Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-18
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VOL. XXXV.
|0b1o Statesman,
A Ciscfnnaiiap Gives the True
History of Miss DIR. Mary

History of Miss DIR. Mar,
walker.
The Cincinnati Commercial has the
following letter to the New York Medi
|cal Journal: l observed in the January
number of your journal a. page or two
devoted to the experience of DIR. Mary
Walker in London. The various news
papers throughout the country have, for
the past year or two, contained notices
of this person, and great degree of
confusion has arisen as to her real mer-
its, her services in the army, and her
position in the medical profession. As
L have happened, in the way of official
duty, to learn something from this wo-
man herself, 1 beg to put your readers
in possession of my information.
My first observation of DIR. Mary
Walker was made at Lincoln General
Hospital, Washington, to which she
came in some pretended inspectorial ca
pacity, armed with pass from Secreta-
ry Stanton. The particular function in
trusted to Mary Walker seemed to be
that of spy and informer; at all events
she pretended to have power to obtain
redress of grievances, and industriously
set about hearing and contriving them.
At this period she was dressed in that
hybrid costume which has since become
so notorious.
My next encounter with Miss Walker
was at Chattanooga. She was sent out
by the War Department, through Act
ing Surgeon General Barnes, to Assist
ant Surgeon General Wood, at Louis
vile. DIR. Wood, it is to be presumed,
under Instructions from Washington,
sent her forward with orders to report
to Surgeon Perrin, Medical Direc-
tor of the Army of the Cumberland.
She presented herself to DR.. Perrin, and
demanded employment as medical of
ficer. He was not little surprised at
the apparition, and l may add. | trust,
without damaging his reputation with
the powers that be, Indignant that the
lives of sick and wounded soldiers
should te intrusted to such a medical
monstrosity. Before assigning her to
duty, which he resolved to do, he order
ed medical board to examine into her
medical alqualifcations, as justification
for his decision. l was a member of
that board. DIR. Walker presented
herself for examination with a little
feminine tremor and confusion, and
before setting down to the graver
business of the medical examina-
ton, tried to propitiate us and secure a
favorable report, so that we might take
it for granted she possessed the requi-
site knowledge.
She betrayed such utter ignorance of
any subject in the whole range of med
ical science, that we found it difficult
matter to conduct an examination. The
Board unanimously reported that she
had no more medical knowledge than
any ordinary housewife that she was,
of course, entirely unfit for the position
of medical officer, and that she might be
made useful as nurse in one of the
hospitals. During the examination, we
learned various particulars of her histo-
ry, which l forbear to mention. She
had diploma, she said-we did not see
it-from "hydropathic institution" at
Geneva, New York. She had never
been, so far as we could learn, within
the walls of medical college or hospi-
tai for the purpose Of obtaining medi-
cal education.
The spectacle was ludicrous and sad.
Her pretension, her ignorance, her sex,
her unprotected situation, all appealed
strongly to our sympathies, and we treat
ed her with the utmost delicacy and con-
sideration. How little ground there was
for our feelings of sympathy will appear
in the sequel. In a day or two after the
examination, she was assigned to hos
pital as nurse, but had not entered upon
her duties, when an order came from de-
partment headquarters sending her to
the extreme 'front.' We learned in
few days that she was riding about the
outpost, and, when riding alone one day,
she ventured too far, and was captured
and forwarded to Richmond, being treat
ed with considerable rigor, notwith-
standing her sex and her claim to the
privilege of medical officer.
1t appeared subsequently that this
was the design. She was intended as a
spy, and went forward to be captured.
1t was supposed that her sex and pro-
fessiom would procure her greater liberties
and wider opportunities for observation
than were at all possible to other pris-
oners. The medical staff of the army
was made the blind for the execution of
this profound piece of strategy by the
War Office. Another instance of the
esteem in which medical officers We're
held by the honorable Secretary of
War. ROBERT S. BARTHoLow,
Late Asst. Surgeon (Captain), U.S.A.
How 10 Get Into the Ladies' Car.
from Wisconsin letter.