Civil War Series on Sunday - Dorothea Dix gets her nurses

This Day in the Civil War - 150 Years Ago
Wednesday May 29 1861
DETERMINED DIX DOES DOUBLE DISPENSARY DUTY

"Many people realized at the start of the war, or even earlier, that the military was not an all prepared for the complications involved in raising and maintaining huge standing armies. One of the most persistent of these petitioners was Miss Dorothea Dix, who had been fighting for months to be allowed to provide nursing services. After promising to hire only older, homely women so soldiers would not be tempted to sin, she was authorized today by Secretary of War Simon Cameron to gather nurses."


On a personal note: My 2nd great-grandfather Walter Watson KINNICK '...took his bride with him...where she acted as a nurse for troops in camp... '

"Walter re-enlisted 10 Aug 1862 in Co. D, Seventh Regiment, Kansas Volunteers, Cavalry [8](not 5 Regiment as reported in [7]). He took his bride with him to Corinth, MS, where she acted as nurse for troops in camp there [7]. He was discharged 2 Dec 1864 from St. Louis, MO [7,8]."

Source: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~earlyyrs/kinnick/kinnickweb/wwatkinn.html#Adult


Families are Forever!  ;-)