Eliza Potter - Courageous Nurse for Union Prisoners
Born: 1829, Ireland
Died: 1907, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Eliza Potter was a brave nurse who risked her safety caring for wounded Union prisoners during the Civil War.
Eliza was born around 1829 in Ireland to Scottish parents. When she was about thirteen, she came to America as an orphan. She received a good education and later moved to Charleston, South Carolina, an important city for the Confederacy. Eliza married when she was young and became a widow while raising four children. She later married Lorenzo Potter, a successful Charleston merchant. Her compassion for people in need was clear long before the Civil War. Eliza became known for helping sick and poor people as she cared for people during several yellow fever outbreaks in Charleston. When the Civil War began, Eliza and her family supported the Union, despite living in the Confederate state of South Carolina.
In 1861, wounded Union prisoners were brought to Charleston. They were held in a hospital that had once been used as a slave pen and was in extremely poor condition. Many prisoners were sick or badly wounded, and they lacked enough food, clothing, bedding, and medical supplies. Seeing the prisoners suffering, Eliza decided to help them even though she knew her actions could put her in danger. She received permission to visit the hospital and saw how badly the men were being treated. She convinced the hospital surgeon to let her work as a nurse. Her decision showed courage because she was helping people considered enemies by the Confederacy.
Eliza took responsibility for improving the prisoners’ living conditions. She brought mattresses and bedding from her family's property. She also used supplies from her own home to give the prisoners food and clothing. When other workers refused to wash their clothes, Eliza paid for the laundry herself. She cleaned patients, cared for their wounds, and gave them comfort. Her selflessness led her to spend a large amount of her family's money to help the prisoners. Eliza used her resources and skills to make a difference instead of ignoring the suffering around her.
Confederate officials twice called her to General P.G.T. Beauregard's headquarters and accused her of helping the enemy. Officials even considered making her leave Charleston. However, they allowed her to stay because she was a skilled nurse and knew a great deal about the prisoners. Even while being watched and facing threats, Eliza persevered and continued caring for the men.
Her responsibility for the prisoners continued after they left Charleston. She taught stronger prisoners how to care for weaker men. She also prepared food, bandages, and other supplies for prisoners that were sent to other Confederate prisons. Eliza kept records of prisoners who died in her care. These records helped keep their stories from being forgotten.
After the war, Eliza continued to honor the soldiers she had cared for. She raised money for two monuments honoring Union prisoners who died in Charleston. The memorials remembered 175 men. Her support for them came with a painful personal cost. Her home was damaged many times, and some former friends turned against her. Her son Frederick was beaten to death by classmates because of his family's support for the Union.
Eliza Potter was known to Clara Barton, another Civil War nurse, who praised Eliza, saying that her “noble, patriotic heart and life have taught us many lessons.” Through her service, Eliza showed that taking risks for others, helping those in need, and remembering people who have been forgotten can make a lasting difference. Her life is an example of how one person can help repair the world even during times of war and injustice.
References:
Bronson, Sienna. “Eliza Potter: ‘[A] Noble, Patriotic Heart.’” Surgeon’s Call, National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 5 Dec. 2018. National Museum of Civil War Medicine source.
Worcester, H. N., ed. Grand Army of the Republic Almanac for 1879. Noyes, Snow & Company, 1878, pp. 64–72. Internet Archive source.
Key words:
Courage, Make a difference, Medicine, Perseverance, Repairing the World, Responsibility, Selflessness, Take Risks for Others, Wartime
View Discovery Award projects about this Unsung Hero:
Eliza Potter - Discovery Award 2017
