Florena (unknown) Budwin (1844 - 1865)

Died 25 Jan 1865 at about age 21 in Florence, South Carolina, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Norman Jones [send private message]

Biography

Florena (unknown) Budwin is Notable.

Military Service

Florena (unknown) Budwin served in the United States Civil War.
Side: USA

Florena (unknown) Budwin Died while Prisoner of War during United States Civil War.

Florena Budwin was a Union soldier during the Civil War. She is believed to the first woman buried in a National Cemetery.

Florena Budwin was estimated to have been born about 1844. Florena Budwin of Philiadelphia posed as a (male) Union soldier. ^[1] It is believed that she and her husband were captured by Confederate forces and, as Prisoners of War, were sent to Andersonville Prision, Georgia. ^[2] The story goes that her husband died at Andersonville (perhaps shot by guards). She continued to pose as a Union soldier. During the fall of 1864, some POWs were transferred from Andersonville to Florence Stockade, South Carolina. Florena was one of those POWs who sent to Florence in September 1864. ^[3]

During the winter of 1864, Florence Budwin became ill and was hospitalized at Florence Stockade. Dr. Josephus Hall discovered that she was a woman. ^[4] She died of pneumonia on January 25, 1865. She was the first woman buried at a National Cemetery; she buried at Florence National Cemetery. ^[5]

Excerpts from a diary supposedly written by Florena Budwin have been published. This is such an excerpt. January 1865: "This winter seems never to end, I get the feeling it will outlast me. I managed to pick up pneumonia from the hospital, and I have been in bed for weeks. The Southerners have all been very kind towards me, but I do not think it will help. I just have no will to return to the horrid life I had been living. I am sick of the hate and the fear and the needless death and suffering. This place is enough to make anyone lose her faith in humanity." ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Florena Budwin, Military Wiki, Fandom, Florena Budwin. https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Florena_Budwin
2. ↑ Clad in Uniform, Women Soldiers of the Civil War By Wendy A. King, Federal Army. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212951/http://www.scv670.com/women/clad.htm
3. ↑ They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the Civil War, DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook, Internet Archive, Pages 79-80. https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_o8j5/page/80/mode/1up
4. ↑ They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the Civil War, DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook, Internet Archive, Pages 79-80. https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_o8j5/page/80/mode/1up
5. ↑ Florence National Cemetery, South Carolina Picture Project. https://www.scpictureproject.org/florence-county/florence-national-cemetery.html
6. ↑ HISTORY OF AMERICAN WOMEN, COLONIAL WOMEN, 18TH-19TH CENTURY WOMEN, CIVIL WAR WOMEN, CIVIL WAR WOMEN, FEMALE SOLDIERS, FLORENA BUDWIN. https://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2006/09/florena-budwin.html

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5959585/florena-budwin: accessed 19 July 2023), memorial page for Florena Budwin (unknown–25 Jan 1865), Find a Grave Memorial ID 5959585, citing Florence National Cemetery, Florence, Florence County, South Carolina, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.

• Civil War Prisons, Andersonville Prison, Record for Budwin, Mrs. Florena. http://www.civilwarprisoners.com/searchresults.php?fname=Florena&lname=Budwin&regiment=&database=andersonville

See also: * Wikipedia: Florena Budwin

• Wikidata: Item Q460519