Monday, December 26, 2016

On this day in history ... the first Navy nurses


Today's trivia is worthy of writing a second post. From the Navy History website (link),

Red Rover, the Navy's first hospital ship, was a side-wheel steamer built in 1859 at Cape Girardeau, Mo. Purchased by the Confederacy 7 November 1861, she served as CSS Red Rover (see II, 560), a barracks ship for the floating battery New Orleans. At Island No. 10, near New Madrid, Mo., from 15 March 1862, she was holed during a bombardment of that island sometime before 25 March and abandoned as a quarters ship.

When the island fell to Union forces on 7 April, Red Rover was seized by the Union gunboat Mound City, repaired, and taken to St. Louis. There she was fitted out as a summer hospital boat for the Army's Western Flotilla to augment limited Union medical facilities, to minimize the hazards to sick and wounded in fighting ships; and to ease the problems of transportation-delivery of medical supplies to and evacuation of personnel from forward areas.

In December, Red Rover, used during the fall to alleviate crowded medical facilities ashore, was ready for service on the river. On the 26th, she was commissioned under the command of Acting Master William R. Wells, USN. Her complement was 47, while her medical department, remaining under Assistant Surgeon Bixby, was initially about 30. Of that number, three were Sisters of the Order of the Holy Cross. Later joined by a fourth member of their order and assisted by lay nurses' aides, they were the forerunners of the Navy Nurse Corps.

Group photograph of the first twenty Navy Nurses in 1908
Public Domain (link)


As we continue to enjoy the Christmas holiday, let us remember those who serve - military, medical, first responders, and law enforcement.  

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Do you have any nurses in your family?  I don't have any in my family ... but I have serveral friends, including nurses turned authors Eileen Dreyer and Siera London!  Bonus - Siera is a retired Navy nurse!

2. Comments are open through Sunday, January 1, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, January 2.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Navy Flight Nurse School, 1940s
Public Domain (link)


23 comments:

  1. None in my family either but my best friend is was a nurse - she just retired!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have a cousin who was a nurse and several friends who are - great sources of health advice!

    ReplyDelete
  3. We have a dear friend who was a navy nurse during WWII. She passed away Dec. 16 at the age of 96. We will miss her.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I come from a family of nurses - myself and three of my sisters.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Not sure really. Maybe so. Friends of the family yes for sure,etc

    ReplyDelete
  6. A couple of cousins are nurses and a couple of friends.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Not in my family, but I grew up next door to an Army RN who was still in the nursing profession. She was a lovely lady@

    ReplyDelete
  9. My aunt was a nurse and I have a good friend from high school who was a Navy nurse.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have a cousin that is a retired Navy nurse. We have a couple of friends that are retired RN's.

    ReplyDelete
  11. My mother, 2 aunts, and 4 cousins were or are RNs.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have friends who are nurses. My son's girlfriend is working on her BSN.

    denise

    ReplyDelete
  13. My grandma and her sister took nursing school together.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yes,we have :)
    Also,I'm pharmaceutical technician :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. No, I don't have any in my family. My good friend and neighbor has been a nurse for many years. If I were in the hospital, I would want her to be my nurse.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I must say you’ve done a very good job with this.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your web site is great. I was extremely touched by this post.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is an awesome article, Given such an extraordinary measure of data in it.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hey what a brilliant post I have come across and believe me!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thank you very much and will look for more postings from you.

    ReplyDelete