How Dr. Mary is Remarkable

Mary Walker was the only woman physician to serve as a government-commissioned surgeon in the American Civil War. She was appointed contract surgeon for the 52nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry in March 1864. In April 1864, Walker was captured by Confederate soldiers and held prisoner for four months in Richmond, Virginia. She was released four months later, in August. In recognition of her services to the Union Army, President Andrew Johnson gave her a Medal of Honor in November 1865. After the Civil War, Walker became president of the National Dress Reform Association and was active in the Central Women’s Suffrage Bureau. She made occasional appearances at Congressional hearings and was quite well-recognized, if not well-known, in Washington, D.C. Walker worked as a clerk in the Pension Office in Washington, D.C., but the job lasted only a year. She was also an outspoken supporter of the temperance movement, and did not approve of chewing tobacco, smoking, or drinking.

Mary Edwards Walker's style of dress was unusual for the time --she preferred pants to dresses--and she was very involved with the women’s dress reform movement. While many admired her work as a surgeon in the Civil War, Walker's strong personality and sometimes impolite manner made people impatient with her and hesitant to support reformist ideas, even if they may have agreed with them. The author of this article reflects this attitude, becoming increasingly dismissive of Walker's post-war personality and ideas.