Eclectic Ann: March 2024

Sunday, March 10, 2024

A First for a Woman

With March being Women's History Month, I thought I'd try to find a new to me woman to write about. Dr. Mary Edwards Walker crossed my path yesterday, so I looked her up and found that I could actually add her to my family tree. So here goes.

Mary Walker was born on Nov 26, 1832 in Oswego, New York. She also died there on Feb 21, 1919. But those dates in between hold a notable life lived. Mary was raised on the family farm by parents who encouraged their children to free think beyond the traditional gender roles of the time. Her parents were abolitionists, a cause that Mary also took up. She was also a prohibitionist, women's rights advocate, a Civil War POW and an Army Surgeon. Her father was a self trained doctor and Mary followed his calling and graduated from the Syracuse Medical College in 1855. She also married a fellow doctor, Albert Miller, in 1855 and they set up practice together. Later, after the Civil War began, Mary wanted to serve as an Army surgeon. Her requests were repeatedly turned down because she was a woman, but finally, in 1863, with support from some other Army surgeons, she was approved. Before her approval, she volunteered to care for wounded soldiers in Virginia. Before and during her service in the war, Mary was known for wearing unconventional clothing for a woman. She felt that her dresses limited her mobility so she took to wearing "bloomer type" apparel, a skirt over pants, thru the war. Eventually, she switched over to wearing men's clothing for which she was actually arrested several times. But don't be fooled, Mary didn't care and continued her own style. Her marriage ended in 1869 with a divorce. After the war, Mary became a writer and lecturer. She supported a woman's right to vote but died before she was able to vote herself.

In 1865 after the war was over, Pres. Andrew Johnson awarded Mary with the Congressional Medal of Honor for her service as a medical surgeon during the war. She was the only woman to ever have been awarded that honor. Sadly, in 1917, the award was rescinded because she was a civilian and had not been commissioned during the war. Due to her family's diligence in requesting the the medal be restored to her, it was in 1977. Mary is still the only woman to ever receive the award.

Her MOH citation:

Attribution and citation

Rank and organization: Contract Acting Assistant Surgeon (civilian), U.S. Army. Places and dates: Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861; Patent Office Hospital, Washington, D.C., October 1861; Chattanooga, Tennessee, following Battle of Chickamauga, September 1863; Prisoner of War, April 10, 1864 – August 12, 1864, Richmond, Virginia; Battle of Atlanta, September 1864. Entered service at: Louisville, Kentucky. Born: 26 November 1832, Oswego County, New York.

Citation:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Assistant Surgeon - Civilian Mary Edwards Walker, United States Civilian, for extraordinary heroism as a Contract Surgeon to the Union Forces. Whereas it appears from official reports that Dr. Mary E. Walker, a graduate of medicine, "has rendered valuable service to the Government, and her efforts have been earnest and untiring in a variety of ways," and that she was assigned to duty and served as an assistant surgeon in charge of female prisoners at Louisville, Kentucky, upon the recommendation of Major Generals Sherman and Thomas, and faithfully served as contract surgeon in the service of the United States, and has devoted herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick and wounded soldiers, both in the field and hospitals, to the detriment of her own health, and has also endured hardships as a prisoner of war four months in a Southern prison while acting as contract surgeon; and Whereas by reason of her not being a commissioned officer in the military service, a brevet or honorary rank cannot, under existing laws, be conferred upon her; and Whereas in the opinion of the President an honorable recognition of her services and sufferings should be made: It is ordered, That a testimonial thereof shall be hereby made and given to the said Dr. Mary E. Walker, and that the usual medal of honor for meritorious services be given her. Given under my hand in the city of Washington, D.C., this 11th day of November, A.D. 1865. /s/ Andrew Johnson, President.

Mary wearing her Medal of Honor

"I don't wear men's clothes, I wear my own clothes." - Dr. Mary Edwards Walker

Mary is my paternal 8th cousin 4 times removed thru Sir John Hawkins (1532-1595).

Some places to learn more about Dr. Mary Edwards Walker:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDfb1SS4gEc

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Edwards_Walker

https://www.army.mil/article/183800/meet_dr_mary_walker_the_only_female_medal_of_honor_recipient

Friday, March 1, 2024

Thomas McNeil - Civil War soldier

I wanted to get his story into my blog. I wrote it a few years ago for Veteran's day.

I didn't think that I was going to have a Veteran's Day story to tell this year, but email came to the rescue today. I received the Military Service Record for Thomas McNeil today. So here is a brief story of his life and service, hoping for more details to come yet.

Thomas McNeill was born about 1825 in Ireland. He probably came to America about 1848 or 1852, possibly thru Castle Garden, the predecessor of Ellis Island.

The 1860 census shows him as a farmer living in Exeter, Luzerne Co, PA with his wife Mary Ann Morris and 4 children, John 8, Fallie 7, Thomas 4 and Elizabeth 1. A 5th child, Mary Ann was born about 1862 after Thomas enlisted in the Union Army.

His enlistment date is given as Nov 20, 1861 in Luzerne County. He became a Private in the 56th Penna Infantry Company I. The Regiment stayed at Camp Curtin in Harrisburg until March 8, 1862 when it left for Washington DC. Near the end of April 1862, the regiment left the Washington area and was engaged in repairing damage done to the Fredricksburg-Norfolk Railroad. Most of the summer of 1862 was spent doing guard duty until August 16, 1862 when the regiment heard it’s first sounds of enemy shells passing overhead near Gainesville, Virginia.

The 56th participated in many of the more well known battles, such as South Mountain, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Petersburg, and was known a s one of the better Regiments by reputation. At Gettysburg, the 56th is credited with firing the very first shot of the battle.

In April 1863, just 3 months before the Battle at Gettysburg, Thomas is shown on his Muster Roll records as being detached to duty with the Division Commissary. He would be shown in this capacity until Feb 1864. On March 7, 1864, he was discharged by reason of re-enlisting back into his same company and regiment at Culpepper, Virginia. Those who reenlisted received a furlough to Philadelphia.

After his re-enlistment, he is simply shown as present. So it is assumed that the Commissary duty had ended. Commissary duty would have involved feeding the armies. So whether he was a cook or worked in a warehouse or some other position is not known. This does not necessarily mean that he did not see battle in the months he served the commissary. He could have been supplying food to troops in the field as well. He mustered out of the army on July 1, 1865 near Washington.

Right now, this is all that is known of his military service. After the war, Thomas and Mary Ann had two more children, James in 1867 and Jennie in 1870. The 1870 census has the family living in West Pittston, Luzerne County and Thomas is working as a laborer. In 1880, Thomas and family are back living in Exeter. 4 of their children still live with them.

Thomas is supposed to have died on Jan 9, 1882 in Wyoming or Exeter, Luzerne county. But his estate was apparently still being settled around Feb of 1887 according to a newspaper notice. Also an Army supplied headstone was not provided until July of 1887. Thomas’s widow, Mary Ann, also applied for a widow’s pension in 1890, based upon Thomas’s service, but no proof of that as yet. In 1900 and 1910, Mary Ann was living with her son James’s family in Exeter. Mary Ann would live until Christmas day of 1910, one day after her 87th birthday. They are buried in Wyoming Cemetery in Luzerne county.

Thomas McNeil is Tom’s great great grandfather and grandfather of Ruth Gray Sinton.