The lady circled in red was Lucy Higgs Nichols. She was born into slavery in Tennessee, but during the Civil War she managed to escape and found her way to 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment which was encamped nearby.

She stayed with the regiment and worked as a nurse throughout the war. After the war, she moved north with the regiment and settled in Indiana, where she found work with some of the veterans of the 23rd. She applied for a pension after Congress passed the Army Nurses Pension Act of 1892 which allowed Civil War nurses to draw pensions for their service.

The War Department had no record of her, so her pension was denied. Fifty-five surviving veterans of the 23rd petitioned Congress for the pension they felt she had rightfully earned, and it was granted. The photograph shows Nichols and other veterans of the Indiana regiment at a reunion in 1898. She died in 1915 and is buried in a cemetery in New Albany, Indiana.

The lady circled in the photo was Lucy Higgs Nichols. She was born into slavery in Tennessee, but during the Civil War she managed to escape and found her way to 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment which was encamped nearby.

She stayed with the regiment and worked as a nurse throughout the war. After the war, she moved north with the regiment and settled in Indiana, where she found work with some of the veterans of the 23rd.

She applied for a pension after Congress passed the Army Nurses Pension Act of 1892 which allowed Civil War nurses to draw pensions for their service.

The War Department had no record of her, so her pension was denied. Fifty-five surviving veterans of the 23rd petitioned Congress for the pension they felt she had rightfully earned, and it was granted.

The photograph shows Nichols and other veterans of the Indiana regiment at a reunion in 1898. Beloved by the troops who referred to her as “Aunt Lucy,” Nichols was the only woman to receive an honorary induction into the Grand Army of the Republic, and she was buried in an unmarked grave in New Albany with full military honors in 1915.

Source: African Archives Twitter

Lucy Higgs Nichols (April 10, 1838 – January 25, 1915) was an escaped enslaved and a nurse for the Union Army during the American Civil War. Known affectionately as “Aunt Lucy”, her sole photo shows her surrounded by veterans of the 23rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, of the Army of Tennessee. She was as devoted to the soldiers as they were to her and her daughter, Mona. She lost her daughter and husband during the Civil War, and after the war ended, settled in New Albany, Indiana, where she worked as a housekeeper to several officers and married her second husband, John Nichols. She lived in New Albany with her husband (1870-1915).

The Grand Army of the Republic admitted her as their only honorary, female member, not only of Sanderson’s Post, a men’s group but of the US. She was treated as family, and loved by all the soldiers that knew her. She was granted her government pension for diligent nursing and other services with them, in 28 battles, from June 1862 through the end of the war. She marched in victory with the troops in DC on May 23, and May 24, 1865, for the Grand Review of the Armies. Although her accomplishments were buried in archives for more than 100 years, in 1898, newspaper articles, about the special act of Congress that granted her pension, spread her fame across the country. These newspapers included The Janesville Gazette, The Salem Democrat, the Atlanta Constitution, The Logansport Journal, The Denver Post, The Freeman, and The New York Times. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Lucy Higgs Nichols (red circle) was born into slavery in Tennessee, but during the Civil War she managed to escape and found her way to 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment which was encamped nearby.

She stayed with the regiment and worked as a nurse throughout the war. After the war, she moved north with the regiment and settled in Indiana, where she found work with some of the veterans of the 23rd.

She applied for a pension after Congress passed the Army Nurses Pension Act of 1892 which allowed Civil War nurses to draw pensions for their service. The War Department had no record of her, so her pension was denied. Fifty-five surviving veterans of the 23rd petitioned Congress for the pension they felt she had rightfully earned, and it was granted. The photograph shows Nichols and other veterans of the Indiana regiment at a reunion in 1898. She died in 1915 and is buried in a cemetery in New Albany, Indiana.

Black History month. Here is your 1st black history heroine.

The lady circled in the photo was Lucy Higgs Nichols. She was born into slavery in Tennessee, but during the Civil War she managed to escape and found her way to 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment which was encamped nearby. She stayed with the regiment and worked as a nurse throughout the war.

After the war, she moved north with the regiment and settled in Indiana, where she found work with some of the veterans of the 23rd.

She applied for a pension after Congress passed the Army Nurses Pension Act of 1892 which allowed Civil War nurses to draw pensions for their service. The War Department had no record of her, so her pension was denied. Fifty-five surviving veterans of the 23rd petitioned Congress for the pension they felt she had rightfully earned, and it was granted.

The photograph shows Nichols and other veterans of the Indiana regiment at a reunion in 1898. Beloved by the troops who referred to her as “Aunt Lucy,” Nichols was the only woman to receive an honorary induction into the Grand Army of the Republic, and she was buried in an unmarked grave in New Albany with full military honors in 1915.

The lady circled in red was Lucy Higgs Nichols. She was born into slavery in Tennessee, but during the Civil War she managed to escape and found her way to 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment which was encamped nearby. She stayed with the regiment and worked as a nurse throughout the war.

After the war, she moved north with the regiment and settled in Indiana, where she found work with some of the veterans of the 23rd.

She applied for a pension after Congress passed the Army Nurses Pension Act of 1892 which allowed Civil War nurses to draw pensions for their service. The War Department had no record of her, so her pension was denied. Fifty-five surviving veterans of the 23rd petitioned Congress for the pension they felt she had rightfully earned, and it was granted.

The photograph shows Nichols and other veterans of the Indiana regiment at a reunion in 1898. She died in 1915 and is buried in a cemetery in New Albany, Indiana.

The lady circled in the photo was Lucy Higgs Nichols. She was born into slavery in Tennessee, but during the Civil War she managed to escape and found her way to 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment which was encamped nearby. She stayed with the regiment and worked as a nurse throughout the war.

After the war, she moved north with the regiment and settled in Indiana, where she found work with some of the veterans of the 23rd.

She applied for a pension after Congress passed the Army Nurses Pension Act of 1892 which allowed Civil War nurses to draw pensions for their service. The War Department had no record of her, so her pension was denied. Fifty-five surviving veterans of the 23rd petitioned Congress for the pension they felt she had rightfully earned, and it was granted.

The photograph shows Nichols and other veterans of the Indiana regiment at a reunion in 1898. Beloved by the troops who referred to her as “Aunt Lucy,” Nichols was the only woman to receive an honorary induction into the Grand Army of the Republic, and she was buried in an unmarked grave in New Albany with full military honors in 1915. 🤎✊🏾

#blackhistorymonth #civilwar

The lady circled in the photo was Lucy Higgs Nichols. She was born into slavery in Tennessee, but during the Civil War she managed to escape and found her way to 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment which was encamped nearby. She stayed with the regiment and worked as a nurse throughout the war.

After the war, she moved north with the regiment and settled in Indiana, where she found work with some of the veterans of the 23rd.

She applied for a pension after Congress passed the Army Nurses Pension Act of 1892 which allowed Civil War nurses to draw pensions for their service. The War Department had no record of her, so her pension was denied. Fifty-five surviving veterans of the 23rd petitioned Congress for the pension they felt she had rightfully earned, and it was granted.

The photograph shows Nichols and other veterans of the Indiana regiment at a reunion in 1898. Beloved by the troops who referred to her as “Aunt Lucy,” Nichols was the only woman to receive an honorary induction into the Grand Army of the Republic, and she was buried in an unmarked grave in New Albany with full military honors in 1915.

Multicultural American Women

The Instagram social media account @women_you_should_know dives deep into the influential history of women and their stories sometimes left untold.  The account’s bio reads, “Representation, inspiration, empowerment since 2011.”  When diving into this female-inclusive account, you will find posts featuring short bios on various contributions women have made through the centuries.  Some of the Instagram posts include a link in their bio that provides more information on the remarkable women’s accomplishments.  I would like to highlight a few of @women_you_should_know’s recent Instagram posts.      

A post dated, April 10, 2020 recognizes an African American woman named Lucy Higgs Nichols.  Lucy had been born into slavery.  At the beginning of the Civil War, she gained freedom by escaping to the 23rd Regiment, Indiana Volunteers in 1862.  The post discusses how she worked as a nurse for the soldiers.  Post war, Lucy struggled to obtain pension for six years, and she was finally awarded pension in 1898.  Lucy stands out in the image included in the Instagram post, as she is the only African American and only woman in the photo.  Her photographic image in the post, “…can serve a multiple of purposes” and “mean different things to different people,” (Cartwright 2009).  Lucy’s image in the photo calls attention to the intersectionality of her being an African American woman, but also considers her sacrifice on the front lines during the Civil War.  It should be acknowledged that this was a time where women were not allowed to vote let alone were African Americans legally considered citizens in America. 

A post dated, March 25, 2020 recognizes Gloria Steinem.  The Instagram post acknowledges Gloria as a “journalist, founder, feminist, activist, thought-leader, speaker and author,” (Women You Should Know 2020).  Furthermore, Gloria has devoted her life to the fight for equality.  “Since the mid-nineteen century, there have been many arguments for and against the idea that photographs are objective renderings of the real world that provide unbiased truth,” (Cartwright 2009). The photographic image of Gloria gazing towards what appears to be an audience with a microphone in front of her, suggests to the viewer that she is in a leadership role speaking to an audience.  In combination with the post’s text, the image offers the viewer a deeper, subjective connection to Gloria.  

An Instagram post dated, March 10, 2020 recognizes civil rights champion and founder of Middle Tennessee’s first Girl Scout troops for African Americans, Josephine Groves Holloway.  The social media post discusses the hurdles that Josephine went through to obtain her degree in Sociology from Fisk University in 1923.  As a social worker at Bethlehem Center, the post discusses how Josephine’s focus was on “…establishing programming to help black girls and women,” (Women You Should Know 2020).  Ultimately, she was able to organize approximately 150 girls into Girl Scout Troops in Tennessee in 1924.  Josephine’s image in the post is of her and a girl giving the three-finger Girl Scout salute.  They are in uniform and appear full of pride and joy.      

The Instagram social media account @women_you_should_know recognizes women from Lucy Higgs Nichols and Josephine Groves Holloway to Greta Thunberg and Malala that have made instrumental strides towards gender and racial equality and environmental awareness.  The images of the women represented on @women_you_may_know’s Instagram account offer the viewer a sense of power and gratification while representing a multitude of multicultural women.    

Works Cited

Cartwright, Marita Sturken and Lisa. 2009. Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. New York: Oxford University Press.

2020. Women You Should Know. March 25. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KhwvODIeS/.

Photo Images: Lucy Higgs Nichols, Gloria Steinem and Josephine Groves Holloway from @women_you_should_know 

Lucy Higgs Nichols: The COuntry Lady

Lucy Higgs Nichols: The COuntry Lady

The lady circled in the photo was Lucy Higgs Nichols. She was born into slavery in Tennessee, but during the Civil War she managed to escape and found her way to 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment which was encamped nearby. She stayed with the regiment and worked as a nurse throughout the war. After the war, she moved north with the regiment and settled in Indiana, where she found work with some of…

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Lucy Higgs Nichols. She was born into slavery in Tennessee, but during the Civil War she managed to escape and found her way to 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment which was encamped nearby. She stayed with the regiment and worked as a nurse throughout the war. After the war, she moved north with the regiment and settled in Indiana, where she found work with some of the veterans of the 23rd. She applied for a pension after Congress passed the Army Nurses Pension Act of 1892 which allowed Civil War nurses to draw pensions for their service. The War Department had no record of her, so her pension was denied. Fifty-five surviving veterans of the 23rd petitioned Congress for the pension they felt she had rightfully earned, and it was granted. The photograph shows Nichols and other veterans of the Indiana regiment at a reunion in 1898. Beloved by the troops who referred to her as “Aunt Lucy,” Nichols was the only woman to receive an honorary induction into the Grand Army of the Republic, and she was buried in an unmarked grave in New Albany with full military honors in 1915. #blackhistorymonth is here https://www.instagram.com/p/CZZ6oWNuir_/?utm_medium=tumblr

The lady circled in the photo was Lucy Higgs Nichols. She was born into slavery in Tennessee, but during the Civil War she managed to escape and found her way to 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment which was encamped nearby. She stayed with the regiment and worked as a nurse throughout the war.

After the war, she moved north with the regiment and settled in Indiana, where she found work with some of the veterans of the 23rd.

She applied for a pension after Congress passed the Army Nurses Pension Act of 1892 which allowed Civil War nurses to draw pensions for their service. The War Department had no record of her, so her pension was denied. Fifty-five surviving veterans of the 23rd petitioned Congress for the pension they felt she had rightfully earned, and it was granted.

The photograph shows Nichols and other veterans of the Indiana regiment at a reunion in 1898. Beloved by the troops who referred to her as “Aunt Lucy,” Nichols was the only woman to receive an honorary induction into the Grand Army of the Republic, and she was buried in an unmarked grave in New Albany with full military honors in 1915.

Lucy Higgs Nichols aka Aunt Lucy

Sculpture of Escaping Slave Vandalized with BLM Graffiti

Members of a congregation in Indiana are taking extra measures to protect their church after a statue an African-American woman who escaped slavery in the 19th century was defaced last week. A statue memorializing Lucy Higgs Nichols, a former slave who escaped a life of captivity and became a nurse for the Union Army during…

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source https://www.westernjournal.com/sculpture-escaping-slave-vandalized-blm-graffiti/