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Can you imagine tending the wounded and dying on the battlefields of the American Civil War? That's what I did. My name is Harriet Patience Dame. I've stopped by today, to tell you my story.
I was in the trenches with my regiment at Fair Oak, where I spent the night alone tending to the wounded and dying. I was the only woman in the brigade. I not only tended the men from my regiment, but those from others as well. It was a scary experience, but my duty was to see that all the men got the best care possible. I was on duty as a nurse when my regiment fought the Second Battle of Bull Run. During that battle, I was taken prisoner by the Confederate forces. I wondered what would become of me, but they soon set me free. This was a little surprising. I thought they would keep me prisoner and force me to tend to their wounded and dying. I guess you could say I was lucky to be sent back to my regiment. In September, 1864, I was appointed as matron of the 18th army corps hospital. I supervised the nurses who were on duty. I often traveled on foot and camped on battlefields without a tent. General Gilman Marston called me an angel of mercy. What I did was my duty. I never expected to get any praise for my actions. During my time with the Second New Hampshire (1861 - 1865), the regiment marched about 6,000 miles. We lost one third of the men who had originally enlisted. Though all of us did our best to save lives, there was only so much we could do. We didn't have the modern medical facilities and medicines of today. The Civil War claimed the lives of thousands of men. After the war, the New Hampshire Legislature gave me $500.00 for my services. I used that money to build a cottage for the veterans of the Second New Hampshire. After all, they had fought for their country. Go To Page: 1 2 |
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