"An ambulance demonstrates the removal of wounded soldiers from the field during the Civil War." Library of Congress

The Civil War was a time of great death in America. As the war progressed soldiers' conditions deteriorated. The impending pressure to win the war overlooked the well-being of the soldiers. Men ranging from ages 22 to 45 faced the horrible Southern humid weather swarmed with mosquitos and mysterious diseases, making recovery tough. During the Battle of Shiloh on April 6th-7th, 1862, the soldier's conditions were dire due to limited access to the miracle medicine Quinine.

Cordelia Harvey’s husband, Louis Harvey, Governor of Wisconsin at the time, did his best to comfort the injured Wisconsin soldiers but was unsuccessful in putting a sustainable plan in place. After his untimely death, Cordelia Harvey slid into his shoes, caring for wounded soldiers She made several visits to the war zones and noticed that malaria, a.k.a “swamp miasma,” killed more soldiers than Confederate bullets. There were over 1.6 million cases in the Union states alone and casualties of over 27,000.

Many Civil War commanders required that their soldiers take quinine prophylactically. A woodcut from the March 11, 1865, Harper’s Weekly shows quinine rations being distributed to Union troops.

Parasites and disease often made Civil War soldiers miserable, date and artist unknown

Additionally, soldiers didn't have adequate food, medicine, or shelter. “Death by frying pan,” or lack of sanitation, was common.  Medicines in makeshift hospitals were in high demand. Soldiers weren't allowed to go home, for fear they may not return. Cordelia Harvey's compassionate actions improved the situation of the soldiers, creating a solution that would benefit the soldiers and the authorities.