Alexandria Archives

The Alexandria Archives

Julia Wheelock: teacher, sister, nurse, author

FROM THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC ALEXANDRIA American history—heaves in sight. It not bear to continue the search. She as far as she could for his burial. Such presents a gloomy, dingy, dilapidated told them that Orville had come to are her daily duties.” And such were appearance.” her the night before in a dream, tell- the daily duties of thousands of wom-

Lyceum Hall (now the Alexandria Once in Alexandria, Julia, Anna, ing her, “My work is done. I’m weary en who served in hospitals throughout History Museum at The Lyceum) and Sarah passed the Marshall House and must rest.” the Civil War. hosted lectures, debates, concerts, and Inn, where Colonel Elmer Ellsworth Leaving Anna at the church, Julia Anna and Sarah returned to Michimeetings while also serving as the and Sarah continued to search for Or- gan, heartbroken, but Julia stayed in city’s subscription library in the two ville. They witnessed a funeral pro- Alexandria. She joined the Michidecades before the Civil War. cession, with Julia noting, “How un- gan Soldiers Relief Association, a

But during the war, Lyceum Hall like a funeral at home! No train of group focused on caring for Michigan became one of Alexandria’s 30 weeping friends follow his bier, yet troops. Julia assisted nurses, fed solmilitary hospitals and held 80 of one of our country’s heroes, one diers, wrote letters home for soldiers, the city’s 6,500 available hospi- of the ‘boys in white,’ lies in that and provided general care and support tal beds. Along with hospitals plain coffin. He is escorted to for the wounded. She traveled to the came surgeons, nurses, order- his final resting place by per- front to care for the wounded immelies, cooks, ambulance driv- haps a dozen comrades, who diately after battles. She met General ers, relief workers, and volun- go with unfixed bayonets, Grant at the front and discussed the teers to care for the wound- and arms reversed, keeping work she was doing. ed. Also coming to the city time with their slow tread to During work breaks, Julia toured hospitals were worried family the solemn notes of the ‘Dead Mount Vernon and the White House. members like Michigan’s Ju- March,’ plaintively executed She saw Abraham Lincoln at the Capilia Wheelock. by some of their number.” tol in 1863 while attending a speech

On September 10, 1862, Ju- When they reached the hos- by Andrew Johnson, and again, under lia was teaching “in the old red pital at Lyceum Hall, the hos- very different circumstances, in 1865, school-house” in Ionia, Mich- pital director informed them noting “It was my sad privilege to see igan, when a student knocked that Orville had died there a the remains of our lamented Presion her door with bad news. She week earlier. Julia noted that, like dent twice while lying in state, once learned that her brother, Orville, a the soldier in the funeral proces- at the White House and again at the member of the Eighth Michigan In- sion, her brother “died like thousands Capitol…He was stricken down in fantry, had been badly wounded at the of others, far from home and friends, the midst of his usefulness, at a time battle of Chantilly and was in a hospi- with no loved kindred near.” Years when the nation greatly needed his tal in Alexandria. Julia traveled the later she referred to it as a day of wise counsels and righteous adminisnext day from Michigan to Washington, D.C. with Orville’s wife Photo: babel.hathitrust.org Julia Wheelock, from Julia S. Wheelock, The Boys in White; The Experience of a Hospital “blighted hopes, a day of mourning, of sadness and bereavement, tration.” After the war, Julia worked for the Anna and Anna’s sister Sarah Peck. Agent in and Around Washington, New York: a day that revealed to an anxious Treasury Department in Washington

On the steamer down the Po- Lange & Hillman, 1870. wife that she was a widow and her D.C., returning to Michigan in 1873. tomac from Washington to Alex- children fatherless; a day that said In 1870, she published Boys in White, andria, Julia noted that the sights to my sad heart, ‘Thy brother has Experiences of a Hospital Agent in and would have made for a “delightful… had been the first Union officer killed fallen.’” Around Washington, drawing from her pleasure excursion!” under different in the war. Julia wrote, “As we pass She also noted, however, that they diaries to recount her wide-ranging circumstances as they saw “scenes and up King Street, we pause a moment to spent time at Lyceum Hall with “an wartime experiences. Julia Wheelock scenery so entirely new!” They passed look at the building where the brave angel of mercy in human form…Miss died on June 7, 1900. fortifications, “the beautiful residence young Ellsworth fell, drop a tear to [Clarissa] F. Jones, of Philadelphia.” of Robert E. Lee, his no longer – hav- his memory, and hasten on.” Miss Jones had “watched [Orville] day ing been forfeited by treason,” the The women started their search by day as he grew weaker, she stood Washington Navy Yard, the Arsenal, for Orville at a hospital located in beside him in his dying moments, and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. the Southern Methodist Episco- held his icy hand in hers, wiped the

On arriving in wartime Alexandria, pal Church (now Washington Street death dew from his brow, received she wrote in her diary, “Soon the an- Methodist Church), but Orville was his last message for his wife and child, cient city of Alexandria—ancient in not there. Anna lost hope and could and, when life had fled, prepared him Historic Alexandria invites you to celebrate Women’s History Month this March. For info on commemorations t his month, please visit https://alexandriava.gov/historic.

HISTORY

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teers on National Rebuilding Day. This year, NRB is scheduled for June 26. Rebuilding Together plans to continue monitoring area Covid-19 cases and adjust accordingly.

Now working with local small businesses, contractors, and fundraisers to repair homes, Rebuilding Together meets clients’ immediate needs, whether it’s a major electrical overhaul, a roof redo, or installing a chair lift on a staircase.

The pandemic has restricted an exponential number of Americans at home, and for many, little safety hazards can pose large liabilities. “Small things are big when you are at home all day,” says Maggie Klefstad, director of development at Rebuilding Together. “There is excitement on both ends when [a project] is finally getting done. Our clients have lived in their homes or in Alexandria for a long time. Keeping that home in the family and in Alexandria is really important.”

Rebuilding Together’s application process is simple: Clients call to receive an application by regular mail or email. They fill out the onepage application, then proceed with specific needs for their home. When the application is complete, a project manager comes to the house to do an assessment. With COVID-19-protocols, this is done solely outdoors to comply with COVID-19 protocols. Any needed indoor repairs must be submitted by photograph, with a detailed description.

Anne, a D.C. resident, describes how she felt after her experience with Rebuilding Together: “I feel like I’m not a burden on the community; I never thought retirement would make it so I couldn’t do certain things in regard to my home; this organization helped my home a lot. I can at least see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The employees at Rebuilding Together do what they do out of compassion and personal experience. Outreach Coordinator James Anderson says, “My half-brother was homeless on and off. It was difficult to see. Regardless of the situation, anyone is deserving of help, compassion, and awareness.”

Rebuilding Together caters to each client’s specific needs. Working with local businesses in the area, they provide help, compassion, and awareness through not only home repairs but also gift cards, meal deliveries, home safety kits, first aid kits, light bulbs, power strips, and more.

When small things come together, they can make something big; when small businesses come together, they can build something great. If you, or someone you know, need home repairs or simply some help, contact Rebuilding Together at rebuildingtogetherdca.org/ or email at INFO@rebuildingtogetherdca. org or call 703-836-1021.