Weldon, Angeline

Angeline Weldon – Civil War Army Nurse (1811 – 1897); Baldwin, Prairie City

In Brief:

Angeline Weldon was one of only 3000 – 6000 women serving as Union Army nurses during the Civil War. At that time, women acted as midwives and cared for sick family members and friends but did not publicly work as nurses. Doctors did not usually want nursing assistance and would use men as nurses if needed. Men did not think that women were strong enough mentally or physically to be nurses. Society – especially those from well-to-do families – looked down upon women working outside the home.

But once the Civil War began, the armies on both sides found that large numbers of medical personnel were needed to care for the wounded. The Union Army decided to employ women as nurses. Angeline entered the service as a Union Army Nurse from Bloomington, Illinois. She was stationed at Adam’s Block Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Army nurses could very easily get sick since they were exposed to sick and infected soldiers. Regular handwashing was not practiced so harmful bacteria spread easily. Equipment was not cleaned or sanitized either. Angeline became dangerously ill after about 6 months and was sent home. She recovered somewhat but was never able to return to hospital work.

By 1884, after her husband passed away, Angeline had moved to Prairie City (southwest Baldwin City area), probably to be near her oldest daughter Amanda. Angeline Weldon, Civil War Army Nurse, died in 1897 and is buried with a marble military marker at Prairie City Cemetery in Baldwin. We appreciate the service and sacrifices she made for our country.

More Information:

Angeline Weldon was one of only 3000 – 6000 women serving as Union Army nurses during the Civil War.[1]   While women commonly cared for the health of their families and friends at this time, they did not perform these duties in a public setting.

Before the Civil War women did not usually serve as nurses outside the home. They did act as midwives and nurses for sick family members and friends.  Men thought women were not strong enough physically or mentally to be nurses so doctors usually chose men to act as nurses if necessary.[2]   Society at that time looked down on women who worked outside the home.[3] 

Once the Civil War began, the armies on both sides found that large numbers of medical personnel were needed to care for the wounded.[4]  The Union Army decided to employ women as nurses.[5]    In June 1861, Dorothea Dix was named Superintendent of Army Nurses for the Union. Between 3,000 and 6,000 women served under Dix.[6]   One of those was Angeline Weldon. 

Requirements for nurses were very basic. They had to be “between thirty-five and fifty years old, in good health, of high moral standards, not too attractive, and willing to dress plainly.”[7]  They were paid $12 a month.[8] Duties included wound and health care, nourishment, spiritual care and comfort. They helped their soldiers write letters home, including last letters. Many veterans later reported the calm and comfort that just the attention of an Army nurse could bring to a soldier in terrible pain.[9] 

Angeline Weldon was born July 25, 1811, in Cooperstown, New York[10] to Jacob and Polly Weldon. She probably had bright red, curly hair like her father and most of her 14 brothers and sisters.[11]   Angeline married Calvin Weldon on February 21, 1830, in Cooperstown.[12] Their first child, Amanda, was born in 1833 in Utica, Kansas but it is not known whether the couple lived in Kansas at that time.[13] Their next four children were born in New York: Lafayette in 1835,[14] Rasatha in 1839,[15] Angelia in 1842, [16] and Jacob in 1843.[17] By 1850, the family had moved to Kane, Illinois, southwest of current Springfield.[18] 

During the Civil War Angeline entered the service as a Union Army Nurse from Bloomington, Illinois. She was stationed at Adam’s Block Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Army nurses frequently became ill since they were exposed to sick and infected soldiers. Regular handwashing was not practiced so harmful bacteria spread easily. Equipment was not cleaned or sanitized either.[19]   Angeline became dangerously ill after serving for about six months and was sent home. She recovered somewhat but was never able to return to hospital work.[20] 

Angeline, Calvin, and the children remained in Illinois in various towns through the 1870 census. They appeared in Seward, Nebraska in the 1880 census. Calvin passed away in 1882 and is buried in Nebraska.[21]   Angeline moved to Prairie City, Kansas, southwest of the Baldwin City area, by 1884, and purchased a house lot in April.[22]  Her oldest daughter Amanda had married Allen Messenger and lived in Baldwin City. It is assumed she moved to Kansas to be near her daughter. 

Civil War Army Nurses did not qualify for veteran benefits or pensions. By the mid-1880’s, Congress began assigning pensions to nurses injured during the war or without means of support, on an individual basis. In 1892, nurses with no means of support who were employed for at least six months during the war could receive $12 pensions, again, on an individual basis.[23]  Two congressmen in 1892 and 1896 requested such a pension for Angeline Weldon. [24]  The outcome of these requests is unknown. A Baldwin City woman also wrote to Washington asking for Angeline to receive a pension in 1897, but she had passed away before it was filed.[25] 

In October of 1896, Angeline was very ill.[26]   She passed away January 13, 1897.[27]  She is buried at Prairie City Cemetery (217 East 1600 Rd) just southwest of Baldwin City with a military marker. She rests next to her daughter Amanda Weldon Messenger.

In May 1922, the Woman’s Relief Corps (W.R.C.) convention displayed photographs of seven Civil War Army Nurses with a short history of each woman’s service. “Angeline Weldon, Baldwin” was included in the display. The collection was placed in the W.R.C. hall in Topeka. [28]

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• [1] ahec.armywarcollege.edu/exhibits/CivilWarImagery/Civil_War_Nurses.cfm; department.va.gov/history/100-objects/088-civil-war-nurses/
• [2] battlefields.org/learn/articles/female-nurses-during-civil-war
• [3] ahec.armywarcollege.edu/exhibits/CivilWarImagery/Civil_War_Nurses.cfm
• [4] battlefields.org/learn/articles/female-nurses-during-civil-war
• [5] ahec.armywarcollege.edu/exhibits/CivilWarImagery/Civil_War_Nurses.cfm
• [6] womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/dorothea-dix
• [7] ahec.armywarcollege.edu/exhibits/CivilWarImagery/Civil_War_Nurses.cfm
• [8] department.va.gov/history/100-objects/088-civil-war-nurses/
• [9] ahec.armywarcollege.edu/exhibits/CivilWarImagery/Civil_War_Nurses.cfm
• [10] The Baldwin Ledger (Baldwin, Kansas) · Fri, Jan 21, 1898 · Page 3.
• [11] Sandy Creek News, April 26, 1928. 
• [12] The Baldwin Ledger (Baldwin, Kansas) · Fri, Jan 21, 1898 · Page 3.
• [13] findagrave.com/memorial/292075436/amanda-messinger
• [14] findagrave.com/memorial/179950183/lafayette-weldon
• [15] 1850 Census;familysearch.org/en/search/record/results?q.birthLikeDate.from=1811&q.birthLikePlace=NewYork&q.givenName=Angeline&q.surname=Weldon
• [16] findagrave.com/memorial/6452038/angelia_m-crellin
• [17] findagrave.com/memorial/55988412/jacob-weldon
• [18] 1850 Census;familysearch.org/en/search/record/results?q.birthLikeDate.from=1811&q.birthLikePlace=NewYork&q.givenName=Angeline&q.surname=Weldon
• [19] battlefields.org/learn/articles/female-nurses-during-civil-war
• [20] The Baldwin Ledger (Baldwin, Kansas) · Fri, Jan 21, 1898 · Page 3.
• [21] findagrave.com/memorial/69006650/calvin-weldon
• [22] Lawrence Daily Journal (Lawrence, Kansas). Tue, Apr 15, 1884.
• [23] department.va.gov/history/100-objects/088-civil-war-nurses/
• [24] The Girard Press (Girard, Kansas) · Thu, May 5, 1892); familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDT2-XNL?lang=en; The Kansas Semi-Weekly Capital (Topeka, Kansas) · Tue, Apr 7, 1896; La Cygne Journal (La Cygne, Kansas) · Fri, Apr 10, 1896.
• [25] familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDT2-XNG?lang=en
• [26] The Baldwin Bee (Baldwin, Kansas). Thu, Oct 1, 1896.
• [27] The Baldwin Ledger (Baldwin, Kansas) · Fri, Jan 21, 1898 · Page 3 .
• [28] Winfield Daily Courier (Winfield, Kansas). Thu, May 18, 1922.

By M. Jardon, May 2026