Maria N. Abbey (née Young; December 17, 1816 – April 13, 1903) was a

nurse Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. The daughter of Aaron Young, Maria N. Abbey was born and educated in

Geneva, New York Geneva is a City (New York), city in Ontario County, New York, Ontario and Seneca County, New York, Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake (New York), Seneca Lake; all land port ...

. She and her husband moved to

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, in 1845. In Mary G. Holland's collection of letters from Civil War nurses, titled, ''Our Army Nurses: Stories from Women in the Civil War'', Abbey recounts her experience as a wartime nurse. She was called to the service after hearing Reverend H. W. Beecher speak at Plymouth Church of the duty of women to help during the war. She heard this sermon in April 1861, the Sunday after the battle at

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a historical Coastal defense and fortification#Sea forts, sea fort located near Charleston, South Carolina. Constructed on an artificial island at the entrance of Charleston Harbor in 1829, the fort was built in response to the W ...

, and enlisted with six other women by the first day of May. These women were some of the first to respond to the call for nurses. Her service began at Union Hospital at Georgetown. Immediately, Abbey noticed the lack of structure and organization of the hospital, largely due to the immense need for help. Ultimately, the hospital environment proved to be too much physical and emotional stress for Abbey, who left September 3, 1861. This did not stop Abbey from aiding the war effort. Abbey opened her own home to be used as a private hospital for two years, maintained by herself. The house continued to operate as a hospital even after Abbey moved. She reportedly never expected payment for her services. In her later years, Abbey was chaplain for the Ladies' Relief Corps, an auxiliary to the McPherson-Doane Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. Activities in Abbey's personal life included singing in church choirs. Abbey died in Brooklyn on April 13, 1903, and was buried in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbey, Maria Women in the American Civil War American Civil War nurses American women nurses 1816 births 1903 deaths People from Geneva, New York