Saved by Lemonade by Annie Wittenmyer
On the overcrowded City of Memphis, carrying seven hundred and fifty sick and wounded soldiers up the Mississippi, the narrator confronts scenes of fever, delirium, pain, and death. A despairing soldier asks her to write his wife after he dies, but brightens when she offers lemonade. Using her supply of lemons and sugar, she makes the drink for him and others, bringing relief; the man begins to recover and can sit up by Cairo. Years later, on another river steamer, he and his wife recognize her. He declares that the lemonade saved his life, while his wife explains that their family had long prayed for the “unknown lady” who saved their father.
By Annie Wittenmyer · First published 1895 · Genre: Civil War Memoir, War Memoir, Historical Nonfiction · 879 words
First lines
The many-colored signal lights of the fleet of steamers at Milliken's Bend, and the bright camp-fires on the land, that glowed with such unwonted splendor in the gloaming, soon all faded out of sight as our boat steamed away toward St. Louis; and soon the black curtain of night shut us in with its thick heavy folds like a funeral pall, and our fight with disease and death began in earnest.
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Genres
- Civil War Memoir — The first-person narrator recounts a firsthand experience transporting sick and wounded Union soldiers after Sherman's campaign during the American Civil War.
- War Memoir — The narrative centers on the physical suffering, death, trauma, and humanitarian consequences of war, presented as remembered personal testimony.
- Historical Nonfiction — It describes real wartime conditions, locations including Milliken's Bend, Cairo, St. Louis, and the Mississippi River, and the lived experiences of Civil War casualties.
- Military History — Although focused on care rather than combat strategy, the passage documents the aftermath of military operations and the inadequate medical transport of soldiers.
Tags
American Civil War · Union army · wounded soldiers · hospital steamer · Mississippi River · City of Memphis · river journey · wartime nursing · humanitarian aid · women volunteers · illness and fever · battlefield aftermath
What this Textopian page supports
Saved by Lemonade 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 Memoir, War Memoir, Historical Nonfiction, Military History, Medical History
- Length: 879 words
- Structure: 1 section, 24 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for Saved by Lemonade by Annie Wittenmyer
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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