Eliza George letter and photograph
Collection — Folder: S2859
Identifier: S2859
Scope and Contents
This collection includes an undated photograph of George B. McCafferty in uniform and a handwritten letter from Eliza E. George to Mrs. McCafferty, George's wife, written on March 4, 1865 in Wilmington, North Carolina. George was the head of the army hospital in Wilmington and informed Mrs. McCafferty that her husband had been freed from prison and was ill, but that he would be taken care of to the best of her abilities.
Dates
- 1865/03/04, undated
Creator
- Hamilton, Elizabeth E., 1808-1865 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for collection.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical Note
(Eunice) Elizabeth "Eliza" Hamilton was born to Robert and Polly Hamilton in Birdport, Vermont on October 20, 1808. She married Woodbridge Cottle George sometime before 1850 and the couple had three children who survived into adulthood: Eliza M., Belle, and Jennie M. Eunice George volunteered as a nurse during the U.S. Civil War and despite initial discouragement due to her age of 54, she left her home in Fort Wayne, Indiana to work in Union army hospitals in the western theater of the war. She attended soldiers after the battles in Memphis, Tennessee; Corinth, Mississippi; and Fort Pulaski, Georgia and delivered wagon trains across the south, supporting Sherman’s Atlanta campaign. Eventually, George was sent to Wilmington, North Carolina to attend to soldiers and civilians who had been prisoners of war in Confederate prisons, nursing thousands of soldiers at a time. She earned the name “Mother George” due to her attentiveness. George caught typhoid, which was ravaging the hospital and she died on May 9, 1865. Her body was brought back to Fort Wayne, Indiana and buried in Lindenwood Cemetery with full military honors.
Sources:
FamilySearch. “Eliza George.” United States Census, 1850. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.familysearch.org.
Findagrave.com. "Elizabeth E. 'Eliza' Hamilton George." https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19737867/eliza-e_-george.
Indiana Commission for Women. “Eliza ‘Mother’ George.” Writing Her Story. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.in.gov/icw/files/20170303-George,-Mother-Eliza.pdf.
Indiana Historical Bureau. “Memorial Day Spotlight: Eliza ‘Mother’ George.” Untold Indiana. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://blog.history.in.gov/memorial-day-spotlight-eliza-mother-george.
Wikipedia. “Eliza George.” Accessed June 17, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliza_George.
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George B. McCafferty was born in Ohio in 1841, to Mathias and Mary (Bennett) McCafferty. During the U.S. Civil War, McCafferty joined the Union Army, serving in the 11th Iowa Regiment, Company G. He was captured in Atlanta, Georgia on July 22, 1864. McCafferty suffered from ever-increasing malnutrition while he was imprisoned. He was freed before the end of the war, but never fully recovered from malnutrition suffered in Confederate POW camps and died just a month before the end of the war on March 8, 1865. He is buried in Wilmington National Cemetery in
Sources:
Items in the collection.
FamilySearch. “George McCafferty.” Legacy NFS – Published information: Family genealogies. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.familysearch.org.
FindAGrave. “George McCafferty.” Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3270715/george-mccafferty.
Sources:
FamilySearch. “Eliza George.” United States Census, 1850. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.familysearch.org.
Findagrave.com. "Elizabeth E. 'Eliza' Hamilton George." https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19737867/eliza-e_-george.
Indiana Commission for Women. “Eliza ‘Mother’ George.” Writing Her Story. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.in.gov/icw/files/20170303-George,-Mother-Eliza.pdf.
Indiana Historical Bureau. “Memorial Day Spotlight: Eliza ‘Mother’ George.” Untold Indiana. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://blog.history.in.gov/memorial-day-spotlight-eliza-mother-george.
Wikipedia. “Eliza George.” Accessed June 17, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliza_George.
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George B. McCafferty was born in Ohio in 1841, to Mathias and Mary (Bennett) McCafferty. During the U.S. Civil War, McCafferty joined the Union Army, serving in the 11th Iowa Regiment, Company G. He was captured in Atlanta, Georgia on July 22, 1864. McCafferty suffered from ever-increasing malnutrition while he was imprisoned. He was freed before the end of the war, but never fully recovered from malnutrition suffered in Confederate POW camps and died just a month before the end of the war on March 8, 1865. He is buried in Wilmington National Cemetery in
Sources:
Items in the collection.
FamilySearch. “George McCafferty.” Legacy NFS – Published information: Family genealogies. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.familysearch.org.
FindAGrave. “George McCafferty.” Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3270715/george-mccafferty.
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by format.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from M. M. Truitt on 1982/11/29.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2024/06/14 by A.J. Chrapliwy. EAD finding aid created 2024/07/01 by A.J. Chrapliwy. EAD finding aid revised 2024/09/04 by Brittany Kropf.
Creator
- Hamilton, Elizabeth E., 1808-1865 (Person)
- Title
- Eliza George letter and photograph
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
