Hospital Days: Reminiscence of a Civil War Nurse

by Jane Stuart Woolsey

The story of Jane Stuart Woolseyâ s service as Superintendent of Nurses at the Fairfax Seminary Hospital during the Civil War offers insights into the role of women in our nationâ s greatest conflict and the beginnings of the nursing profession.

Genres: Biography, American History, History

139 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1997

Reviews

[Erin Seeders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this true first hand account of a nurse who lived through and served during the Civil War. She wrote beautifully and respectfully of the men she cared for. I especially liked the snippets of personal correspondence about patients and their families- letters written to the nurses thanking them for their own letter letting them know the fate of their loved one. There is so much divisive and twisted information surrounding this pivotal moment in our nation’s history that I more than ever appreciate reading first hand accounts of these events that, though they feel far removed from today’s world, it was only a mere 165 years ago. Humanity really isn’t all that different from that time to now. It’s sobering to read of these people, our own countrymen- so long ago forgotten- who were just as real, fallible, scared, courageous, grieving, hopeful, and human as you and me.

This was a coincidental thrift store find, and it’s a gem to treasure for my family bookshelf!

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick but wonderful read about the compassion of a Civil War nurse. It was interesting to read about what role a woman was expected to take in nursing and to read the letters of soldiers/mothers and fathers included in this book. I am amazed at the suffering and yet hopeful kindness these men displayed toward one another. Some of their spiritual outlooks on their situations would no doubt put modern Christians to shame.

[Avis Black · Rating 1 out of 5]

Suffers too much from Victorian sentimentality and weak narration. If you want to read about Civil War hospitals, I'd recommend A Southern Woman's Story by Phoebe Yates Pember. Pember was a hospital matron during the war, and she has a very clear-eyed and no-nonsense view of what hospital life was actually like. She was also a better writer than Woolsey.