work or pleasure.

The Sanitary Rooms were more than half a mile distant from her own home. But on all these mornings, immediately after breakfast, she proceeded to them, on foot, (for she kept no carriage), carrying with her, her lunch, and at mid-day, making herself that old lady's solace, a cup of tea, and remaining as long as she could see; busily at work, receiving letters, supplies, acknowledging the same, packing and unpacking, buying needed articles, cutting out and preparing work, and answering the numerous and varied calls upon her time. After the fatiguing labors of such a day, she would again return to her home on foot, unless, as was very frequently the case, some friend took her up in the street, or was thoughtful enough to come and fetch her in carriage or sleigh. When we reflect that these tasks were undertaken in all weathers, and at all seasons, by a lady past her sixtieth year, during so long a period, we are astonished at learning that her health was never seriously injured, and that she was able to perform all her duties with comfort, and without yielding to fatigue.

In addition to these labors, she devoted much time and personal attention to such sick and wounded soldiers as fell in her way cheered and aided many a raw recruit, faltering on the threshhold of his new and dangerous career. Twice, at least, in each year, she herself proceeded to the hospitals at New York, or some other point, herself the bearer of the bounties she had arranged, and in some years she made more frequent visits.

Early in her efforts, she joined hands with Mrs. Col. G. T. M. Davis, of New York, (herself a native of Pittsfield, and a sister of Robert Pomeroy, Esq., of that place), in the large and abundant efforts of that lady, for the welfare of the sick and wounded soldiers. Mrs. Davis was a member of the Park Barracks' Ladies' Aid Society, and through her a large part of the bounty of Berkshire was directed in that channel. The sick and weary, and fainting men at the Barracks, at the New England Rooms, and Bedloe's Island, were principally aided by this Association, which were not long in discovering the great value of the nicely selected, arranged and packed articles contained in the boxes which had passed through the hands of Mrs. Fenn, and came from Pittsfield.

But the ladies of this Association, were desirous of concentrating all their efforts upon the sufferers who had reached New York, while Mrs. Fenn, and her associates in Berkshire, desired to place no bound or limit to their divine charity. The soldiers of the whole army were their soldiers, and all had equal wants, and equal rights. Thus they often answered individual appeals from a variety of sources, and their supplies often helped to fit out expeditions, and were sent to Sherman's and Grant's, and Burnside's forces—to Annapolis, to Alexandria, to the Andersonville and Libby prisoners, and wherever the cry for help seemed most importunate.

Among other things, Mrs. Fenn organized a plan for giving refreshments to the weary soldiers, who from time to time passed through Pittsfield. A signal gun would be fired when a transport-train reached the station at Richmond, ten miles distant, and the ladies would hasten to prepare the palatable lunch and cooling drink, against the arrival of the wearied men, and to distribute them with their own hands.

In the fall of 1862, Mrs. Fenn, herself, conveyed to New York the contribution of Berkshire, to the Soldiers' Thanksgiving Dinner at Bedloe's Island. Among the abundance of good things thus liberally collected for this dinner, were more than a half ton of poultry, and four bushels of real Yankee doughnuts, besides cakes, fruit and vegetables, in enormous quantities. These she greatly enjoyed helping to distribute.

In the fall of 1864, she had a similar pleasure in contributing to the dinner at David's Island, where several thousand sick and wounded soldiers, (both white and colored) returned prisoners, and freedmen were gathered, fourteen boxes and parcels of similar luxuries. Various accidents combined to prevent her arrival in time, and her good things were consequently in part too late for the dinner. There was fortunately a plenty beside, and the Berkshire's contribution was reserved for the feast of welcome to the poor starved wrecks so soon to come home from the privations and cruelties of Andersonville.

Mrs. Fenn however enjoyed the occasion to the fullest, and was welcomed with such joy and gratitude, by the men who had so often shared the good things she had sent to the hospitals, as more than repaid her for all her labors and sacrifices. Many thousands of all classes, sick and wounded convalescents, and returned prisoners, white and colored troops, were then gathered there, and on the last day of her stay, Mrs. Fenn enjoyed the pleasure of personally distributing to each individual in that vast collection of suffering men, some little gift from the stores she had brought. Fruit, (apples, or some foreign fruit), cakes, a delicacy for the failing appetite, stores of stationery, contributed by the liberal Berkshire manufacturers, papers, books—to each one some token of individual remembrance. And, with great gusto, she still tells how she came at last to the vast pavilion where the colored troops were stationed, and how the dusky faces brightened, and the dark eyes swam in tears, and the white teeth gleamed in smiles, half joyful, half sad; and how, after bestowing upon each some token of her visit, and receiving their enthusiastic thanks, she paused at the door, before bidding them farewell, and asked if any were there who were sorry for their freedom, regretted the price they had paid for it, or wished to return to their old masters, they should say—Aye. "The gentleman from Africa," perhaps for the first time in his life had a vote. He realized the solemnity of the moment. A dead silence fell upon the crowd, and no voice was lifted in that important affirmative. "Very well, boys," again spoke the clear, kind voice of Mrs. Fenn. "Each of you who is glad to be free, proud to be a free soldier of his country, and ready for the struggles which freedom entails, will please to say Aye." Instantly, such a shout arose, as startled the sick in their beds in the farthest pavilion. No voice was silent. An irrepressible, exultant, enthusiastic cry answered her appeal, and told how the black man appreciated the treasure won by such blood and suffering.

As has been said before, the personal labors of Mrs. Fenn were unintermitted as long as a sick or wounded soldier remained in any hospital. After all the hospitals in the neighborhood of New York were closed, except that of David's Island, months after the suspension of hostilities, she continued to be the medium of sending to the men there the contributions of Berkshire, and the supplies her appeals drew from various sources.

The United Societies of Shakers, at Lebanon and Hancock, furnished her with many supplies—excellent fruit, cheese, eatables of various kinds, all of the best, cloth, linen new and old, towels, napkins, etc., etc., all of their own manufacture and freely offered. The Shakers are no less decided than the Quakers in their testimony against war, but they are also, as a body, patriotic to a degree, and full of kindly feelings which thus found expression.

At one time Mrs. Fenn with a desire of saving for its legitimate purpose even the small sum paid for rent, gave up the rooms she had hired, and for more than a year devoted the best parlor of her own handsome residence to the reception of goods contributed for the soldiers. Thousands of dollars' worth of supplies were there received and packed by her own hands.

Among other things accomplished by this indefatigable woman was the making of nearly one hundred gallons of blackberry cordial. Most of the bandages sent from Pittsfield were made by her, and so nicely, that Mrs. Fenn's bandages became famed throughout the army and hospitals. In all, they amounted to many thousand yards. One box which accompanied Burnside's expedition, alone contained over four thousand yards of bandages, which she had prepared.

Though the bounties she so lavishly sent forth were in a very large measure devoted to the hospitals in the neighborhood of New York, to the Soldiers' Rest in Howard Street; New England Rooms, Central Park, Ladies' Home and Park Barracks, they were still diffused to all parts of the land. The Army of the Potomac, and of the Southwest, and scores of scattered companies and regiments shared them. The Massachusetts Regiments, whether at home or abroad, were always remembered with the tenderest care, and especially was the gallant Forty-ninth, raised almost entirely in Berkshire, the object of that helpful solicitude which never wearied of well-doing.

Almost decimated by disease in the deadly bayous of the Southwest, and in the fearful conflicts at Port Hudson and its neighborhood in the summer of 1863, the remnant at length returned to Berkshire to receive such a welcome and ovation at Pittsfield, on the 22d of August of that year, as has seldom been extended to our honored soldiery. About fifty of these men were at once taken to the hospital, and long lay ill, the constant recipients of unwearied kind attentions from Mrs. Fenn and her coadjutors.

Much as we have said of the excellent and extensive work performed by this most admirable woman, space fails us for the detail of the half. Her work was so various, and so thoroughly good in every department, both head and hands were so entirely at the service of these her suffering countrymen, that it would be impossible to tell the half. The close of the war has brought her a measure of repose, but for such as she there is no rest while human beings suffer and their cry ascends for help. Her charities are large to the freedmen, and the refugees who at the present time so greatly need aid. She is also lending her efforts to the collection of the funds needful for the erection of a monument to her fallen soldiers which Pittsfield proposes to raise at an expense of several thousands of dollars contributed by the people.

At sixty-eight, Mrs. Fenn is still erect, active, and with a countenance beaming with animation and benevolence, bids fair to realize the wish which at sight of her involuntarily springs to all lips that her life may long be spared to the good words and works to which it is devoted. She has been the recipient of several handsome testimonials from her towns-people and from abroad, and many a token of the soldier's gratitude, inexpensive, but most valuable, in view of the laborious and painstaking care which formed them, has reached her hands and is placed with worthy pride among her treasures.