Mary+Bickerdyke

Original Author: Takea Burrage, ENG206 SP10 Revision Author:
 * Mary Ann Bickerdyke **

Mary Ann Bickerdyke was born July 19, 1817, by Mount Vernon, Ohio. After becoming a nurse and working in Cincinnati, Ohio for a while Mary met her husband. Ten years later they married and moved to Galesburg, Illinois. They had a daughter who died as an infant and that is what started Mary on her road to learn about medicine. They also had two sons which she continued to work as a nurse to support alone in 1859 when her husband died (Civil War).

Mrs. Bickerdyke started her duties in with the Civil War by leading a drive in her town to gather supplies. Her town then held her accountable for delivering the medical supplies to Cairo, IL. When arriving to Cairo Mrs. Bickerdyke used the supplies she brought to start a hospital for Northern soldiers, though she first had to fight with authorities because women were not allowed in army encampments without permission. During her time with the army Mary helped establish over three hundred hospitals for injured soldiers. Late at night during battle Mrs. Bickerdyke would often times risk her own life and go out into battle to look for injured soldiers (Communications).

Noticing immediately when she arrived in Cairo the poor conditions for shoulders, she put into effect a cleanup effort that also spread to five other hospitals in the area (Civil War). She began washing soldiers and their beds, cooking meals, and tending to wounds that came in (Communications). Mary also took it upon herself to organize a group of women volunteers who would not only keep the stations sanitary but also help raise patients spirits, allowing for faster recovery rates. To help build awareness of the living conditions and the intense injuries the soldiers were suffering, Mary would travel across the North and give speeches. Though even after the war Mary stayed with the army as their nurse until they no longer needed her, and she resigned March 21, 1866 (Biography).

Later, Bickerdyke was appointed to the Sanitary Commission and made title as being an agent. Bickerdyke did not discriminate, and would pull anyone in willing to help with labor needed to finish their work. When the last of the wounded were released she then went on to resign from her position (Civil War).

Mary Ann Bickerdyke made many sacrifices for the men of the Civil War and contributed many years of her life in Cairo, IL trying to keep a sanitary, healthy environment. Mary died November 8, 1901 from a stroke. She at the time lived in Bunker Hill Kansas, though she is buried in Linwood cemetery in Galesburg, IL (Civil War).

Mary Bickerdyke, US Medical Heroine. [|http://us-civilwar.suite101.com] [cited Civil War] “Mary Ann Bickerdyke“. [|www.ohiohistorycentral.org] Tracking the entire World. [|www.nndb.com/people/] copyright@2010 Soylent Communications. [cited Communications] World of Health Biography. [|www.bookrags.com] [cited Biography]
 * Works Cited **

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