Lorinda Anna (Blair) Etheridge (1839 - 1913)

Born 3 May 1839 in Wayne County, Michigan, United States

Wife of Charles E Hooks — married 1 Mar 1870 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Died 23 Jan 1913 at age 73 in Georgetown Village, Prince William, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Annie enlisted in the 2nd Michigan Infantry as nurse and vivandiere and functioned like a modern combat "medic", was one of two women in Civil War to receive the Kearny Cross for heroic acts in the face of an enemy force.

Lorinda Anna "Annie" Blair born 3 May 1839 in Wayne County, Michigan. ^[1]

John B. Blair 62 yrs, blacksmith, Cynthia 41 yrs, Lorinda 11 yrs, Maria E. 6 yrs, Edwin C. 4 yrs, Janette McCoy 17 yrs, Thomas McCoy 18 yrs resided in 1850 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. ^[2]

Anna married in 1860 to James Etheridge. James enlisted in the 2nd Michigan Infantry Regiment, and then he deserted.

Anna enlisted in 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, serving as a nurse and vivandière. Her desire to become a nurse stemmed from caring for her father before his death.

"Annie actually functioned more like a modern combat "medic." ^[3]

She was one of only two women to receive the Kearny Cross, awarded to any Union soldier who had displayed meritorious, heroic, of distinguished acts while in the face of an enemy force. ^[4]

Anna's service ended with the Fifth Michigan in Detroit on July 1, 1865. Like so many women who served, Etheridge was never paid for her service.

After the war, she married and worked in the United States Treasury Department.

Lorinda Anna Blair married 3rd to Charles E. Hooks. See her husband's Memorial.

"In 1886, Senator Thomas Palmer introduced a bill into Congress to grant Anna a pension of $50 per month for her service. The bill was passed 9 Feb 1887, but the amount was reduced to $25 per month." ^[5]

pension certificate # 25505 payable to widow Annie E. Hooks.^[6]

Anna died January 23, 1913, and was buried with veteran's honors in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. ^[7]

Anna Etheridge Hooks, U.S. Army (1839-1913): For her service as a U.S. Army nurse in the Civil War, Anna Etheridge was one of only two women to earn the Kearny Cross, awarded to Union soldiers who had displayed meritorious, heroic or distinguished acts while in the face of an enemy force. She participated in 32 battles, including First and Second Bull Run, Williamsburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. She was noted for removing wounded men from combat. (Section 15, Grave 710) ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Etheridge
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D8S3-J1R?cc=1401638&wc=95RS-T38%3A1031311201%2C1031568501%2C1032478301 : 9 April 2016), Michigan > Wayne > Detroit > image 64 of 502; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "Patriots in disguise : women warriors of the Civil War" by Richard Hall publ 1993 p 35 https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781557784384/page/35/mode/1up
4. ↑ "The Kearny Cross," The New York Herald. New York, N.Y., 30 May 1863. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress. 1st column, bottom
5. ↑ Women in the Civil War: extraordinary stories of soldiers, spies, nurses, doctors, crusaders, and others, by Larry G. Eggleston, published 2003 . Page 37
6. ↑ "United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-X636-RC?cc=1832324&wc=M6RT-LNR%3A162344201 : 22 May 2014), Hoodacheck, Anna - Hoopengarner, Nicholas > image 516 of 630; citing NARA microfilm publication M850 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/8125627/anna-etheridge : accessed 01 August 2021), memorial page for Anna “Gentle Annie” Etheridge (3 May 1839–23 Jan 1913), Find A Grave: Memorial #8125627, citing Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave.
8. ↑ Notable Graves - Women

See also:

• "Our army nurses : interesting sketches and photographs of over one hundred of the noble women who served in hospitals and on battlefields during our late Civil War, 1861-65" by Holland, Mary Gardner publ 1897 https://archive.org/details/ourarmynursesint00inholl/page/596/mode/2up Our Nurses 596-600]
• "Annie Etheridge - Union Civil War Nurse From Michigan", "History of American Women, Colonial Women 18th-19th Century Women, Civil War Women" (accessed March 24, 2023).