Lorinda Anna "Annie" Blair Etheridge (May 3, 1839 – January 23, 1913 ) was a

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

nurse and

vivandière Vivandière or cantinière is a French name for women who are attached to military regiments as sutlers or canteen keepers. Their actual historic functions of selling wine to the troops and working in canteens led to the adoption of the name 'c ...

who served during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. She was one of only two women to receive the

Kearny Cross The Kearny Cross was a military decoration of the United States Army, which was first established in 1862 during the opening year of the American Civil War. The original decoration was known as the ''Kearny Medal'' and was adopted as an unofficial ...

. She was inducted into the

Michigan Women's Hall of Fame The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (MWHOF) honors distinguished women, both historical and contemporary, who have been associated with the U.S. state of Michigan. The hall of fame was founded in 1983 by Gladys Beckwith and is sponsored by the Michi ...

in 2010. Anna Etheridge was born Lorinda Anna Blair in 1839 in Wayne County, Michigan. In 1860, she married James Etheridge. At the outbreak of the

, Etheridge enlisted in 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, serving as a nurse and

. Her desire to become a nurse stemmed from caring for her father before his death. Before the war, Etheridge worked in a hospital with a poor reputation for patient care, which she had attempted to improve.

During the war

Etheridge joined as a laundress when her husband enlisted in the 2nd Michigan Infantry Regiment. She later served as the daughter of the Third Michigan Infantry Regiment. Though her husband soon deserted, Etheridge served throughout the rest of the war with the Fifth Michigan Infantry. When the regiment went on campaign, the other laundresses went home, but Etheridge stayed with the regiment. She was described as young, attractive, modest, quiet, and hard-working. Supposedly, if anyone treated her with disrespect, they would have to fight the entire regiment. After General

Philip Kearny Philip Kearny Jr. (; June 1, 1815 – September 1, 1862) was a United States Army officer, notable for his leadership in the Mexican–American War and American Civil War. He was killed in action in the 1862 Battle of Chantilly. Early life and c ...

saw her caring for wounded men during the Peninsula campaign, he "adopted" her into his III Corps division. He provided her with a horse, saddle, and

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

's pay, while her nominal title was cook for the officers mess. She typically wore a black riding habit with sergeant's chevrons. Annie Anna Etheridge Civil War Nurse and vivandière

Annie Anna Etheridge Civil War Nurse and vivandière

Etheridge was famous for her courageous work under fire, her skirt often being torn by bullets. Armed with pistols for her protection and saddlebags filled with medical supplies, Etheridge frequently rode into the front lines on horseback to aid wounded soldiers. Etheridge embodied the ideal daughter of the Union, much unlike her husband. She was "brave, constant, tender possessed nerves of steel, and willing to join the fight as necessary, encourage the men to greater valor, or remain din the rear treating wounds." Etheridge was repeatedly exposed to the same hardships as the soldiers she treated, such as sleeping on the ground in camp. The death of her father gave her the longing to save every soldier. Various accounts locate Etheridge at notable battles, such as the 1st Bull Run, Williamsburg, 2nd Bull Run,

Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union ...

, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg. Etheridge was in every battle of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

except the

Battle of South Mountain The Battle of South Mountain—known in several early Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap—was fought on September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for posses ...

. At the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

on the morning of May 3, 1863, Etheridge rode up to a general and his staff with a sack of

hardtack Hardtack (or hard tack) is a simple type of dense biscuit or Cracker (food), cracker made from flour, water, and sometimes salt. Hardtack is inexpensive and long-lasting. It is used for sustenance in the absence of perishable foods, commonly dur ...

and a dozen canteens filled with hot coffee. The men tried to get her to leave but she insisted on remaining until each of the officers ate and drank. During the time she waited, three horses were hit by Confederate

solid shot A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...

. Yet, as a nearby soldier wrote, "she never flinched or betrayed the slightest emotion of fear". Later, she appeared at a Union

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fac ...

that had taken serious casualties in men, horses, and equipment. The artillerists were considering leaving the guns, but she talked them out of it, offering the soldiers encouragement. The gunners cheered, insisted that she leave, and returned to their duties. One soldier noted "that brave little sergeant in petticoats" bucked up their morale more than any officer could have done. In 1864, all women were ordered out of camp as a result of an order from General Ulysses S. Grant. As a testimony to Etheridge's admirable service, numerous officers signed a petition addressed to Gen. Grant to allow Etheridge to remain in service on the field. "Gentle Annie" then worked for the

Hospital Transport Service Frederick Law Olmsted, the executive director of the United States Sanitary Commission, set up a system of hospital ships for wounded and sick soldiers during the American Civil War. The USSC was a private agency that cooperated closely with the U ...

, a subcommittee of the U.S. Sanitary Commission.Hall 1993, pp. 36 Assigned to the ''Knickerbocker'', under Amy M. Bradley, she aided in the transportation of wounded men from the ports of Alexandria, Virginia, to Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington. By early 1863, she had returned to vivandière duties in the Army of the Potomac. For her work and courage, she received the Kearny Cross.

After the war

Etheridge's service ended with the Fifth Michigan in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

on July 1, 1865. Like so many women who served, Etheridge was never paid for her service. After the war, she married and worked in the

United States Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the Treasury, national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an United States federal executive departments, executive department. The departme ...

, eventually receiving a monthly pension of $25 for her unpaid military service. Etheridge was honored with the

for her bravery in service. She died January 23, 1913, and was buried with veteran's honors in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

.Canon (2000).

Legacy

''Gentle Annie: The True Story of a Civil War Nurse'', written by Mary Francis Shura, is a "fictionalized biography" of Anna Etheridge.

Notes

References

* * * * * * *

External links

*Daniel K. Elde
"Remarkable Sergeants: Ten Vignettes of Noteworthy NCOs"
''Center for the Advanced Studies of the US Army Noncommissioned Officer'', April 30, 2003. (URL accessed on November 8, 2008). * {{DEFAULTSORT:Etheridge, Anna 1839 births 1913 deaths Burials at Arlington National Cemetery People of Michigan in the American Civil War Place of death missing People from Wayne County, Michigan Women in the American Civil War American Civil War nurses American women nurses American Civil War vivandières