How Mother Bickerdyke Cut Red Tape
After the bloody battle of Corinth, Mother Bickerdyke helps care for exhausted wounded men who lack beds and pillows. Ignoring a quartermaster’s refusal to release supplies without orders, she takes wagons and men to obtain bales of hay and cotton, which become beds and pillows in the hospital tents. While workers search for wounded and dress injuries through the night, the quartermaster files a complaint against her. Summoned before officers, she argues that since the tents were erected for wounded men, they should not be left on the ground. She insists that the officers simply issue the needed order afterward, wins the argument, and returns to her work.
By Annie Wittenmyer · First published 1895 · Genre: Civil War History, Biographical Sketch, Historical Nonfiction · 985 words
First lines
The battle of Corinth had raged from early morning till late in the afternoon, and then General Price was checked and forced to retreat. The struggle had been a bloody one, and the ground was covered with the wounded and the dead.
Similar titles
- The Hospital At Point Of Rocks Va by Annie Wittenmyer
- Saving The Life Of Young Pike by Annie Wittenmyer
- A Painful Accident by Annie Wittenmyer
- A Young Nurse At Gettysburg by Annie Wittenmyer
- Visiting Hospitals Under The Guns by Annie Wittenmyer
- Could You Get Me A Raw Onion And Some Salt by Annie Wittenmyer
Genres
- Civil War History — The work recounts events surrounding the Battle of Corinth and Union military hospitals during the American Civil War.
- Biographical Sketch — It focuses on Mary Ann Bickerdyke, describing her actions, character, public reputation, and later life.
- Historical Nonfiction — The narrative presents a factual, retrospective account of wartime people, institutions, conditions, and events.
- Women's History — It highlights a woman's authority, initiative, labor, and humanitarian influence within the predominantly male military world.
Tags
American Civil War · Battle of Corinth · Corinth, Mississippi · 1862 · Union Army · Confederate assault · military hospitals · battlefield medicine · wounded soldiers · Civil War nursing · women wartime volunteers · Mother Bickerdyke
What this Textopian page supports
How Mother Bickerdyke Cut Red Tape is listed on Textopian as a historical account by Annie Wittenmyer, dated 1895 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Historical account
- Author: Annie Wittenmyer
- Date: 1895 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Civil War History, Biographical Sketch, Historical Nonfiction, Women's History, Military History
- Length: 985 words
- Structure: 1 section, 25 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for How Mother Bickerdyke Cut Red Tape by Annie Wittenmyer
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph