Involvement in the Civil War
These are the pension papers that grant Mrs. Etheridge a monthly pension of twenty-five dollars for her wartime services.
Anna Etheridge was a nurse during the civil war. She joined the second Michigan Infantry as a nurse with 19 other women when she was 16. During her first days working, she helped out mainly with laundry. As the war continued, she started to nurse the wounded soldiers and got more and more involved in it. She fought her first battle at Virginia at Blackburn's Ford. This is where she carried water out on to the battlefield to the dying soldiers. She also nursed the injured soldiers. By this time, the soldiers had come up with three nicknames for her: "Gentle Annie", "Michigan Annie", and ''that brave little sargeant in petticoats".
She continued to serve in the Civil War and helped and nursed many. One day, General Grant ordered all the women to leave the front because it had become dangerous. Despite the general's command, Annie stayed there and fought in seven hard battles that following season. She continued to fight and nurse the hurt soldiers. During one of her battles, her army was hurt and in a fairly bad condition, so she started yelling out encouraging words. These words were what inspired the soldiers that day, leading them to win that battle. Before she left home, she was presented with her pension papers which listed the 32 severe battles she had fought in throughout the Civil War. After she returned home, she married. Later on she worked in the Treasury Department until she was discharged just to make room for someone else. When her soldiers learned about this, they tried to take action but it had no impact on the government.
She continued to serve in the Civil War and helped and nursed many. One day, General Grant ordered all the women to leave the front because it had become dangerous. Despite the general's command, Annie stayed there and fought in seven hard battles that following season. She continued to fight and nurse the hurt soldiers. During one of her battles, her army was hurt and in a fairly bad condition, so she started yelling out encouraging words. These words were what inspired the soldiers that day, leading them to win that battle. Before she left home, she was presented with her pension papers which listed the 32 severe battles she had fought in throughout the Civil War. After she returned home, she married. Later on she worked in the Treasury Department until she was discharged just to make room for someone else. When her soldiers learned about this, they tried to take action but it had no impact on the government.