Mary Bell (born July 28, 1840) was an American nurse and hospital matron during the American Civil War. [1]
Civil War service
Bell was born in Hillsboro, Ohio. She left Ohio in September 1863 to join the Civil War effort. [1] Her work began with her husband A.O. Hartley, who was a hospital steward, at Covington Barracks in Kentucky. While the two were in camp, there were outbreaks of diseases such as smallpox and spotted fever. [2] In November, Bell was ordered to Munfordsville, Kentucky, where she was soon appointed matron of a hospital by its head surgeon. [1] Part of her duties included taking special care of the patients' diets, often poor. Bell remained at this location until May 1864, when she went to a Jacksonville hospital as troops moved to the front. [1]
After the war
Ultimately, Bell's service in the Civil War lasted over three years. [2] Her husband did not survive the war; he was killed while performing his duties in Chattanooga, Tennessee. [3] After the war, Bell taught for a year at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as at other institutions for the following three years. [3] Bell later relocated to Albion, Michigan. [2]
References
- ^ a b c d Holland, Mary G. (2002). Our Army Nurses: Stories from Women in the Civil War. Roseville: Edinborough Press. p. 23. ISBN 9781889020044.
- ^ a b c "Civil War Army Nurses 1861 ~ 1865". American History & Genealogy Project: Women of America. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- ^ a b Holland, Mary G. (2002). Our Army Nurses: Stories from Women in the Civil War. Roseville: Edinborough Press. p. 24. ISBN 9781889020044.