Worth a Dozen Men: Women and Nursing in the Civil War South

Acknowledgments

vii acknowledgments I owe a profound debt of gratitude to William E. Gienapp, the mentor of the original dissertation, without whose guidance this project would never have been conceived or completed. After taking a Civil War history seminar my first year of graduate school and writing the paper that eventually became my thesis, I chose to switch fields. I found Civil War history fascinating, but I also knew what I wanted in an advisor. I had a great deal to learn, and still do, but I had an amazing teacher. Bill was unsurpassed as a role model and educator. He remains an inspiration, and he is deeply missed. One of the advantages of being one of Bill Gienapp’s students at Harvard was the camaraderie of our group of nascent scholars. Our conversations, especially around the teaching table for HSB-42, improved our research and writing and encouraged us to approach problems from new perspectives. My former graduate school colleagues helped shape this project and my professional outlook more broadly. In particular, Andrew Coopersmith, Elizabeth Laskin, Chandra Miller Manning, Eva Sheppard-Wolf, Silvana Siddali, and Susan Wyly, while on their own research trips, always remained on the lookout for documents relating to Civil War hospitals. The other members of my dissertation committee provided both practical help and encouragement early on. I am fortunate to have worked with two incredible scholars and trailblazers on the subject of women in medicine. I am grateful that Susan Reverby agreed to serve as an outside reader, and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich came to Harvard at an opportune time for my intellectual development. I also want to thank the two anonymous reviewers whose insightful comments helped me improve the manuscript tremendously. Aaron SheehanDean , the series editor, read the manuscript multiple times, and had astute suggestions for making it stronger each time. Improvements in organization acknowledgments viii and analysis are in large measure due to his diligence and critical eye. Richard Holway, UVA history editor, remained steadfast in keeping in contact with me despite my many delays. I appreciate his willingness to stick with me. Anne Orr helped me edit the behemoth of a dissertation to a manageable length and persuaded me to focus solely on Confederate nurses. Three years ago, I unexpectedly spent more time in a hospital than I had ever imagined I would. It delayed this project by years, but I can now personally attest to the importance of quality medical care. I want to thank the staffs, from neurosurgeons to nurse’s aides, who took such excellent care of me at both Stanford Hospital and Valley Medical Center in the summer of 2008. This book is a testament to the value of their skills and labors. A host of archivists, friends, and family too numerous to name also deserve thanks. My colleagues at San Jose State University provide counsel, friendship, and a collegial environment, the importance of which cannot be underestimated. Finally, I want to thank my immediate family. My mother-in-law, Lucinda Jones, a lifelong nurse, provided useful suggestions. My parents, Mikkel and Saralyn Hilde, and sister, Anandam, taught me the importance of perseverance and creativity. Without the three of them, I would not be who I am today. My two children, Calder and Milan, who were babies when I was writing the dissertation , can now converse with me on the topic, and they have read the book for themselves. Luckily, it has grown smaller as they have grown larger. And most of all, I thank my husband, Jamie Jones, who is, as Emily Mason said of her nursing service, “the life of my life.” WORTH A DOZEN MEN ...