Sparks from chimney start fire at Military Hospital

Indiana Governor Oliver Morton asked the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., to provide assistance in the administration of City Hospital in Indianapolis right after the April 12, 1861 attack on Fort Sumter. The Congregation graciously responded to the request and served soldiers — Union and Confederate — for the duration of the Civil War at Military (formerly City) Hospital (pictured).

In the Archives of the Sisters of Providence are several transcripts of two Indianapolis newspapers. The transcripts give one a glimpse into the daily life of the sister-nurses and their charges. The Indianapolis Daily Journal relates the following article about a fire in the hospital in its Monday, Jan. 16, 1865, issue:

“Yesterday morning about eight o’clock, the City Hospital was discovered to be on fire in the roof, having caught from the sparks from the chimney. Through the exertions of the attaches, however, who cut a hole in the roof in another place, and applied a wholesome quantity of water, the fire was extinguished with slight damage. The water occasioned some inconvenience in some of the rooms, but the energy of Drs. Kitchen and Wishard soon made all comfortable again. The Hospital is full of sick and wounded and we shudder at the bare contemplation of the consequences had the fire got a fair headway. It was the wooden addition that was on fire, and owing to its combustible nature, it would have been speedily consumed.”

This transcript is part of the collection of the Sisters of Providence in the Vigo County Indiana Civil War Sesquicentennial Project. See more documents and artifacts in the Sisters of Providence collection.

‘On the eve of a great battle’

“My dear Mother:

“On the eve of a great battle I have a few minutes, and with my saddle as a desk, will write a few words to the loved ones at home.

“General Hill of the rebel army has crossed the Potomac about this point and is marching upon the capital with a large army. Our forces are detailed to give him battle on all points of our position.”

So begins an 1863 letter from John Blinn to his mother in Terre Haute, Ind.

Blinn continues:

“What ever may be my fate in the coming contest you may rely with confidence in the persuasion that it will be one of which my friends and family may not feel dishonored.

“Should I be spared again to fight under the same glorious banner for which I have fought, it will be with God’s will. If I should fall, remember that I died in a cause for which many have died. Let His will, whose knowledge surpasseth all understanding, be done.”

This letter is part of the collection of the Vigo County Historical Society in the Indiana Civil War Sesquicentennial Project. See more documents and artifacts in the Vigo County Historical Society’s collection.

Check out this Civil War brass cartridge box

There’s a plethora of artifacts waiting to be discovered on the Vigo County Indiana Civil War Sesquicentennial Project website. Take, for instance, this solid brass cartridge box that is part of the Vigo County Historical Society’s collection. It was used by John T. Merry during the Civil War. This particular artifact has multiple photographs for better viewing.

Also participating in this special 150th anniversary Civil War website are the Vigo County Public Library and the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, in conjunction with Indiana State University’s Cunningham Memorial Library.

The project has been funded by a Library Services Technology Act Digitization Grant (LSTA).

Sisters of Providence answer a call to duty

On May 17, 1861, the Civil War touched the lives of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. On that date, the sisters were placed in charge of all “domestic arrangements” like washing, cooking and cleaning at City Hospital, soon to be known as Military Hospital, in Indianapolis. Their services were not limited to these duties, as Sisters of Providence also served as nurses.

The Sisters of Providence certainly weren’t the only women’s religious congregation to answer the call to duty during the Civil War. “Nuns of the Battlefield,” written by Ellen Ryan Jolly and originally published in 1927, tells the story of other religious congregations that aided Union and Confederate soldiers. This monograph highlights the women’s religious congregations that ministered to soldiers during the Civil War.

To learn more about the service of the Sisters of Providence, take a look at “Lest We Forget,” a short history of the service provided by the Sisters of Providence during the Civil War. This book was published in 1931 by Providence Press and was written by Sister Mary Theodosia Mug. This book may be small, but it is filled with excellent information about the service of the sisters at Military Hospital in Indianapolis.

Be sure to visit our Vigo County Indiana Civil War Sesquicentennial Project!

GAR applications galore

If you’re interested in Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) applications, then you’ll want to visit the Vigo County Indiana Civil War Sesquicentennial Project website. In particular, you’ll want to visit the Vigo County Public Library’s portion of this Civil War collection.

The image at right is a Jan. 20, 1901, GAR Transfer Card for William A. Waterman. Waterman enlisted on Aug. 2, 1862, as a private in Company A 37th Regiment of the Massachusetts Infantry. Get a closer look at this transfer card.

Test your Civil War knowledge with one of our quizzes!

Sisters of Providence open new exhibit in Heritage Museum

In 1839, prior to leaving France for the mission at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., Saint Mother Theodore Guerin was recognized by the Academy of Angers for her pedagogical skills.

In 1987, an Indiana House Resolution was passed honoring and congratulating Sister of Providence Cecilia Clare Bocard (died 1994) for her several and varied contributions to the fields of music and education.

Before Sister of Providence Merry Marcotte (died 2008) entered the Congregation on Aug. 24, 1974, she served in military and field hospitals in Vietnam and received an award in 1970 from the 93 D Evacuation Hospital-Long Binh, Vietnam.

These are just three of the awards in a new exhibit in the Heritage Museum in Providence Center at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., that features several awards that sisters have received throughout the years.

The public is invited to visit the Heritage Museum and learn more about the many ways Sisters of Providence have been recognized for their service and dedication.

The Heritage Museum is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lest We Forget: A presentation in Marshall, Illinois

Less than a month after the April 12, 1861, attack on Fort Sumter, Indiana Gov. Oliver Perry Morton requested that the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., provide assistance in the administration of City Hospital in Indianapolis, which had been turned over to the federal government for the care of soldiers. This hospital soon became known as Military Hospital and the Sisters of Providence became “Angels of Mercy” to Union and Confederate soldiers alike.

On Thursday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m. (CDT) at the Marshall Public Library, 612 Archer Avenue, Marshall, Ill., Connie McCammon, a communications staff member in the Office of Congregational Advancement of the Sisters of Providence, will present “Lest We Forget: The Civil War Service of the Sisters of Providence.” The event is free and open to the public. Connie will share the story of Mother Mary Cecilia Bailly and the courageous sisters who answered a call to service during a turbulent time in the nation’s history.

With the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War this year, the Sisters of Providence are proud to be a part of the Vigo County Indiana Civil War Sesquicentennial Project, a special collection of Wabash Valley Visions & Voices (WV3), a digital memory project. Other partners include Indiana State University’s Cunningham Memorial Library, the Vigo County Public Library and the Vigo County Historical Society. All digitized items are fully searchable online. A Library Services and Technology Act Mini-Digitization Grant from the Indiana State Library provided funding for this project.

To learn more about the service of the Sisters of Providence during the Civil War, visit the Congregation’s children’s website.