Remembered: The Life of Lucy Higgs Nichols

Our exhibit Remembered: the Life of Lucy Higgs Nichols guides visitors through Lucy’s life, from 1838 — 1915. Period documents and letters detail her life as a slave in Tennessee, a nurse during the Civil War, and her post-war life in freedom. It highlights her six year battle for a nurse’s pension, which was ultimately awarded through a Special Act of Congress. Visitors can explore maps that pinpoint the paths she took and examine actual artifacts from the Civil War, including an Enfield rifle and an amputation saw of the same type used by the surgeons Lucy served with in the 23rd Indiana Volunteers.