Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Civil War Oddities #50


A steamer took some of the Federal soldiers who were seriously wounded at Fort Donelson to a St. Louis hospital. Among the civilians who visited them were sisters known only as “three maiden ladies from Philadelphia.” Not until they had been doing volunteer hospital work for weeks did patents discover the trio to be numbered among the top ranks of America’s bluebloods. They proved to be grandnieces of James ”Commodore” Biddle, a top naval commander during the War of 1812.