Arabella W. Barlow
By Annabelle Sebastian
Arabella W. Barlow (1824-1864) was a Civil War nurse from Somerville, New Jersey, serving in the Peninsula, Antietam, and Gettysburg campaigns.
Barlow enlisted as a nurse in the U.S. Sanitary Commission as a way to stay close to her husband, Colonel Francis Barlow, who was often on the front lines of battle during the Civil War. During her years of service as a military nurse, Barlow cared for the sick and wounded in the field hospitals.
After the Battle of Antietam, Barlow tended to her wounded husband. She was described by George Templeton Strong, a high-ranking official of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, as “serene and self-possessed as if walking down Broadway” in the chaos of the military camps.
On July 1st, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg, Francis Barlow was badly wounded, and was captured by the Confederate Army. Arabella Barlow received word from the Confederate Army, and was invited to tend to him. Barlow is said to have immediately made her way to Gettysburg, where one dramatic story claimed that she crossed enemy fire to get to her wounded husband. Eventually, she was escorted by Confederate soldiers to her husband, where, despite previous dire diagnosis, he made a full recovery.
A year later, on July 27th, 1864, Arabella Barlow passed away from typhus.
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References:
A Civil War Love Story. New York: New York Times Company, 2014. http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fblogs-podcasts-websites%2Fcivil-war-love-story%2Fdocview%2F2213164918%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605.
Brockett, L. P., and Mary C. Vaughan. n.d. Heroines of the rebellion; or, Woman’s work in the civil war; a record of heroism, patriotism and patience. Edgewood Pub. Co. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2211258
“Women at Antietam.” National Parks Service, September 15, 2023. https://www.nps.gov/anti/learn/historyculture/women-at-antietam.htm.
Suggested Citation:
Sebastian, Annabelle. “Arabella W. Barlow.” New Jersey Women’s History, Rowan University Libraries, 2024. https://njwomenshistory.org/biographies/arabella-w-barlow/.
Questions to Explore
How did Arabella Barlow’s connection to her husband help her through her job as a nurse during the civil war?
What does Arabella’s determination to save her husband during the war symbolize to other wives during the civil war?
Additional Resources
Brockett L. P and Jon A. Lindseth Suffrage Collection. 1867. Woman’s Work in the Civil War : A Record of Heroism Patriotism and Patience. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Zeigler McCurdy. https://worldcat.org/title/6942381
Barlow, Francis C., and Christian G. Samito. Fear Was Not in Him : The Civil War Letters of Major General Francis C. Barlow, U.S.A. Bronx: Fordham University Press, 2004.