Helen L. Gilson (later, Helen L. Osgood; 1836–1868) was born in
Chelsea, Massachusetts
Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. As of the 2020 census, Chelsea had a population of 40,787. With a total area of just 2.46 s ...
. She was a
nurse
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. Also known as Helen L. Gilson Osgood.
Early life
Helen Louise Gilson was born in 1836. She began her career in teaching at seventeen as the head assistant of
Phillips School
The Phillips School was a 19th-century school located in Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts. It is now a private residence. It is on the Black Heritage Trail and its history is included in walking tours by the Boston African American National Hi ...
in
Boston, Massachusetts. She stayed there for a few years until 1858 when throat problems forced her to leave. After that, she moved back to
Chelsea, Massachusetts
Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. As of the 2020 census, Chelsea had a population of 40,787. With a total area of just 2.46 s ...
where she worked as a governess for her cousins, children of her uncle
Frank B. Fay, the mayor of Chelsea.
Participation in the Civil War effort
Fay took a deep interest in supporting the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, especially in supporting the troops. This was a cause that Gilson became passionate about as well. Gibson's service began in 1861 by organizing with the
Soldiers' Aid Society. Her duties included preparing, collecting, and transporting supplies.
Hoping to help more, Gilson applied for a diploma to
Dorothea Dix
Dorothea Lynde Dix (April 4, 1802July 17, 1887) was an American advocate on behalf of the indigent mentally ill who, through a vigorous and sustained program of lobbying state legislatures and the United States Congress, created the first gene ...
, the government superintendent of female nurses. She was denied due to age requirements. However, this did not stop her from leaving home to help the soldiers. Before 1862, Gilson worked with the Sanitary Commission alongside Fay and 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 ...
. She worked alongside this army through most of their major battles. Gilson's best work during this period was on General Grant's campaign from Rapidan to Petersburg and the Appomattox which lasted almost a year. In April 1862, Gilson applied a second time to Dix, though this time in person. Dix offered her a placement at Washington's
Columbian College
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
Hospital. Though the particular job fell through, Gilson volunteered at the hospital anyway. In June 1862, Gilson began working on boats for the Hospital Transport System, a specialized division of the Special Relief Corp to provide medical supplies to hospitals.
When Fay, in his own relief efforts, realized the need for more help at
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...
, he volunteered Gilson. This became her way into the army as a nurse. In order to prepare, Gilson attended lectures in Washington on medical techniques.
Gilson was present at numerous famous battles, such as
Yorktown,
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 ...
,
Gettysburg,
Fredericksburg, and
Chancellorsville. Gilson is most known for the work she did in changing the colored hospital in
Petersburg
Petersburg, or Petersburgh, may refer to:
Places Australia
*Petersburg, former name of Peterborough, South Australia
Canada
* Petersburg, Ontario
Russia
*Saint Petersburg, sometimes referred to as Petersburg
United States
*Peterborg, U.S. Virg ...
, Virginia where the conditions were so terrible, it did not resemble a hospital at all. She advocated for renovations, and when they were approved she aided in the renovations and restructuring of the hospital so well that at one point 900 men were being served from kitchen.
Gilson was known to many as an "angel of mercy" for her work with the soldiers, both white and African American. She was known to spend time at the soldiers' bedsides talking and singing to them, comforting them even as they were close to death. She earned the respect and love of the men for who she cared.
After the war
She left Richmond in July 1865, spent the summer on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
to recover from the illnesses she encountered while nursing the sick soldiers, and was home in Chelsea by fall. On October 11, 1866, Gilson married E. Hamilton Osgood in her hometown of Chelsea. Less than two years later on April 20, 1868, she, and her child, died during childbirth at Newton Corner Hospital.
"Helen Louise Gilson"
Civil War Women Blog. 2008-3-02. Retrieved 2011-10-12
References
External links
Civil War Women Blog. 2008-3-02. Retrieved 2011-10-12.
"Helen L. Gilson Osgood"
Find a Grave. Retrieved 2011-10-12.
*Logan, Mrs. John
"The Part Taken by Women in American History."
The Perry-Nalle Publishing Co, 1912.
*Miller Jr., Edward A. (March 1997): "Angel of light: Helen L. Gilson, army nurse." ''Civil War History.'' 43.1 p17.
*Sherwood, James Manning
"Hours at Home, Volume 5."
Charles Scribner & Co, 1867.
Boston African American NHS
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilson, Helen L.
1836 births
People from Chelsea, Massachusetts
1868 deaths
Deaths in childbirth
Female wartime nurses
Women in the American Civil War
American Civil War nurses
American women nurses