Mary Brady (1821-1864) was a nurse in 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 the co-founder and president of the Ladies Association for Soldiers Relief.

Early life and marriage

Mary was born in Ireland in 1821. Little else is known about her life in Ireland. Mary married an English attorney, Edward Brady, in Manchester England in 1846. The couple went on to have five children. Brady and her husband immigrated to the United States in 1849. Her husband became a prominent Philadelphia attorney.

Nursing

Brady volunteered at

Satterlee Hospital Satterlee General Hospital was the largest Union Army hospital during the American Civil War. Operating from 1862 to 1865 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, its physicians and nurses rendered care to thousands of Union soldiers and Confederate prisone ...

in West Philadelphia, a facility that cared for up to 3,000 soldiers. Brady co-founded Ladies Association for Soldiers Relief, an organization that provided support, care, and supplies for soldiers and hospitals. Brady first visited and distributed supplies to Philadelphia hospitals. She later expanded to other hospitals. She was the first woman to visit Alexandria, Virginia hospitals. Brady also nursed soldiers on the front lines. She used a four-mule wagon for transportation and stopped where she saw red flags. Flags indicated the location of soldiers in need. She ultimately visited about 40 hospitals and is said to have been in contact with up to 30,000 patients in two years. Her travels took a toll on her health. After her fifth trip to the front lines, she arrived home weak. She was diagnosed with a weak heart and died months later. Hundreds of soldiers attended her funeral.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brady, Mary 1821 births 1864 deaths American Civil War nurses People from Philadelphia