Mary Edwards Walker treated Civil War soldiers—and became the only woman awarded the Medal of Honor

Mary Edwards Walker trained as a physician when women entering medicine still faced open hostility. During the American Civil War, she worked near battlefields and military hospitals, trying to treat the wounded in a system reluctant to recognise female doctors.

She eventually served as a contracted surgeon with the Union Army. Her work carried her into dangerous territory, and Confederate forces imprisoned her for several months in 1864. Medical care in this war meant operating amid infections, inadequate sanitation, overwhelming casualties and uncertain supply.

In 1865, Walker received the Medal of Honor for her wartime service. She remains the only woman to have received it. The medal was rescinded during a later review of awards and reinstated in 1977.

Her battles did not end with military service. She was a women’s-rights advocate who rejected restrictive expectations about clothing, public life and professional authority. She often wore attire that contemporaries described as masculine because it was practical and expressed her refusal to be confined by convention.

Her story is a reminder that the military sometimes relies on people it has not fully decided to respect. Walker had to serve the wounded and fight for the right to serve them at the same time.

Sources and historical photograph

American Battlefield Trust, Mary Edwards Walker. Photograph: original image or collection. The archival subject is framed on a wide canvas to prevent homepage cropping.

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