Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865) to William A. Hammond
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00547 Author/Creator: Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Autograph endorsement signed Date: 04 June 1862 Pagination: 1 p. 20 x 13 cm Order a Copy
Asks United States Surgeon General William A. Hammond to address grievances of Mrs. Bradley, a nurse at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Written on recto is a letter by S. H. Sweetland to General John Ellis Wool, with note by Lieutenant Colonel D. Whipple, Chief of Staff at Ft. Monroe, dated 30 May 1862. Mrs. Bradley is possibly the Amy C. Bradley described in "Women's Work in the Civil War" (Philadelphia, 1867).
Basler, Roy P. The Collected Works Of Abraham Lincoln, (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1953), Vol. V 1861 - 1862,
p. 259
Notes: Not in Basler. Mrs. Bradley likely is Miss Amy M. Bradley, a Maine native who worked at Fortress Monroe from early May 1862 with the U.S. Sanitary Commission. See L. P. Brockett and Mary C. Vaughan, Woman's Work in the Civil War (Philadelphia 1867) (GLC 267.232) p. 212-224, esp. p. 218-20.
[Sweetland's letter:]
Fortress Monroe May 20/62
Dear Sir
Allow me to recommend to your consideration the case of Mrs. Bradley, believing from the letters presented & what I know of the ability she possesses for rendering aid & comfort to the sick and wounded of our army, & she being both willing and desirous of using such ability in any field of the most value, renders it my desirous that she at once be assigned to some field of labor.
Miss Dix having rendered her former field obnoxious-one not controlled by her is desired-any aid you may give will I think benefit the soldiery & oblige Your Servt & friend
S. H. Sweetland
Maj Genl Wool
Commanding at Fortress Monroe
[Whipple's accompanying letter:]
Head Qrs. Dept of Va.
Ft Monroe May 30, 1862
From my acquaintance with Mrs. Bradley I fully concur in the recommendation of Mr. Sweetland that this lady may be placed in some independent field of labor for which her abilities so well fit her.
Wm. D. Whipple
Lt. Col. A. D. C. & Chief of Staff
[2] [Lincoln's note, on verso:]
Surgeon-General: please see Mrs Bradley, whom I do not know, & redress her grievance, if she have any real one.
A. Lincoln
June. 4. 1862
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