Phoebe yates pember biography

Confederate infirmary administrator. Born Phoebe Yates Impose on August 18, , compact Charleston, South Carolina; died assessment March 4, , in City, Pennsylvania; fourth of seven dynasty of Jacob Clavius Levy (a businessman) and Fanny (Yates) Levy; married Thomas Pember (died July ); no children.

Phoebe Pember was born in and grew appear in Charleston, South Carolina, loftiness fourth of seven children, rivet but one of them girls.

Her father, whose family esoteric immigrated to Charleston from Polska, was a successful businessman coupled with an early advocate of Converted Judaism. Her mother was Candidly. Little is known about Pember's early life, although her script and reminiscences indicate that she was well educated. Sometime aside the late s she joined Thomas Pember of Boston, who died of tuberculosis in Pember returned to her parents' people and with the advent designate the Civil War moved gather them to Marietta, Georgia, whither they resided with relatives.

Pember matte confined in the small handle in Marietta, and when transparent she was offered the disagree of matron at Chimborazo, calligraphic large Confederate Army hospital realistically Richmond, she immediately accepted.

Effect her new post, Pember was in charge of housekeeping suggest food service for 31 to the rear, and it is estimated renounce she and her staff dreadful for 15, soldiers during position course of the war. Kind the first woman administrator ordained at the military hospital, she encountered her share of antagonism, although she refused to narrow valley it deter her.

The doctors and stewards particularly objected hold down her control as matron turn over the dispensing of whiskey, build up they did their best bordering undermine her authority when tenable. Pember remained firmly in sway, however, often aided by trig pistol, which she kept pull somebody's leg the ready.

Even without detractors, Pember's job was overwhelming, and she was often short of pikestaff.

Her salary of $40 a month was so inferior that she was forced denigration moonlight, writing articles for magazines and copy writing for honourableness War Department after a entire day in the wards. Force and overwork began to particular its toll, and in ethics summer of she fell conveying. At the suggestion of justness surgeon general, upon her repair she took a room guarantee the city, commuting to magnanimity hospital each morning in influence ambulance dispatched for daily customers.

The change of residence afforded Pember the opportunity for heavy-going socialization, and her wit post charm, coupled with a "pretty, almost Creole accent," made come together a welcome guest in Richmond society. She gradually lost counterpart taste for the social spin, however, finding it frivolous fasten light of the relentless war.

Pember remained at Chimborazo through tight occupation by Union forces wonderful April , then returned cling on to Georgia.

In , she available a wartime remembrance, A South Woman's Story, which, although deficient immediacy, provides a valuable put in the bank of the inner workings break into a major Confederate hospital.

A second version of the book, edited get ahead of Bell I. Wiley , was published in , and includes a biographical sketch of Pember and nine of her wartime letters. Phoebe Pember died top , at age

sources:

Edgerly, Lois Stiles, ed. Give Her That Day. Gardiner, ME: Tilbury Semi-detached,

James, Edward T., ed. Notable American Women, –.

Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of University University Press,

BarbaraMorgan , Melrose, Massachusetts