Almira Fales
Encyclopedia
Almira L. Newcomb McNaughton Lockwood Fales (October 24, 1809 – November 8, 1868) was a noted philanthropist
and nurse during the American Civil War
.
, the fourth child and third daughter of Ariel Newcomb and Sarah Norris of Pittsford, New York
. For some time she was a resident of Iowa
.
. They were married from 1829 until his death in 1832, and had two children, Sarah and Alexander.
in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, died on May 3, 1863, at the Battle of Salem Church
. Lockwood died in 1845.
after her husband received an appointment as an examiner in the United States Patent Office. They were married until Almira Fales died on November 8, 1868, in Washington. They did not have any children, but her children from previous marriages took his last name.
being about to start, and began collecting and preparing articles for hospital use. At the beginning of the war, she cared for sick and wounded soldiers at the Battle of Shiloh
at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee and other battlefield sites. The government placed an ambulance at her command, and during the war she assisted in hospitals in the neighborhood of Washington, at Fredericksburg, Virginia
, on the Peninsula
, and elsewhere.
She pitched a large tent in the yard of her home and used it as a place to care for sick and disabled soldiers until they could be sent home. For some time, Fales was charged by the government with the superintendence of soldiers sent from the hospitals in and around Washington to hospitals in New York and elsewhere.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
and nurse during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Early life
Almira L. Newcomb was born in Pittstown, New YorkPittstown, New York
Pittstown is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 5,644 at the 2000 census. It is in the northern part of the county.A small part of the north town line is Rensselaer County's border with Washington County, New York...
, the fourth child and third daughter of Ariel Newcomb and Sarah Norris of Pittsford, New York
Pittsford (town), New York
Pittsford is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States and is an affluent suburb of Rochester. The population was 29,405 at the 2010 census....
. For some time she was a resident of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
Alexander McNaughton
Her first husband was Alexander McNaughton, who was a merchant from Monroe, New YorkMonroe, New York
Monroe, New York may refer to two municipalities in Orange County, New York in the United States:*Monroe , New York*Monroe , New York, located entirely within the town...
. They were married from 1829 until his death in 1832, and had two children, Sarah and Alexander.
Leander Lockwood
In 1837, she married Leander Lockwood, a widower with five children from his first marriage. The couple had two children, Charles and Thomas Hartbenton, who both served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Thomas, a corporalCorporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, died on May 3, 1863, at the Battle of Salem Church
Battle of Salem Church
The Battle of Salem Church, also known as the Battle of Banks' Ford, took place on May 3–4, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, as part of the Chancellorsville Campaign of the American Civil War....
. Lockwood died in 1845.
Joseph T. Fales
She married her third husband, Joseph T. Fales, in 1847. He was a widower with three children from his first marriage. In 1853, they moved to Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
after her husband received an appointment as an examiner in the United States Patent Office. They were married until Almira Fales died on November 8, 1868, in Washington. They did not have any children, but her children from previous marriages took his last name.
Civil War service
As early as 1860, she foresaw the approaching struggle, the Civil WarCivil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
being about to start, and began collecting and preparing articles for hospital use. At the beginning of the war, she cared for sick and wounded soldiers at the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee and other battlefield sites. The government placed an ambulance at her command, and during the war she assisted in hospitals in the neighborhood of Washington, at Fredericksburg, Virginia
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, on the Peninsula
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
, and elsewhere.
She pitched a large tent in the yard of her home and used it as a place to care for sick and disabled soldiers until they could be sent home. For some time, Fales was charged by the government with the superintendence of soldiers sent from the hospitals in and around Washington to hospitals in New York and elsewhere.