The Civil War Brings Hardship

The Civil War Brings Hardship. . The Civil War affected everyone, and St. Catherine Convent and Academy was no exception. The Union army appropriated convent property. Dead and dying men covered the grounds after the Battle of Helena. The school lost most of its students. When it was forced to close in 1868, one sister wrote: "We lost everything and were broken hearted when forced to leave Helena.", The Union Army Seizes Convent Property , The sisters were charged by their founder with the relief of the suffering, but they apparently drew the line at having their property seized to house some of the 2,000 fugitive slaves who followed the Union army into Helena in July 1862., The Mother Superior voiced her objections in a terse yet polite note to the Union commander: "The Sisters of Mercy are compelled to solicit once more the kindness of Major Gen. Curtis for the preservation of their property, a portion of which is being destroyed by the Negroes, who say they have been sent to their barn by order of Gen. Curtis..." The general's reply is unknown, but one suspects that the Freedom Seekers remained. , Bringing Relief to the Wounded , After the July 1863, Battle of Helena, dead and wounded soldiers lay here on the ground all around you, the St. Catherine Academy grounds. Sister Gabriel wrote: "When we realized that we were doomed by the awful battle, we turned our house, out-houses and grounds into the very best emergency hospital that could be done under the circumstances. We boiled our white apparel as a means of sterilizing them for bandages. Mother Teresa was very gifted in knowing how to help the wounded and those ill from exposure. Many a wounded soldier of both sides, found relief under her care. , "We lost everything" , [Photo caption] , Bottom left: St. Catherine Academy, topped by the cupola, is visible on the hill behind the house in the foreground. This Civil War photograph was taken about 1864.