Mary Edwards
Walker was born November 26th 1832 in Oswego, New York the daughter
of Alvah and Vesta Walker. She worked on
the family farm and took to wearing men’s clothing while working. She was educated in the local school her
mother taught. After earning her own
money to pay for it, Walker attended the Syracuse Medical College, graduating
with a medical degree in 1855. She
married Albert Miller a fellow student and the two of them opened a practice in
Rome, New York.
When the
Civil War started Walker volunteered her service to the Union Army. At first she was only allowed to operate as a
nurse, as the Army didn’t have any other female surgeons. She was at the First Battle of Bull Run. Walker worked unpaid as a field surgeon on
the front line at the battles of Fredericksburg and Chickamauga. She was finally made a “Contract Acting
Assistant Surgeon (civilian)" for the Union Army of the Cumberland in
September 1863. This made Walker the
first female Union army surgeon. She was
captured April 10th 1864, behind the lines helping a Confederate
doctor with an amputation and was sent to prison in Richmond, Virginia until
exchanged. President Andrew Johnson had
her awarded the Medal of Honor after she was recommended by Union General
William Tecumseh Sherman and George Henry Thomas on November 11th
1865.
Following
the war Walker went on to write and lecturer about health care, temperance, and
women’s rights. She died February 21st
1919. At her funeral there was an
American flag draped over her coffin.
She is buried in the Rural Cemetery in Oswego, New York.
In 1917 the
United State Congress removed Walker’s name along with 910 other Medal of Honor
recipients from the Roll of Honor. None
of the 911 was asked to return their medal and Walker wore her until her death.
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