Julia Susan Wheelock FreemanThe Boys in White
by Mrs. Julia Susan Wheelock Freeman] (1833-1900) was an American missionary, who was known as the "

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War, i ...

of Michigan". She was inducted into the

Michigan Women's Hall of Fame The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (MWHOF) honors distinguished women, both historical and contemporary, who have been associated with the U.S. state of Michigan. The hall of fame was founded in 1983 by Gladys Beckwith and is sponsored by the Mic ...

Biography

Freeman was born in Avon, Ohio, on October 7, 1833. She attended classes at

Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo College, also known as Kalamazoo, K College, KC or simply K, is a private liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1833 by Baptist ministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute, Kalamazoo is the oldest private college in ...

, and became a teacher in Palo, Michigan. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

, upon realizing that her brother, Orville was injured, Freeman traveled to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

to nurse him. However, his wounds were severe enough that he died before she arrived. Freeman decided to remain in D.C. nonetheless, and nurse soldiers. From September 1862 to July 1865, she was a

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

, working with the Michigan Soldiers Relief Association to aid soldiers. She briefly spent time back in Michigan as a result of contracting

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over severa ...

, during which she raised funds for her work. On May 28, 1873, she married Porter C. Freeman. In 1870, she published a collection of memoirs titled ''The Boys in White''. She died in

Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...

on June 7, 1900.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Julia Wheelock 1833 births 1900 deaths American Civil War nurses American women nurses People of Ohio in the American Civil War 19th-century American memoirists Kalamazoo College alumni 19th-century American women