Rebecca Lane Pennypacker Price (September 8, 1837 – May 17, 1919) was a nurse who served in 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 ...

, and was the penultimate president of the

National Association of Army Nurses of the Civil War The National Association of Army Nurses of the Civil War or National Army Nurses was an organization of former nurses who served in the American Civil War. It was primarily a social organization, but it also advocated for, and helped to secure, r ...

in 1914.

Early life

Rebecca Lane Pennypacker was born in

Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northwest of Philadelphia at the junction of French Creek and the Schuylkill River. It is in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population is 18,616 a ...

, the daughter of Mathias Showalter Pennypacker and Elizabeth Buckwalter Pennypacker. Her mother was a hospital matron during the American Civil War. Governor

Samuel W. Pennypacker Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker (April 9, 1843 – September 2, 1916) was an American politician serving as the 23rd Governor of Pennsylvania from 1903 to 1907. He also served Pennsylvania as a judge and wrote about aspects of Pennsylvania history ...

was her first cousin; General

Galusha Pennypacker Uriah Galusha Pennypacker (June 1, 1841/1844 – October 1, 1916) was a Union general during the American Civil War. He may be the youngest person to hold the rank of brigadier general in the US Army; at the age of 20, he remains the only general ...

was another cousin.

Career

Rebecca L. Price was a leader of the Phoenixville Union Relief Society at the beginning the American Civil War, organizing sewists and knitters, running donation drives, and delivering supplies to troops. She was given a travel pass by Pennsylvania's governor

Andrew Gregg Curtin Andrew Gregg Curtin (April 22, 1815/1817October 7, 1894) was a U.S. lawyer and politician. He served as the Governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War, helped defend his state during the Gettysburg Campaign, and led organization of the crea ...

to facilitate her work. She volunteered as a nurse at hospitals in Virginia,

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. She rode a cattle car to offer compassionate care to badly wounded soldiers, and replenish clothing, bandages, food, and other provisions, after the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of th ...

. Later in life, Price was a manager of the

Baptist Institute for Christian Workers Baptist Institute for Christian Workers (also known as Crown Nursing Home and now known as Snyder House) is a historic building 1427 Snyder Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which has been used for several purposes and currently is a rehabi ...

in Philadelphia. She remained active with the Civil War nursing organizations, and in 1914 and 1915 was the president of the National Association of Army Nurses of the Civil War. As president, she spoke to a gathering of Civil War veterans on the 50th anniversary of the war's end in 1915, saying "We can do much to lead the rising generation to see horrors of war rather than its glories that they may give their lives to preserve these blessings through peace. Peace is what we want, and not war."

Personal life

Rebecca Lane Pennypacker married Edwin Price in 1859. They had two children, a son, George E. Price (1874-1951), and a daughter, Cora Price (later Bowen) (1869-1961). Rebecca L. Price was widowed in 1914 and died in 1919, aged 81 years, at her home in

Pottstown, Pennsylvania Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the incorporation as a borough in 1815. In 1888, ...

. In 2015 the Phoenixville Historical Society marked

Armed Forces Day Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their military forces. This day is not to be confused with Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Africa Egypt In Egypt, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on 6 Octobe ...

with an event honoring Rebecca Lane Pennypacker Price's contributions as a nurse in the American Civil War.Eric Devlin
"Phoenixville Civil War Nurse to be Honored at Ceremony"
''The Mercury'' (May 13, 2015).

References

External links

* * Norman Gasbarro
"Rebecca Pennybacker Price: Civil War Nurse"
''Civil War Blog'' (January 30, 2015). {{DEFAULTSORT:Price, Rebecca Lane Pennypacker 1837 births 1919 deaths American nurses American women nurses People from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania