Wedded to War (Heroines Behind the Lines) Read online

  Praise for Wedded to War

  This novel left me in awe—of Jocelyn Green’s talent in telling a fabulous story, in her attention to historical detail, and how she brings to life a unique aspect of the Civil War.

  —LAURIE ALICE EAKES, author of Heart’s Safe Passage

  A haunting Civil War epic, Wedded to War is a rich historical tapestry interwoven with a gentle love story that will steal both your heart and your sleep. Mark my words, Jocelyn Green is an author to watch—and read—over and over again.

  —JULIE LESSMAN, award-winning author of the Daughters of Boston and Winds of Change series

  Fascinating, dramatic, and romantic. Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green sheds light on the harrowing world of Civil War nursing through the eyes of a delightful heroine. Detailed research and a powerful message about mercy make this story a keeper.

  —SARAH SUNDIN, award-winning author of the Wings of Glory series

  Jocelyn Green lends her considerable talent to a tale both historically interesting and emotionally absorbing. Her Heroines Behind the Lines series is sure to draw readers eager for accurate stories of the Civil War, but also grab readers’ yearning for well-drawn characters who battle forces bigger than themselves in a quest for acceptance, grace, and love. Wedded to War does a fine job with both.

  —ANN BYLE, author of The Making of a Christian Bestseller

  Although fictional, Wedded to War brings to life the important, and often dismissed, story of women’s entrance into Civil War nursing—and, in particular, the virulent opposition they faced from military doctors. It reminds us all that the access to employment and political rights that American women take for granted were achieved on deeply contested ground, and that women showed both ambition and courage in opposing those who wished to defend their own turf.

  —DR. LORI GINZBERG, professor of History and Women’s Studies, Penn State University, and author of Women and the Work of Benevolence

  Jocelyn Green’s exceptional Wedded to War kept me up late at night wanting to read “just one chapter more.” Set amid the tragedy of the Civil War, Green explores characters both seedy and honorable as they wade their way through life trying to determine who to love and who to serve. A story of grace and promise, Wedded to War just became one of my favorite historical novels.

  —KRISTINA SELESHANKO, author of 60 Civil War–Era Fashion Patterns, Victorian & Edwardian Fashions for Women and other books

  They said that war was no place for women, but in 1861 women went to war: they battled public opinion, the fears of their families, the disdain of the medical establishment, and the suspicions of the military. The soldiers—ill, wounded, and dying—appreciated their presence as women ran laundries and food kitchens, nursed, and organized hospital work at a time of disorganization. Wedded to War is based on extensive research. The letters of Georgeanna Woolsey provided the inspiration for the novel’s main character, Charlotte, who obtains nursing training in New York City after the outbreak of fighting and then goes to Washington to put her skills to work. With stirring detail and a firm grasp of the historical background, the novel totally engages the reader and shows the difficulties these women encounter as they strive to serve the Union and make unconventional choices. The pleasure of this novel is reading about believable women striving to find themselves useful in society as they break from old patterns while at the same time they seek to fulfill their own emotional needs.

  —CAROL KAMMEN, editorial writer for History News (the journal of the American Association for State and Local History) and Tompkins County (N.Y.) Historian

  Powerful, deep, and heartfelt, Wedded to War swept me away with its gripping story and cast of conflicted characters. It moved me, and it marked me. This is one book I can’t forget—nor would I want to, for it was woven from the fabric of our history. Wedded to War is meant to be experienced and shared with others. With so much to discuss within its pages, it’s a top choice for book clubs!

  —NORA ST. LAURENT, cofounder and CEO of The Book Club Network, columnist for Christian Fiction Online magazine, former ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Book Club Coordinator

  Jocelyn Green has taken a little-known historical gem from the Civil War and turned it into a treasure chest through engaging characters and a beautifully written story.

  —JANE HAMPTON COOK, presidential historian and author of Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War

  In Wedded to War, the first in a new series of historical novels, author Jocelyn Green explores the complex social and cultural constraints placed upon nurses during the Civil War era. She gives the reader a glimpse at the challenges women faced navigating a man’s world while striving to make changes that would forever influence the way wounded soldiers were cared for by the military. An insightful yet entertaining read for those who enjoy history, fiction, romance, or exploring the interplay between male and female relationships in the work environment.

  —SHELLY BEACH, speaker and Christy Award–winning author of The Silent Seduction of Self-Talk

  Wedded to War is a timeless historical novel honoring the strength of women during the early years of the Civil War. Their compassion comes alive in Jocelyn Green’s tribute to the unknown heroes who became self-sacrificing in serving wounded soldiers. Readers of historical fiction will appreciate the abundance of authentic detail found on every page.

  —MARY NICHELSON, lead journalist for The Wordsmith Journal Magazine

  Heroines Behind the Lines

  CIVIL WAR

  BOOK 1

  WEDDED to WAR

  JOCELYN GREEN

  MOODY PUBLISHERS

  CHICAGO

  © 2012 by

  JOCELYN GREEN

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Published in association with the literary agency of Credo Communications, LLC, Grand Rapids, Michigan, www.credocommunications.net.

  Edited by Pam Pugh Interior Design: Ragont Design

  Cover Image: Shutterstock.com images Cover Design: Left Coast Design

  The girl’s face (78047833) / © Best PhotoStudio

  Part of woman’s dress (72595243) / © ASC

  American flag (8797239) and Confederate flag (13054141 / © ayzek

  Author Photo: Paul Kestel of Catchlight Imaging

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Green, Jocelyn.

  Wedded to war: a novel / Jocelyn Green.

  p. cm.

  Summary: “This is the first book in a series based on the real life stories of women who lived and worked during the Civil War. The author has done extensive research around the lives of military women during the Civil War for a nonfiction title and became inspired to share their stories in a fictionalized depiction based on her historical research. Charlotte Waverly is a 28-year-old upper-class woman from New York and one of only 100 women chosen for nursing training. On the battlefields, she and the other nurses find themselves up against corruption, opposition, and wounded men such as they have never seen before. Charlotte’s life intersects with that of an Irish immigrant who turns to the unthinkable when faced with starvation after her husband leaves for war. These women find hope and gain restored lives as war wages all around.”—Provided by publisher.

  Includes bibliographical references.

  ISBN 978-0-8024-0576-0 (pbk.)

  1. Nurses—Fiction. 2. United States—History—Civil War, 1861-1865—Women—Fiction. 3. Nursing—United States—History—19th century—Fiction. 4. United States—History�
��Civil War, 1861-1865—Medical care—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3607.R4329255W43 2012

  813’.6—dc23

  2012007383

  Though many of the events in this story are based on true incidents, characters are either fictional or depicted fictitiously. Dates of events are given as closely as possible to their occurrences, though some exceptions were made to fit the fictional timeline.

  We hope you enjoy this book from River North Fiction by Moody Publishers. Our goal is to provide high-quality, thought-provoking books and products that connect truth to your real needs and challenges. For more information on other books and products written and produced from a biblical perspective, go to www.moodypublishers.com or write to:

  River North Fiction

  Imprint of Moody Publishers

  820 N. LaSalle Blvd.

  Chicago, IL 60610

  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

  Printed in the United States of America

  For Rob,

  who never made me choose between

  following my heart and nurturing my mind,

  And for my parents,

  who believed I was a writer before I could even spell.

  Contents

  A Note on the Sanitary Commission

  Act One: The Call

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Act Two: Changing Times

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Act Three: Working Heartily

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Act Four: Eyes and Hands

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Act Five: Home at Last

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  The History behind the Story

  Selected Bibliography

  Discussion Guide

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  A Note on the Sanitary Commission

  Anyone who has benefitted from the Red Cross owes a nod of gratitude to the United States Sanitary Commission, the forerunner of one of today’s most recognized charitable organizations.

  The Sanitary Commission set up supply stations and hospitals, hired nurses, collected donations, sent inspectors to Union hospitals (to evaluate hygiene conditions that directly affected men’s health), and taught troops in camp how to cook food properly to prevent the spread of disease. They also organized and staffed a fleet of hospital ships both in the eastern and western theaters of war.

  Though it often clashed with the army’s Medical Department, especially in the beginning of the war, the Commission saved hundreds of thousands of lives, with the help of an army of women volunteers.

  Though Wedded to War is a work of fiction, the story was inspired by one Sanitary Commission nurse, Georgeanna Woolsey, whose letters and journals, written 150 years ago, offer a thorough look of what pioneering women nurses endured during these turbulent times.

  IT WAS HARD WORK getting myself acceptable and accepted. What with people at home, saying “Goodness me! A nurse!” “All nonsense!” “Such a fly-away!” and what with the requisites insisted upon by the grave committees, I came near losing my opportunity.

  First, one must be just so old, and no older; have eyes and a nose and mouth expressing just such traits, and no others; must be willing to scrub floors, if necessary, etc., etc. Finally, however, by dint of taking the flowers out of my bonnet and the flounce off my dress; by toning down, or toning up, according to the emergency, I succeeded in getting myself looked upon with mitigated disapprobation, and was at last sat upon by the committee and passed over to the Examining Board.

  —GEORGEANNA WOOLSEY, written for the New York Sanitary Commission Fair, 1864

  “GEORGY IS MORE EARNEST than ever about being a nurse for the soldiers. I shall never consent to this arrangement unless some of her own family go with her.”

  —JANE ELIZA NEWTON WOOLSEY (Georgeanna’s mother) in a letter, May 1861

  Act One

  THE CALL

  Chapter One

  Monday, April 22, 1861

  New York City

  When Charlotte and Alice told their mother they were taking the omnibus down Broadway, they weren’t lying. They just didn’t tell her where they would be getting off. There was simply no time for an argument today.

  Boarding at Fourteenth Street, the sisters paid the extra fare for their hoop skirts, as if they were separate passengers, and sat back on the long wooden bench for the ride.

  “This is against my better judgment, you know.” Alice’s voice was barely audible above the clatter of wheels and hoof beats over the cobblestones.

  “Don’t you mean Jacob’s?” Charlotte cast a sidelong glance at her sister.

  Alice twirled a ringlet of her honey-blonde hair around her finger—a nervous childhood habit she never outgrew—but said nothing.

  She didn’t have to. Ever since she had married the wealthy businessman a few months ago, she had been even more pampered—and sheltered—than she had been growing up. Heaven help her when they reached their destination.

  “I’ll have you home by teatime and none the worse for wear.” Charlotte’s voice was softened by just a hint of guilt. “I promise.”

  The omnibus wheels jolted over a broken cobblestone, bouncing the passengers on their benches. Releasing her grip from the edge of the bench, Alice raised an eyebrow at her sister. “Just tell me why I let you talk me into coming.”

  Charlotte grinned. “I’ve got an idea.”

  “Why do I have the feeling it isn’t a good one?” Alice planted her palms on the bench beside her again, bracing herself against the jarring ride.

  “Whatever you do you mean?”

  “Do you remember your idea to adopt that lame squirrel we found?”

  “I did let it go.” And there were more important things on Charlotte’s mind. She squinted at the front page of The New York Times held up by the man seated across from her. Washington Still Isolated—New York Seventh Regiment Arrives in Annapolis by Steam—

  “Only after it chewed through five of Mother’s best doilies and made a nest in the velvet armchair.”

  Charlotte turned from reading headlines to face her sister. “I was ten!”

  “And I was eight, and still old enough to know better. There were other times, too, like when you chose that outrageous reading on the value of a woman’s education to recite for our class at finishing school. Completely at odds with the context of the school.”

  Charlotte chuckled. “Exactly why it was so perfect! But today’s idea is even better. I’ve found a way to actually do something for the war effort.”

  “And what do you call knitting socks for the troops? Rolling bandages? Doesn’t that mean anything?”

  “Of course it does. But I mean something else. Something more.”

  Alice’s eyes narrowed, but she let it rest as the omnibus slowed to a halt and more passengers squeezed beside the sisters. Any further conversation would soon be drowned out by the cacophony of Broadway.

  The avenue throbbed with life, like an
artery coursing down the island of Manhattan. Ten days into the war, recruiting offices for the Union army had already cropped up along the avenue, their entrances clogged with eager young men. Between Canal Street and Houston, the street teemed with gentlemen in spats and ladies in silks, their musk colognes and lavender perfumes cloying on the warm breeze. The white marble façade of St. Nicholas Hotel between Broome and Spring Streets dominated the west side of Broadway. In front of The Marble Palace facing Canal Street, porters in their brass-buttoned, blue uniforms opened carriage doors and escorted their elite customers inside, where they would no doubt spend staggering sums on the latest Parisian fashions.

  But Charlotte and Alice did not get off at any of these places. At least not today. For just a few blocks south of The Marble House, and just a few blocks east of the German-Jewish secondhand clothing shops on lower Broadway, the steady pulse of polished society gave way to the erratic beat of Five Points, the world’s most notorious slum.

  Alice squeezed her sister’s hand so tightly Charlotte couldn’t tell if it was motivated by anxiety or anger for bringing her here.

  If Broadway was Manhattan’s artery, Five Points was its abscess: swollen with people, infected with pestilence, inflamed with vice and crime. Groggeries, brothels, and dance halls put private sin on public display. Although the neighborhood seemed fairly self-contained, more fortunate New Yorkers were terrified of Five Points erupting, spreading its contagion to the rest of them.

  This was where the Waverly sisters got off.

  Competing emotions of fear and excitement tugged at Charlotte’s heart as she hoisted the skirt of her amber-colored day dress above her ankles and began heading toward Worth Street. “Come on, Alice,” she whispered, cocking her head at her dumbstruck sister. A foul-smelling breeze teased strands of hair from their coifs, crept into their noses, and coated their throats. Charlotte had forgotten how the smell of poverty would stick to her skin. Swallowing her distaste, she vowed to scrub herself with sugar and lemon-infused olive oil as soon as she returned home.