The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1921-01-06
CIVIL WAR NURSE
LIVESIN THIS CITY
MRS. SYLVIA TOWNSEND SERy
ED AT BATTLE OF CORINTH
WITH MINNESOTA TROOPS
LATER WORKED IN VIRGINIA
PUBLISHED STATEMENT OF
DEATH OF LAST CIVIL WAR
NURSE ERRONEOUS

A recent story appearing in Min
neapolis papers telling of the pass
ing of the Last Civil War Nurse
doesn't carry much weight in G. A. R.
and w. R. c. circles in Sank Centre.
Not only has the last Civil War
nurse not passed away, but Sank
Centre itself, is the home of a lady
who served in the war of the rebel
lion as a nurse and what is more,
went into the field with Minnesota
troops.
Mrs. Sylvia Townsend, who resides
at the Lee Hotel and is a, member of
the w. R. C. Post of this city, serv-
ed in the Civil War as an army nurse.
Mrs. Townsend went into the field
in 1862 with the Second Minnesota
Light Artillery, of which her hus-
band was member. She was pres
ent at the siege of Cornith, Miss,
and for several months served with
the army in the military hospital at
Pennington, Miss.
81 went into the field with the
Second Minnesota Artillery in 1892
said Mrs. Townsend, my husband
was a member of the regiment and |
went with his battery first as laun-
dress, and later was assigned to hos
pital work as nurse by General
RosencranZ at Corinth.
with my husbands regiment l
was in the field before Corinth dur
ing the whole siege of that city
which was the first battle of Corinth-
I worked in aiding in the care of the
wounded and went into the city with
the troops after the retreat of the
Confederate forces.
Shortly after the capture of the
city, ! was presented sY. large.
bouquet Of flowers mixed b, a lady
in the city" ssqr,.. ga B i $50. -.
Following the battle of. Corinth,
Mrs. Townsend andsher husband
were both ordered to the military
hospital at Pennington. eve were
first sent there with the sick of our
regiment of whom we had charge.
Later 1 was detailed on duty there
and remained for many weeks. The
hospital was a base, for Federal
operations in that vicinity and we
cared for the wounded and sick from
all regiments in that locality.
81 remember in particular, the
hardships we suffered from lack OF
cots and blankets. In many instances
we were obliged to cut branches ana
'ever-greens and drive stakes into the
ground to raise the sick and wound
ed from the ground. There were no
cots and we could not let them lie
on the ground long.
ut was while we were in this nos
pital that. my husband was injured
and later discharged for dlsablhty.
He had been working hard in the hot
sun and regardless of the doctors
orders; continued at this work until
he was finally stricken with sun
stroke. He developed a high fever
and was so weakened that when ne
recovered sufficiently, he was dis
charged for disability.
"I left the south with my husband.
He came north and after few week
re-enIsted in a Wisconsin Infantry
regiment: / again went with him TO
the front, this time to the east. his
regiment was stationed in Virginia
but | remained in Washington. l did
not resume my duties as regular
nurse, but did some relief work IN
the Capital" -..,
Mrs. Townsend is member OF the
National Association of Army nurses
of the Civil War. This organization
is headed by Alice Cary Risley OF
Columbia, Mo. There are still
large number of war nurses hVlng'
according to the roster of the organ
ization. -