Cordelia Harvey did not serve in Union Army during the Civil War, but she made it her life’s mission to make sure that sick and wounded Union soldiers received the care they deserved. After her husband, Wisconsin Governor Louis Harvey, died while visiting wounded Wisconsin troops in Tennessee, Cordelia began advocating for the creation of hospitals in Wisconsin where wounded soldiers could recover away from the fighting and the front lines in a more familiar environment. She met with President Lincoln multiple times to plead her case. She succeeded. Harvey Hospital in Madison treated more than 600 wounded Wisconsin soldiers during the war. Afterward, Harvey led the conversion of the hospital into an orphanage for children who lost their parents during the Civil War. Harvey Hospital became the Soldiers’ Orphans Home and cared for more than 650 children. The Harveys are buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison.
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