The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-11-13
The Truth about Dr. Major Mary
Walker

II the Ll;t0r Of the World:
As Dr. Major Mary Walker is stumping
the State III beha!; Of the party Of "great
moral IDEAS" please give her the benefit
Of the following notice, and ob!gc an old
professional subscriber:
CISCINNATI, ONO, JANUARY q, 1867.
Editor OF the New York Medical Jour
a1i:-I observe in the January number OF
yuur journal page or two devoted 20 the
experiences Of DR.. Mary Walker in Lon
don. Tie various newspapers throughout
The country nave for the past year or two
roataiued notices Of this person, and a
grra; degree of confusion has arisen rs to
her real nGritS, her services in the army,
and her position in the medical profession.
\ l have happened, in the way Of official
duty, 10 learn something from this woman
herself, beg TO put your readers IN pos
session Of my information.
My first observation Of Dr.. Mary Walker
was made at Lincoln General Hospital,
Wa.A.acton, TO which she came in some
pretended inspectorial carsaci:y, armed
with - pass from Secretary Stanton. The
Particular function lutru>tcd to Mary
walker seemed to be that OF spy and IN
1rmcr; at all events, she pretended 10
have power to obtain redress Of grievances,
and lndustriouSiy set about hearing and
conlriying thcm. AZ this period she was
dressed in hat hybrid costume which has
since become 50 notorious.
Nv next encounter with Miss Walker
wasat Chattanooga. Snc was sent out by
the Var Department, through acting Sur
cryn- General Barnes, to ASSISTANT Sur
ge0u- General Wood at Louisville. DR..
Wood. il is 70 be presumed under instruc-
lions from Washington, sent her forward
atA orders to report TO Surgeon Perrin,
Medical Director OF the Army of the Cum
ugrland. She presented herself TO DR..
Perrin and demanded employment as q
medical officer. tic was not little sur
pgiscd al the apparilion, and may add, l
trust without damaging his reputation with
The powers that be, Indignant that the lives
If. sick and wounded soldiers should be
.a..us,ed 10 such medical mons;rosity.
Before assigning her 10 duty, which he re-
solved 10 DO, he ordered medical board
70 examine into her qualifications, as q
v.>ljiication for his decision. | was q
member OF that board. DR.. Walker pre-
sun,ri herself for examination with lit
"a. :amjEinc ircmor and confusion, and
before settling down TO the graver busl-
less OF tie medical examination, tried to
propitiale Us and secure favorable re-
port, 50 that we might take it for granted
sue possessed the requisite knowledge.
She BETRAYED such utter ignorance OF any
subject in the whole range OF medical
science that we found it a difficult matter
=.
unanimously reported that she had no
more medical knowledge than any ordlna-
r. housewife, that she vas OF course en-
urely unfit for tbc position of medical
o4cer, and that she might be made useful
as & nurse in one OF the hospitals. During
Tie examination We learned various par
;iculars Of her history, which | torbear TO
mention. She had diploma, She said
"e did no; see it-lrom "hydropathlc
Institution" at Geneva, \. Y. She had
2cYcr been, 50 far as we could learn, within
iAe walls Of a medical college or hospltal
')g the purpose Of obtaining a medical
education.
The spectacle was ludicrous and sad.
A"rpretension, her ignorance, her sex, her
Unprotected situation, all appealed strong
iytO our sympathies, and we treated her
with the utmost dclicacv and consldera-
non. How lil;ie ground there was for our
ceilings Of sympathy will appear in the Sc
lee!. II day or two after the examlna-
"oA she vas assigned to hospital as nurse,
OGt had not entered upon her duties wheh
ea"Idcr came from department headqnar-
,sES sending her TO the extreme front
we learned in few days that sne was
N'5 about the outpost, and when fioihS
~'0Ae one day she ventured too lar, ana
>as captured and forwarded to Richmond,
Oe'hg treated with considerable rlgor, not
outstanding her sex and her claim 10 Inc
"hllege Of q medical officer.
IL appeared subsequently that TINS was
-s design. She was intended as spy,
~au Went forward to be captured. IL was
opposed that hersex and pro- fession wonld
"'care her greater liberties and Wlder
rpoRunities for observation than were at
81 possible 10 oLhcr prisoners. The medi-
C'' alsil Of the army was made the bhnd
''' u.e execution Of this profound piece OF
s.a'egy by the War Office. Another in
.~hce Of tie esteem in which medical
.@'S.'s 9. were held by the Hon. Secretary
war. ROBERT BARTEoLow,
'a'e Assistant Surgeon (Captain) U.S.A.