She Cared, The Story of an Unsung Hero

     She Cared, The Story of an Unsung Hero

Suzanne Marsh

April, 1861 Charleston, South Carolina

“Down with the Union, we are gonna have our own government a confederacy! The hell with

“The Original Ape!” Amelia and Edward Goodworth voted against the session privately; they were afraid of what the results of the war would mean to South Carolina. The torches were held high into the night sky as the people chanted:

“Down with the Union, down with the Original Ape!, Down with Lincoln” It was only the beginning of the horrible times for Amelia and Edward, they were wealthy but did not believe South Carolina should leave the Union. As they walked home Edward turned to Amelia:

“You do realize my dear that our beliefs are very different from most of South Carolina;

we are most likely going to be ostracized by most of our friends and neighbors. The “committee

attempted to get me to go along offering me more business opportunities, a government

job, anything I really wanted...Amelia, honey, I told them no.”

Amelia knew what she was going to do before she even told Edward:

“Edward, those sorts of things don’t worry me. I am going to begin stockpiling bandages,

ether, and food if there is any sort of battle in South Carolina the Union soldiers will

be the ones to suffer. Our friends, well they either accept us for who we are or they

don’t.”

They arrived home to find garbage had been flung at their house, a note was tacked to the front door:

“UNION SYMPATHIZERS!”

Edward became angry, and tore the note off the front door, they entered the hall, closing the door behind them. Jenny their daughter was sixteen, a lovely clever girl, and their son Jeremiah played with his toy soldiers, this was home. Edward began to explain what happened tonight to South Carolina, that they were the first to leave the Union, they hoped no more states would follow. They also explained they did not approve of what was happening, and that the children could expect not to be invited to parties that fall since most of their friends would not speak to them or even acknowledge them any longer, it would be just the four of them.

Yellow Fever was rampant during the summer months, and Jenny became one of its victims after several weeks of struggling to survive she passed on. Her mother holding her hand she quietly told her mother:

“I asked Nancy to come and visit you from time to time, she may be the only one…”

Those were the last words Nancy uttered. The funeral followed the next day, and burial was immediately completed in a small churchyard. Amelia and Edward were brokenhearted, two people showed up at the funeral, the undertaker and Nancy.

Amelia threw herself into her work of stockpiling medicine and bandages, she could do no more now but wait for the inevitable.

7 November 1861

Amelia was on her way to the market when she noticed the first Union prisoners arriving, most were filthy, ragged walking skeletons. She felt the tears welling in her eyes as she watched the prisoners being forced marched under the bayonet, into abandoned slave pens. They smelled horrible, those men would never survive without food, clean clothing, and most importantly nursing care. Amelia thought she recognized one of the young doctors as Charles Farnsworth, the son of acquaintance; she decided to take several gifts of food to his mother the next morning. This she knew would help her gain access to the wounded soldiers.

The next morning Amelia went to visit Anna Farnsworth, she knocked on the door; Anna opened it with a horrified look, she quickly pulled Amelia inside:

“What are you doing here? Why the neighbors are peering out their windows. Amelia,

it is dangerous for both of us to be seen together, after all, you are for the Union, even

if you are the only one.”

Amelia almost felt sorry for Anna:

“Anna, I need a huge favor I must get into the hospital where Charles works. Those prisoners

have no food. I have been storing bandages and I can get mattresses from Edward’s

warehouse. Have you seen the hospital? They are using the old slave holding pens to house

those prisoners.”

Anna and Amelia had been friends for what seemed forever:

“Amelia, I will speak to Charles, surely he can’t approve of such squalor and horrors. I will

find a way to get you into the hospital, that I promise you. I have two days a week I can give

to helping you, no one not even a damn Yankee should have to live that way.”

Amelia smiled:

“Anna, thank you and yes I can use all the help I can get. I will be at the hospital tomorrow.”

Later that day Amelia and Edward heard a knock on their door, it was the headmaster where their son Jed went to school. Amelia opened the door:

“Why Master Dobbins what brings you here? Where is Jerimiah, he should have been home an

hour ago?”

Amelia showed Master Dobbins into the parlor:

“Please be seated may I offer you some lemonade?”

Dobbins blurted out:

“Jed died this afternoon, the boys saw him with a Union flag, and they grabbed and punched him

until he lost consciousness. I am very sorry Mrs. Goodworth, very sorry indeed.”

Edward came into the parlor he saw Amelia, her face tear-stained:

“Edward Jed is dead, dear God how could this have happened? We are good Christians,

we don’t cause problems.” He held her as she wept, he knew the answer as did she,

their belief in the Union and not the Confederacy.

Jed was buried next to Jenny, and Amelia was dressed in black the color she would wear for the rest of her life.

Morning dawned, and the birds were singing; as Amelia made her way to the hospital. She entered and was greeted by Doctor Charles Farnsworth:

“Good Morning Miss Amelia, my mother tells me you want to nurse the Union scum, she

also said she will be here this morning to help you. With all due respect Miss Amelia

these Yankees are dirty filthy smelly men, I won’t treat them, if you think you can you

go right ahead.”

He led her down a dark hall on either side were holding pens. Men were lying on rotting straw pallets, she noted that soldiers that were not badly wounded were nursing the ones that were. Amelia thought she was going to pass out from the wretched smells. She saw men with limbs that should have been amputated right after the battle, arms and legs were infected so badly she wasn’t sure if she could even help. She glared at Charles Farnsworth:

“Charles, I thought you were a doctor, how can you possibly allow these men to live

in these conditions? Where is the food? Where are the bandages for their wounds?

I thought you were better than this!”

Anna overheard what Amelia had just said:

“Amelia, if I had not seen and heard this I would never have believed it. Charles

I don’t care if these men are Yankee they need beds, their wounds teneded.”

Charles wanted to slink into a corner but he knew that would do no good. Amelia in the interim

left the hospital, informing Charles and Anna she would be back with mattresses, all the bandages she could lay her hands on, the ether she had hidden before the war started. She was thankful now she had the foresight to do so. She also had whiskey by the barrel hidden in Edward’s warehouse.

Two hours later she arrived with a large wagon full of supplies including food and what clothing she could find. She walked into the hospital, Anna and Charles waited for her at the entrance to the pens.

That day they amputated almost thirty legs and twenty arms, they cleaned wounds that were

reeky, and pus was oozing out the wounds. Amelia and Anna began to cook food, and men brought in mattresses. The quality of life became so much better for those prisoners.

Author’s note:

This story is based on the true story of Mrs. Eliza Potter of South Carolina, the only

woman who nursed Union prisoners in the South during the Civil War. She truly

is an unsung hero.