Annie Etheridge by Molly Cushing

mollyc26_2 — 2025-05-05 15:01:31 UTC

mollyc26_2 — 2025-05-05 15:02:53 UTC

She was almost captured during the Second Battle of Manassas, and during the Battle of Chancellorsville she was wounded in the hand when a Union soldier tried to hide behind her horse. Because of her bravery during such instances, she is one of only two women to have received the prestigious Kearny Cross, a medal reserved for those who "most distinguished themselves in battle."

mollyc26_2 — 2025-05-05 15:06:26 UTC

Etheridge acted as what today would be called a combat medic, providing immediate medical care to wounded soldiers, often under fire during battle. In addition to nursing, she served the regiment as cook, laundress, and she encouraged the men to continue the fight.

mollyc26_2 — 2025-05-05 15:07:26 UTC

mollyc26_2 — 2025-05-05 15:12:00 UTC

mollyc26_2 — 2025-05-05 15:12:53 UTC

She was born on April 25, 1920 to Rena and Claud Graff of Wynne, Ark.

mollyc26_2 — 2025-05-05 15:15:00 UTC

After the war's end in 1865, Etheridge returned to Detroit, where she got married, took a job with the United States Treasury Department, and eventually received a monthly pension from the government for her military service

mollyc26_2 — 2025-05-05 15:18:10 UTC

mollyc26_2 — 2025-05-05 15:19:54 UTC

mollyc26_2 — 2025-05-05 15:21:50 UTC