Cornelia Hancock Volunteer Nurse During the American Civil War

Cornelia was born on a bridge named Hancock, New Jersey. She was the youngest sibling out of three children, her oldest brother was named William who joined the Union army with her cousins in 1862 . Cornelia’s sister Ellen worked at the Mint in Philadelphia. Cornelia went to school in the Salem Academies and she was never married to anyone. Cornelia was given an opportunity to serve in the Civil War as a volunteer surgeon, her sister’s husband, brought her with him to the battlefield which was in Gettysburg for help in the year of 1863.

Dorothea Dix did not allow Cornelia to join them because, the requirements were that volunteer nurses had to be “mature in years, at least 30 years old, plain almost to homeliness in dress, and by no means liberally endowed with personal attractions” basically Cornelia Hancock was too young and too good looking. Cornelia Hancock was the only nurse volunteer to be rejected. Cornelia didn’t listen and went to Gettysburg.

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Cornelia didn’t have any professional training as a nurse. After a couple weeks Cornelia helped 8-12 soldiers who were injured. In October Cornelia helped hungry and injured slaves who had escaped. After the war, Cornelia founded a school for African Americans in South Carolina. In Philadelphia, she founded a couple charity organizations. She was one of the board members of a society about children during the 1890s and Cornelia helped children who were orphaned after the damage caused in the flood of Johnstown. Cornelia was also a president for the army nurses during the civil war.

In the year of 1924, Cornelia Hancock moved to Atlantic City to live with her sister’s daughter because Cornelia was sick and knew she did not have a long time left to live. Cornelia died of nephritis . Cornelia was buried at a Cemetery near New Jersey in the year 1927. This memorial commemorates the death of the many soldiers and the help of Cornelia Hancock in the Gettysburg battlefield in July 1863 and her help during the Civil war. She saved many lives and stayed to help after being rejected, if it wasn’t for her many people would’ve died. After the Civil war she did not give up on helping people, she opened multiple Aid centers. This memorial is to commemorate the life of a real surgeon who did not give up and tried her best no matter the circumstances.