The Woolsey Nurses; A Shared War, With Love

JPK Huson 1863

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Location
Central Pennsylvania
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It's one of our most famous faces of compassion, of the war. George Anna, later Georgiana Woolsey. aka Cheller's user icon, for a reason. Nurse, fiercely compassionate, tireless healer, you see the attraction.

Georgiana was ( is ) perhaps the most famous sister- her war career seems a compilation of here sisters, not that anyone is counting. Prolific letter writers all, hers are the most frequently sourced, valuable testimonies to pulling men back to life's portal- or providing companions to that door, with love.

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We had so, so many representations of women during the war. Our war-like ' Columbia ' lead troops, in images and graced patriotic song covers- none were ' us '. The Woolseys were, North and South.



" We are not aware of any other instance among the women who have devoted themselves to works of philanthropy and patriotism during the recent war, in which four sisters have together consecrated their services to the cause of the nation. In social position, culture, refinement, and all that could make life pleasant, Misses Georgiana and Jane C. Woolsey, and their married sisters, Mrs. Joseph and Mrs. Robert Howland, were blessed above most women; and if there were any who might have deemed themselves excused from entering upon the drudgery, the almost menial service incident to the Hospital Transport service, to the position of Assistant Superintendent of a crowded hospital, of nurse in field hospitals after a great battle, or of instructors and superintendents of freedmen and freedwomen; these ladies might have pleaded an apology for some natural shrinking from the work, from its dissimilarity to all their previous pursuits. "

The Woolseys lost Mary- Mrs. Robert Howland- by 1864. Eliza- Mrs. Joseph, with a Captain husband in the Union army, Georgiana and Jane carried on.
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Mary, Mrs. Robert Woolsey, son Watts

Their father was lost in 1840, aboard steamer " Lexington ". He'd been on board by chance, a family dinner party chaned travel plans. A load of cotton caught fire, engulfing the ship and killing all but 4 passengers. His only son Charles, later wounded at Gettysburg, would be born posthumously.

Three of his daughters spent a large portion of their war aboard hospital steamers, fighting to keep wounded men alive. from a family of huge privilege, they Woolseys felt impelled by something we hear little of today- the real thing, I mean, duty, to go to war. None had to , they just did.

The Woolseys were here
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and here, at Vicksburg
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and here, In Gettysburg
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and here
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and saw this, because they were here, at City Point
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Long bios are a snore and disappointing. The war ended, people left the planet variously, because we all do. It's the life left behind. We're incredibly lucky the seven Woolsey sister were also committed writers- three, published authors as well as Civil War nurses. Thread's intent is merely awareness of these endlessly giving, remarkable women. Make no mistake, the Woolseys were several of thousands of women willing to serve.



Excellent source with a section on the Woolsey sisters
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=miun.acp3511.0001.001;view=2up;seq=4

" Woman's work in the civil war a record of heroism, patriotism "... Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893.

When we open the door to their presence, we'll have a greater understanding of this war's scope far beyond battles, generals, regiments and causes.

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Mary Woolsey Howland, Georgiana's sister, died in 1864 after prophetically writing these lines. Despite young daughters, she'd joined her sister in hospitals and by bedsides of soldiers Like so many nurses of the war, Mary exhausted herself and died.

Jane Woolsey and Eliza Woolsey Howland, launched themselves into their war from their Massachusetts home. Each did exhaustive work on hospital steamers, inside hospitals and wrote- Jane Stuart Woolsey's
" Three Weeks In Gettysburg " or " Hospital Days " is a famous account of the Sanitary Commission battle waged after July 3rd, 1863. With a war career spanning hospitals, battle fields, the transport steamers, she just refused to go home. The war was not in Massachusetts.
https://archive.org/details/hospitaldays01wool


" My half-day’s work is done, And this is all my part;

I give a patient God, My patient heart. "

To all nurses and healers, of every war and each day we've avoided one, with thanks

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Who am I kidding. We all know to whom this is dedicated.
 
Georgeanna Muirson Woolsey Bacon wrote " Three Weeks at Gettysburg ", also entitled " What We Did at Gettysburg " , one of those' pamphlets' we loved so much. In Sophronia Bucklin's account on Gettysburg, she recalls pitching her tent not far from Georganna's although doesn't refer to her by name. " The women who wrote the book, "Three Weeks at Gettysburg ... " is how Bucklin knew Woolsey and her mother.

http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/ref/collection/p15012coll8/id/2747
 
Of the women who went to war, I'm not sure we have another set of sisters - maybe there were and like so many women their names have been forgotten. One of this family of sisters, Mary, Mrs. Robert Howland, only survived until 1864, leaving a small boy and a husband still serving in the Union army.

Such a lovely woman. Always think of Chellers. I know she is missed.

Like you said Donna, Chellers is missed. I have a feeling she would have reminded us of the Woolsey nurses this Memorial Day, perhaps not enlisted members of the military but served them and our country. And left one behind doing so.
 
Great post. Along with praise for the Woolsey sisters and all nurses, I think we should praise the parents who raised those ladies right. What values they had.
 
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