Debbie was born about 1822 in Pennsylvania, United States. Her parents were Robert Hughes (1786-1857) and Elizabeth Vanderslice Hughes (1789-1875).
Debbie was one of four women who graduated in the class of 1855-6 receiving the degree of Doctor of Medicine from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania. Her thesis was titled "Dissertation on Carcinoma".
She arrived in Washington in 1861 and immediately impressed everyone with her skills and devotion, including Dorothea Dix, superintendent of nurses. She was assigned to Columbian College Hospital starting 17 Jul 1861.
In the autumn of 1861, she received a furlough and planned to visit family in Charles town. Instead, she heard of the suffering soldiers at nearby Camp Wayne. She collected jellies and foodstuffs, and with her sister Hannah and teenager William Williams set off by carriage to Camp Wayne on 11 Nov. When they approached a railroad crossing, their horse spooked and the carriage crashed into the engine. Hannah was killed instantly, Debbie and William were dragged some distance. William suffered severe injuries and died the same day. Debbie also suffered serious injuries, however the doctors gave her the hope of a full recovery. Just in case, Debbie drafted her will that same day. Tetanus set in and she died a week later.
She passed away 18 Nov 1861 in Chester, Pennsylvania and is buried in Morris Cemetery in Phoenixville, Chester, Pennsylvania.[1]
Debbie's will indicate that she was living in Charlestown, Chester, Pennsylvania and names brother Robert G Hughes as Executor and leaves half of her property of every kind to her "adopted son William Franklin Hughes" and the other half split between Robert G. and sisters Sarah and Elizabeth.[2]
One newspaper report said: "The nurse corps of the Army have lost in her one of its most accomplished and kind-hearted members."
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.