After the battle of Antietam in 1862; Harriet Eaton traveled to Virginia from her home in Portland; Maine; to care for soldiers in the Army of the Potomac. Portland's Free Street Baptist Church; with liberal ties to abolition; established the Maine Camp Hospital Association and made the widowed Eaton its relief agent in the field. One of many Christians who believed that patriotic activism could redeem the nation; Eaton quickly learned that war was no respecter of religious principles.Doing the work of nurse and provisioner; Eaton tended wounded men and those with smallpox and diphtheria during two tours of duty. Eaton struggled with the disruptions of transience; scarcely sleeping in the same place twice; but found the politics of daily toil even more challenging. Conflict between Eaton and coworker Isabella Fogg erupted almost immediately over issues of propriety. Though Eaton praised some of the surgeons with whom she worked; she labeled others charlatans whose neglect had deadly implications for the rank and file. If she saw villainy; she also saw opportunities to convert soldiers and developed an intense spiritual connection with a private; which appears to have led to a postwar liaison.Published here for the first time; the uncensored nursing diary is a rarity among medical accounts of the war; showing Eaton to be an astute observer of human nature and not as straight-laced as we might have thought. This edition includes an extensive introduction by the editor; transcriptions of relevant letters and newspaper articles; and a comprehensive biographical dictionary of the people mentioned in the diary.
#4074338 in Books 2010-12-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.50 x 1.00 x 9.50l; 1.55 #File Name: 019539268X352 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great History; Great Story!By WhiteCatWritingIn a meticulously researched and well framed approach; J Schultz presents the diary of a woman who experienced the Civil War so directly; so profoundly that even those immersed in the letters and personal accounts from that period will find this truly compelling material. The quality of the writing is exceptional and the context presented to help inform the reader prior to absorbing the actual diary entries is thorough and intriguing.The one drawback is perhaps Schultz's interpretation that the role of the nurse was essentially the migration of female domestic labor into a more professional sphere. While there is some truth in this assertion; it tends to minimize the important advances in nursing; especially as the war dragged on: the beginnings of collaborative models with physicians; the recognition of administrative skill/expertise; the ascendancy of patient advocacy; the emerging role of nurse-family interactions. Much of what we do as RNs today tracks back to women such as Harriet Eaton; and we owe much to her and her contemporaries; most of whom we will never hear in their own voices - as Schultz enables us to do here. Personally I advocate a less conversative interpretation of their contributions but ultimately; the availabilty of this material will help the reader make his/her own - and better informed - decision about the Civil War origins of US nursing.I agree that $ 75 is an outrageous price for this book; but savvy book shoppers can find cheaper copies; including paperback; for significantly less. Harriet herself no doubt would encourage thrifty shopping!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This is one of the best primary sources of its kind to appear in recent ...By John HennessyMuch of what we read in the way of primary sources is polished and improved. Eaton's diary is immediate; sometimes raw; and just flat-out absorbing. This is one of the best primary sources of its kind to appear in recent years; and editor Jane Schultz knows her topic as well as anyone on earth.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Sheds new light on the role women played during the ...By Lynda L. SudlowSheds new light on the role women played during the American Civil War. The transcription of the diary of Harriet Eaton is further enhanced with additional explanatory notes and photos. Fascinating reading!
