Mary Morris Husband (July 7, 1826 – March 3, 1894) was an American nurse 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 ...

(1861–1865). She cared for soldiers who fought at the Battles of Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. She cared for her seriously ill son John until he was discharged by the surgeon. After recovering from miasmatic fever, Husband returned to service. She was among the nurses who treated thousands of soldiers in

Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,982. The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States Department of Commerce combines the city of Fredericksburg wi ...

following the Battles of the Wilderness and

Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 1864 ...

(May 1864). She nursed at the White House Hospital in June 1864. Among other leadership positions, she was the matron of the Third Corps hospital.

Personal life

Mary Morris was born July 7, 1826, in Philadelphia. She was the daughter of Eliza Jane (née Smith) and Henry Morris. Robert Morris, known as the "Financier of the Revolution" and a Founding Father, was her grandfather. Morris married lawyer Joshua L. Husband, becoming Mary Morris Husband. They had two sons, John served in Company C,

72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment The 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry (originally raised as the 3rd California) was a volunteer infantry regiment which served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was part of the famous Philadelphia Brigade. Members of this regiment wor ...

and Henry served during the

, first for 30 days with the

23rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment {{Infobox military unit , unit_name= 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry , image=Flag of Pennsylvania.svg , image_size = 100 , caption=Pennsylvania flag , dates= April 18, 1861, to September 8, 1864 , country= {{flagicon, USA, 1864 United State ...

, but he was a deserter throughout the war, which caused Husband to contact the Secretary of War and the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

on his behalf.

Civil War nurse

In 1861 or 1862, Husband served as a member of the Ladies' Aid Society at a Philadelphia hospital. She prepared special dietary food, dressed wounds, and otherwise cared for soldiers until July 1862. Husband was known for providing reading material, games, and fruit to her patients. She had her own health problems, but it made her anxious to think about soldiers needing her help, so she became a war nurse. Husband worked in hospital transports, first at

Harrison's Landing Berkeley Plantation, one of the first plantations in America, comprises about on the banks of the James River on State Route 5 in Charles City County, Virginia. Berkeley Plantation was originally called Berkeley Hundred, named after the Berkele ...

. More men died of serious illnesses, like

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

, than from wounds. This was due to disease being spread though the camps, fatigue, heat, not enough food, depression, and over-marching. To help the soldiers recover, Husband spent much of her time ensuring that the soldiers had restorative diets. About the time that Husband was at Harrison's Landing, she learned her son John was gravely ill after fighting in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

. She cared for him, while caring for other soldiers, but John did not recover and was discharged September 28, 1862, by the surgeon. Husband continued to travel with the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

to care for soldiers. Like

Mary Ann Bickerdyke Mary Ann Bickerdyke (July 19, 1817 – November 8, 1901), also known as Mother Bickerdyke, was a hospital administrator for Union soldiers during the American Civil War and a lifelong advocate for veterans. She was responsible for establishing 3 ...

Clara Barton Clarissa Harlowe Barton (December 25, 1821 – April 12, 1912) was an American nurse who founded the American Red Cross. She was a hospital nurse in the American Civil War, a teacher, and a patent clerk. Since nursing education was not then very ...

, and other female nurses, she had difficulty gaining access to the battlefields. Male doctors were preferred. Husband did get onto battlefields, though, where she dressed wounds into the night, slept in the ambulance, and began again in the morning. She cared for soldiers in New York, where she was the Lady Superintendent by 1863. Dorothea Dix promoted her to the temporary head of Camden Street Hospital in Baltimore while the matron was on medical leave. After a few weeks, she worked at the Smoketown Hospital with Maria M. C. Hall, caring for soldiers who fought atf the

Battle of 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 G ...

(September 17, 1862). She traveled to care for soldiers, particularly with the Third Division of the Third Corps. She nursed soldiers of 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 ...

(April 30 – May 6, 1863) and at Camp Letterman for the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

(July 1 – 3, 1863). A surgeon of the 11th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers said of her work on the battlefield, " usbandwas kind, faithful, and skillful in her management of the wounded, unremitting in her labors, sparing herself neither night or day whenever there was anything she could do to relieve the sufferings of the wounded and sick." Husband was taken back to Philadelphia after she became ill with miasmatic fever. Husband returned to service after she recovered and was the matron of the Third Corps hospital. She was among the nurses who treated thousands of soldiers in

following the Battles of the Wilderness and

(May 1864). She served at the White House Hospital in June 1864. Husband managed military diet kitchens in City Point, Virginia until the

Fall of Richmond The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

(April 1865).

Later years and death

Husband and Joshua lived in Florida on an orange plantation in their later years. Joshua died in 1881. The couple had financial reverses and Husband had to support herself. She lived in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

by 1883 and worked at a pension office. An

Act of Congress An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called Public and private bills, private laws), or to the general public (Public and private bills, public laws). For a Bill (law) ...

provided her with a pension of $25 () the following year. Husband died March 3, 1894. She is buried at the

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...

in Philadelphia. Her gravestone mentions her service during the war.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Husband, Mary Morris 1826 births 1894 deaths American Civil War nurses People from Philadelphia