Julia Wheelock Freeman, Civil War nurse.

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Forum Host
Joined
Aug 25, 2012
The latest issue of Michigan History magazine arrived yesterday On page 13 is the article Julia Wheelock Freeman by Robert Myers. This one page article does not go into much depth about the Palo Michigan school teacher turned Civil War nurse. She does not get the attention that some other Civil War nurses do. In 1870 she published her wartime diary, The Boys in White: The Experiences of a Hospital Agent in and Around Washington. This is a must read book if one wants to get a feel for what a nurse working for the Michigan Relief Association did. I would recommend her wartime diary highly.
 
The Boys in White " is tough reading although I agree it's a must-read. Julia really hits the personal aspect of the war hard- as in men dying.


Ran into her account of ' Camp Misery ', and it's chilling. Not a prison, she's talking about the camp for men recovering from wounds after being discharged. It's the one in Alexandria.
 
The Boys in White does show her thoughts and one can see her suffering. If one wants the sunshine and unicorns version of the Civil War, this is not a book for them.
 
Back
Top