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  Sadly, in 1917, the award was rescinded because she was a civilian and had not been commissioned during the war.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

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