Adventures of an Army Nurse in Two Wars
| Company type | Publication |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Founder | James Phinney Munroe (editor) |
| Products | Book |
Adventures of an Army Nurse in Two Wars is a publication derived from the correspondence and diary notes of American nurse Mary Phinney von Olnhausen (1818–1902), who provided medical care during both the American Civil War (1861–1865) and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
The volume, edited by her nephew James Phinney Munroe, was released posthumously in 1904 by Little, Brown and Company. Its initial section portrays the experiences of personnel at Mansion House Hospital in Alexandria and recounts Phinney’s nursing duties at Mansfield General Hospital located in Morehead, North Carolina. The latter section focuses on her service during the Franco-Prussian conflict.
Critical reception
In the American Journal of Nursing, M. E. Cameron commended Munroe’s dedication to maintaining Phinney’s authentic narrative voice while expressing a desire for additional date references. The Washington Star emphasized that the book "vividly captures the scenes and events of two major wars through the perspective of an army nurse." The Brooklyn Eagle praised its rare female viewpoint amid predominantly male war accounts. Meanwhile, the Detroit Free Press characterized it as a "graphic and deeply engaging" depiction of the lives of army nurses.
In popular culture
The PBS drama Mercy Street, which centers on nurses serving at Mansion House Hospital, where Phinney was stationed, includes a principal character inspired by and named after her, portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. The show aired for two seasons before being discontinued.