Tessa Quinn
Sally Louisa Tompkins was a nurse, humanitarian, and philanthropist who established a Confederate hospital in Richmond, Virginia, during the Civil War. She was born in 1833 and was 28 years old when the war began. After the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas, in July 1861, the Confederate capital city was overwhelmed with wounded soldiers. Official hospitals were filled, so citizens opened their homes to accommodate the injured. Tompkins, with the help of her friends from St. James Episcopal Church, established a private hospital in the home of Judge John Robertson, known as Robertson Hospital.
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What You'll Learn
- Sally Tompkins was a nurse, humanitarian and philanthropist
- Robertson Hospital was established in 1861
- The hospital had the highest survival rate of any Civil War medical facility
- Sally Tompkins was the only woman commissioned as an officer in the Confederate Army
- Captain Sally refused to accept payment for her services
Sally Tompkins was a nurse, humanitarian and philanthropist
Sally Tompkins was a nurse, humanitarian, and philanthropist who founded a Confederate hospital in Richmond, Virginia. Born on November 9, 11, or 9, 1833, at Poplar Grove in Mathews County, Virginia, Tompkins was 28 years old when the Civil War began. She was the only woman officially commissioned as an officer in the Confederate Army by President Jefferson Davis, with the rank of captain.
When the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas, took place on July 21, 1861, the Confederate capital city was ill-prepared for the hundreds of wounded soldiers who poured in. Official hospitals were filled, so civilians opened their homes to accommodate the wounded. Tompkins was among those who responded, establishing the Robertson Hospital in Richmond in 1861 with 22 or 25 beds. She used her substantial inheritance from her father, as well as donations from her lady friends at St. James Episcopal Church, to convert a large home owned by Judge John Robertson into a hospital.
During the war, Tompkins cared for 1,333 or 1,334 Confederate soldiers in her hospital, with only 73 deaths—the lowest mortality rate of any military hospital. This remarkable record meant that 94% of her patients were returned to service. She worked tirelessly, carrying a Bible on her rounds and offering verse readings and kind words to injured soldiers. She also held nightly prayer meetings and visited soldiers who were too sick to attend. When she discharged a patient, she gave them a knapsack containing a blanket, clean clothes, warm socks she knitted herself, and a copy of the Gospels bound in oil cloth. Her personal obsession with cleanliness was a major factor in attaining such a low mortality rate at her hospital.
After the war ended in 1865, Tompkins continued to help others through her work with veterans' organizations, the St. James Episcopal Church, and various charities. She was recognised for her service during the war and was loved and respected by her patients, who affectionately called her "Captain Sally". She remained unmarried throughout her life, turning down several marriage proposals from former patients out of gratitude for her care. Upon her death in 1916, she was given full military honours at her funeral and buried in Mathews County.
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Robertson Hospital was established in 1861
The American Civil War began in 1861, with the First Battle of Bull Run taking place on July 21. The Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, was unprepared for the large number of casualties that resulted from the battle, and official hospitals quickly filled up. Citizens and officials scrambled to care for the wounded, with factories, churches, and homes becoming temporary hospitals.
Sally Tompkins was among those who responded to the crisis. She asked her friend, Judge John Robertson, if she could convert a large home he owned in downtown Richmond into a private hospital. Robertson agreed, and Tompkins used her inheritance, along with donations from her friends at St. James Episcopal Church, to refurbish the house into a hospital. The furniture was moved upstairs, and cots were assembled on the first floor, creating a capacity of 22 to 25 beds.
Robertson Hospital opened in late July or October 1861 and remained in operation throughout the Civil War, treating patients until June 13, 1865. During its four-year existence, the hospital treated 1,329 to 1,334 wounded soldiers, with only 73 deaths. This gave Robertson Hospital the lowest mortality rate of any military hospital during the Civil War. The hospital's success was due in large part to Tompkins' personal obsession with cleanliness, which helped prevent infections, a leading cause of death among the wounded.
Tompkins was the only woman to be commissioned by the Confederacy and was inducted as a captain in the Confederate Army on September 9, 1861. This allowed her to continue operating Robertson Hospital after Confederate President Jefferson Davis instituted regulations requiring military hospitals to be under military command. She refused any payment for her services, stating that she would not allow her name to be placed on the army's payroll.
Robertson Hospital closed in June 1865, after the end of the Civil War. Tompkins stayed on to treat the last of the patients, even as Richmond was evacuated in April of that year. Through negotiations with the Union medical director, she was able to keep the hospital open for two months after the war ended.
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The hospital had the highest survival rate of any Civil War medical facility
Sally Louisa Tompkins established the Robertson Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, in 1861. It was a Confederate hospital set up in the home of Judge John Robertson, who had left the city for the countryside. Robertson Hospital was one of the South's biggest wartime hospitals. It was also the most successful hospital on either side of the Civil War, with the highest survival rate of any Civil War medical facility.
Tompkins, who was just 28 years old at the time, was among the civilians who responded to the call for help after the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas, in July 1861. The Confederate capital was ill-prepared for the hundreds of wounded soldiers who poured in, and official hospitals were filled.
Robertson Hospital treated patients continuously throughout the war, until its last soldier was discharged on June 13, 1865. During its four-year existence, the hospital treated 1,334 wounded soldiers, with only 73 deaths. This was the lowest mortality rate of any military hospital during the Civil War. The hospital also had a high rate of soldiers returning to action. Infections were a leading cause of death among the wounded, but Tompkins' personal obsession with cleanliness was a major factor in attaining a very low mortality rate at her hospital.
Tompkins, who was known as "Captain Sally" to her patients and staff, refused to accept any payment for her services. Instead, she used her family's money and government rations to supply the hospital. She was the only woman officially commissioned as an officer in the Confederacy, with the rank of captain. Confederate President Jefferson Davis was so impressed with the low death rate in her hospital that he appointed her a captain in the Confederate Cavalry, allowing her to keep the hospital open.
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Sally Tompkins was the only woman commissioned as an officer in the Confederate Army
Sally Tompkins was a nurse, humanitarian, and philanthropist who founded the Robertson Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, in 1861. The hospital was established in the home of Judge John Robertson, who had left the city for the countryside and offered his home to Tompkins for use as a hospital. Robertson Hospital became one of the South's biggest wartime hospitals, treating Confederate soldiers throughout the Civil War.
During the Civil War, women were prohibited from serving in the armies, and at the war's outset, they were discouraged from serving in hospitals. As the war progressed and the Confederate government struggled with resources and funds, Confederate President Jefferson Davis began to shut down hospitals that weren't run by army officers. Many women who had opened hospitals were encouraged to close them. However, Sally Tompkins refused to close her hospital, and as a result, she became the only woman commissioned as an officer in the Confederate Army.
On September 9, 1861, Sally Tompkins was officially commissioned as a captain in the Confederate Army by President Jefferson Davis. She was given this rank so that she could continue her work at Robertson Hospital, which had an impressive record of treating wounded soldiers. During the war, Robertson Hospital treated 1,334 wounded soldiers, with only 73 deaths—the lowest mortality rate of any military hospital during the Civil War.
Tompkins was known affectionately as "Captain Sally" to her patients and staff. She refused any payment for her services, choosing instead to use her family's money and government rations to supply the hospital. She was highly respected for her dedication and hard work, receiving marriage proposals from former patients and recognition from the people of Richmond, who considered her a hero.
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Captain Sally refused to accept payment for her services
Captain Sally Louisa Tompkins was a nurse, humanitarian, and philanthropist who founded a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, during the Civil War. She was born on November 9, 11, or 12, 1833, at Poplar Grove in Mathews County, Virginia, into a wealthy family with a rich military history. Her grandfather served under General George Washington during the American Revolution.
When the Civil War began, Tompkins was 28 years old. The first major battle of the war, the First Battle of Bull Run, took place on July 21, 1861, resulting in a Southern tactical victory. This battle opened the war and brought the reality of warfare to the Confederate capital city, as hundreds of wounded soldiers poured into Richmond. Official hospitals were filled, and citizens scrambled to care for the overflow of injured and sick patients.
Tompkins responded to this crisis by establishing the Robertson Hospital in Richmond in 1861. She converted a large home owned by her friend, Judge John Robertson, into a private hospital with 22 to 25 beds. Tompkins used her substantial inheritance from her father, as well as donations from her lady friends at St. James Episcopal Church, to refurbish the house into a hospital. The furniture was moved upstairs, and cots were assembled on the first floor.
Robertson Hospital became one of the South's biggest wartime hospitals, treating patients continuously throughout the war. It had the highest survival rate of any Civil War medical facility, with only 73 deaths out of 1,333 to 1,334 patients. This remarkable record meant that 94% of the soldiers treated there could return to service. The hospital remained open until the end of the Civil War in 1865.
Despite her success, Captain Sally refused to accept payment for her services. Instead, she used her family's money and government rations to supply the hospital. Her dedication to helping others extended beyond the war, as she continued her charitable work with veterans' organizations, the Episcopal Church, and various charities. The people of Richmond considered her a hero, affectionately calling her "Captain Sally."
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Sally Louisa Tompkins established the Robertson Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, in 1861.
Sally Tompkins established the hospital to care for wounded Confederate soldiers. The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas, resulted in hundreds of wounded soldiers pouring into the Confederate capital city. Official hospitals were filled, so factories, churches, and homes became temporary hospitals. Sally Tompkins responded by establishing Robertson Hospital.
Sally Louisa Tompkins was a Civil War nurse, humanitarian, and philanthropist. She was born on November 9, 1833, in Matthews County, Virginia, and died on July 25, 1916, in Richmond, Virginia. She came from a wealthy family and lived in her family's plantation home in Matthews County before moving to Richmond with her mother and the rest of her family after her father's death.
Robertson Hospital was located in the former home of Judge John Robertson in downtown Richmond. Sally Tompkins used her inheritance from her father and donations from her lady friends at St. James Episcopal Church to refurbish the house into a hospital. The hospital had 22 to 25 beds and treated the most seriously injured men. It had the highest survival rate of any Civil War medical facility, with only 73 deaths out of 1,333 to 1,334 patients.
Yes, Sally Tompkins was recognised for her work during the war and was the only woman officially commissioned by Confederate President Jefferson Davis as an officer in the Confederate Army with the rank of captain. She was affectionately known as "Captain Sally" by her patients and staff. After the war, she continued to do charity work and spend her fortune serving veterans and the families of deceased soldiers. She was given full military honours at her funeral and is commemorated with a marker at the site of the Robertson Hospital and a stained glass window at St. James Episcopal Church.
