Charlotte Bradford
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Charlotte Bradford (1813 - 1893)

Charlotte Bradford
Born in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United Statesmap
Ancestors ancestors
Died at age 79 in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 4 Nov 2021
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Biography

Massachusetts state seal
Charlotte Bradford was a Massachusettsan.
Charlotte served on Sanitary Commission Civil War hospital transport ships; Army nurse hired by Dorothea Dix for Washington, D.C. hospitals; Matron of Soldiers Home in Washington.

Charlotte was born on 20 Jun 1813 in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts. Her parents were Gershom Bradford and Sarah "Sally" Hickling Bradford. [1]

Charlotte lived in Duxbury her entire life and was an advocate for the abolition of slavery. The family home, The Bradford House, is now a museum run by the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society.

In 1850 and 1860, Charlotte was living with her mother Sarah B Bradford and sisters Lucia and Elizabeth. (her name was spelled Charlott). [2][3]

HouseholdRoleSexAgeBirthplaceOccupation
1850
Sarah B BradfordheadF78Massachusetts
Lucia A BradforddaughterF42Massachusetts
Elizabeth H BradforddaughterF40Massachusetts
Charlott BradforddaughterF36Massachusetts
1860
Sarah B BradfordheadF88Massachusetts
Lucia A BradforddaughterF52Massachusetts
Elizabeth H BradforddaughterF50Massachusettsseamstress
Charlotte BradforddaughterF46Massachusettsseamstress

Charlotte began her Civil War service with the Sanitary Commission's Hospital Transport Corps in 1862, at the age of 48. These ships, staffed with surgeons, ward masters, nurses and lady nurse superintendents, moved wounded soldiers from the battlefields to northern hospitals. She was one of several women who served on the transports Elm City and Knickerbocker.

The United States Army took over all of the Sanitary Commission's transports in August 1862, ending her tenure there. Charlotte went to Washington, D.C., and met with Dorothea Dix, Superintendent of Army Nurses, and was hired as an Army Nurse. She worked throughout the fall and winter at Washington hospitals. She became ill and spent several months at the Sanitary Commission's Home for Nurses, returning to hospital work in April 1863.

In May 1863, Charlotte became the Lady Supervisor or Matron, at the Soldiers' Home in Washington, D.C. The United States Soldiers' Home (originally the Military Asylum at Washington, D.C.) was established in 1851 to support any soldier with wounds or disease that made them unable to continue their service. Those who recovered would either be discharged to rejoin their regiment or allow to return to their homes.[4]

While Matron of the Soldiers' Home, Charlotte also ran the nearby Home for Wives and Mothers, providing food and shelter, and if needed, aid in locating family members.

Charlotte remained as Matron of these two Homes until the end of the war and the last soldier had been discharged. Both operated extremely efficiently during her tenure, serving many thousands of soldiers and women. Charlotte never wanted to be in the spotlight or recognized for her service. She believed that there were many unknown and unnamed women who sacrificed much more.

In 1870 and 1880, Charlotte and Elizabeth were living in the home of their sister Lucia. [5][6]

HouseholdRoleSexAgeBirthplaceOccupation
1870
Lucia A BradfordheadF63Massachusettshouse keeping
Elizabeth H BradfordsisterF60Massachusettshousework
Charlotte BradfordsisterF57Massachusettshousework
1880
Lucia A BradfordheadF72Massachusetts
Elizabeth H BradfordsisterF70Massachusetts
Charlotte BradfordsisterF66Massachusetts

She passed away on 20 Mar 1893 in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts and is buried in Mayflower Cemetery in Duxbury. [7][8]

Sources

  1. Birth "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", citing FHL microfilm: 416800; Record number: 291, FamilySearch Record: F4RW-WBS (accessed 6 March 2023), Charlotte Bradford born on 20 Jun 1813, daughter of Gershom Bradford & Sally Bradford, in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States.
  2. 1850 Census "United States Census, 1850", citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FamilySearch Record: MD97-DTD (accessed 6 March 2023) FamilySearch Image: S3HT-64LQ-ZC5 Image number 00154, Charlott Bradford (36) in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. Born in Massachusetts.
  3. 1860 Census "United States Census, 1860", citing Page: 51; Affiliate Publication Number: M653; Affiliate Film Number: 519; FHL microfilm: 803519; Record number: 3880, FamilySearch Record: MZHR-K4F (accessed 6 March 2023) FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9BSQ-T6 Image number 00104, Charlotte Bradford (46) in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. Born in Massachusetts.
  4. Soldiers' Home https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2015/spring/soldiers-home.html "Caring for Veterans in the Nation's Capital", John P. Deeben, Spring 2015, (accessed March 7, 2023).
  5. 1870 Census "United States Census, 1870", citing Page: 57; Affiliate Publication Number: M593; Line: 36; FHL microfilm: 000552137; Record number: 16488, FamilySearch Record: MDQW-72H (accessed 6 March 2023) FamilySearch Image: S3HT-6XM3-PXS Image number 00418.
  6. 1880 Census "United States Census, 1880", citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm , FamilySearch Record: MHX8-8J9 (accessed 6 March 2023) FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GYBS-88X Image number 00694.
  7. Death "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920", citing FHL microfilm: 961510; Record number: 50, FamilySearch Record: NWCQ-S5H (accessed 6 March 2023) FamilySearch Image: S3HY-6DHW-ZL Image number 584, Charlotte Bradford death 1893 (age 79), daughter of Gershom & Sarah B. Hickling, in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States.
  8. Memorial Find a Grave (has image), Find A Grave: Memorial #173507872 (accessed 6 March 2023), Memorial page for Charlotte Bradford (20 Jun 1813-20 Mar 1893), citing Mayflower Cemetery, Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA (plot: Oak Avenue, lot 13, gr. 3); Maintained by zoomurray (contributor 47887179).
See Also:
These sources provide excellent details about her Civil War accomplishments:




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