02/28/2024
George Anna Woolsey called “Georgy “, was a New York Nurse at Gettysburg. She was the 30 years old daughter of Jane Newton Woolsey. Mrs. Woolsey was the Mother of seven children, all her children supported the war effort. Charles Woolsey was Georgy’s brother and he served on General Meade’s staff. The whole family helped with care of the wounded. Since 1861 Georgy, Eliza and sister Jane, were nurses for Ms. Dix. The other three Woolsey women used their prominent social position to obtain large amounts of supplies and other necessities for the wounded. One of her sisters would die because of exposure to the wounded.
George Anna Woolsey’s nursing career would take a different turn after she was fired by Ms. Dix for fanning a patient. 1862 would find her serving with the Hospital Transport Service of the US Sanitary Commission. Serving as a nurse not only in the Hospitals but on the ships too. In 1862 “Georgy “, would be a nurse at Falmouth and at Fredericksburg. She took her own letter to the President asking for ministers for the hospital
1863 would bring George Anna Woolsey and her mother to Gettysburg. As Georgy and her mother arrived by train, they were met by Mr. Frederick Olmstead of the Sanitary Commission. He had a big task for them. They oversaw Sanitary Commission Camp near the Railroad. They were responsible for the pitching of tents, the cooking of food, distribution of medicine. They spent three weeks at the Sanitary Commission Lodge. She observed the wounded that waited along the railroad for the next train, or the next day. After the bridge was repaired the Sanitary Commission move to the Railroad Station. Trains of recovering wounded left twice a day. She would write late ; “I cannot pretend to tell you what was done by all the big wheels of the concern “but only how two of the smallest ones went around “
George Anna Woolsey continued helping Gettysburg wounded at Hammond Hospital, Point Lookout Md. Beverly Hospital New Jersey was her last assignment in 1864. In the same year her sister and nurse Mary Elizabeth Watts Woolsey Howland died from exposure to the wounded . She married Dr. Francis Bacon. And continued advancing nursing after the war. George Anna wrote a Booklet “three weeks at Gettysburg”
