Dr. Mary Edwards Walker captured by Confederates 150 years ago today (Apr 10 1864)


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(Sunday, April 10, 1864; during the American Civil War) — Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, an assistant surgeon for the 52nd Ohio Volunteers, was captured by the Confederates today and accused of being a Union spy; she was held until her release in August 1864 as part of a prisoner exchange.

Walker received the Medal of Honor in 1865, the only woman to date so recognized; although the citation was withdrawn in 1917, Walker continued to wear the medal until her death in 1919. President Jimmy Carter restored the citation in 1977.