Civil War wounded were comforted by Sisters

They ministered on the battlefield in full habit during hot southern summers, with limited supplies and while anti-Catholicism was rampant. They were women religious who responded to the need for nurses during the Civil War.

Sister Mary Agatha Smith, RSM, archivist for the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas' Albany Regional Community, has been telling the story of the important role these women played during the Civil War. She has recently made presentations at the Irish Heritage Museum, local libraries and to the Capital District Chapter for Social Studies.

The role of the Sisters of Mercy in the Civil War is linked to the order's desire to meet the needs of the people. "Basically, the sisters responded to the needs of society. Then it was the war; today, it is with the poor. In today's world, we're seeking to help the marginalized and promoting a more just society."

To the front

"They helped break down prejudices toward Catholics," she said. "In the beginning, the Southern soldiers resented the `Northern ladies,' especially the Catholics. Towards the end of the war, they were asking for them."

Among the women religious ministering on the battlefield were three nuns who established the Sisters of Mercy in the Albany Diocese: Sister Mary Augustine McKenna, Sister Mary Gertrude Ledwith, and Sister Mary Vincent Sweetman, who served as the first superior in Greenbush. Sister Paula Harris, the first superior at St. Peter's Hospital, also ministered to the wounded during the war.

Privations

Medical technology left much to be desired. There was no anesthesia, for example, which meant that the wounded were awake during amputations. Cigars were often used to stop bleeding.

Supplies were also limited. At times, the Sisters had to tear their underskirts or pockets for bandages. The scarcity of food also presented problems. Those suffering from undernourishment and exhaustion were often sent back to New York to recuperate.

Hardships

The nurse-sisters endured other hardships. For example, the Sisters of Mercy in Vicksburg, Mississippi, had their convent taken over as a hospital with the understanding it would be returned after the war. But when the war ended, the government decided the convent was government property and opted not to return it. The sisters had to fight to have their home returned to them.

To make it through their travails, the sisters relied on divine providence. "The sisters were told one day [they were going] and the next day they were off to battle," Sister Mary Agatha said. "They went with their prayer book and a little food."

Admiration

An indication of the respect others had for the sisters was that after the war, when the first nursing schools were established, the women religious who served as nurses were asked to teach.

While many different orders were present on the battlefield, the soldiers referred to them all as the Sisters of Charity or the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Mary Agatha said, a telling sign of how all of the women religious ministered to the wounded.

"It was a humanitarian situation that they responded to with compassion," Sister Mary Agatha said. "They were life-affirming; they didn't choose sides."

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