Area 15 – Civil War Nurse Pamela Harrison

Civil War Nurse Pamela Harrison

Very little has been discovered about Pamela (or Pamelia) Harrison. She was born about 1825, served as a civilian nurse in the U.S. Army Hospital at Baltimore in 1862, and died in 1882. There are several record groups at Nat. Archives that cover nurses. An attached photo is from National Archives in Washington, Record Group 94, Entry 535, Carded Medical Records of nurses, matrons, etc of Civil War period. Harrison was attached to West’s Building, U.S. Army Hospital, Baltimore, Oct 17, 1862 and was still there Oct 31, 1862. This was her only carded record. Prior to the Civil War it was largely deemed socially unacceptable for a woman to nurse outside of her home. In the earliest days of the conflict, many women simply showed up and volunteered to nurse without pay. As the war escalated and the numbers of wounded and sick soldiers mounted, Union Army leadership recognized that more medical help was required, and an organized nursing corps was established. Many of the female nurses initially encountered hostility from Army doctors and other male medical staff, but they were able to overcome the resistance as time went on. In addition to providing medical care, nurses managed hospital supplies, cleaned, and staffed kitchens and laundries. Aside from the strictly medical tasks, perhaps their most meaningful role was to comfort the ill and injured by reading to them, writing letters on their behalf, praying for them and feeding them. The number of nurses that served is unknown but is estimated to be between 5,000 to 10,000 women.

Around Pamela’s grave grows Wild Ginger. Although not related to culinary ginger (Zingiber officinale), the roots of Wild Ginger produce a scent that is similar to ginger (or, some say cardamom). Fresh or dried roots were used by early Americans as a ginger substitute, but the plant is not normally used today for culinary purposes. It may have been used for tea.

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