Celebrating Black History Month: Lucy Higgs Nichols, Union Army nurse in the Civil War

Lucy Higgs Nichols, born April 10, 1838 in Hardeman County, Tennessee, was a slave, but escaped in late June 1862 with her daughter Mona and several other slaves.  She eventually arrived at the Union lines near Bolivar, Tennessee.  Major Shadrack Hooper of the 23rd Indian Infantry Regiment reported Lucy joining their regiment and described her as having integrity, honesty, intelligence, always smiling, cheerful and kind, a willing washer woman, seamstress, nurse, cook, and singer, as well as a "rattling good forager".

Her daughter Mona died at the Siege of Vicksburg.  After which she followed the Indiana 23rd Infantry when they were deployed to the war in Mississippi.  She was present at every siege.  She followed the Union army east in General Sherman's March to the Sea.

After the war, she was a free citizen of New Albany, Indiana.  She worked for officers and nursed veterans back to health.  Five years after the war, she developed measles and soldiers nursed her back to health.  When she had a stroke years later, soldiers cared for her again.

She passed away in January 1915 and is buried in an unmarked grave at West Haven Cemetery in New Albany, Indiana.

Celebrating Black History Month: Ruth Carol Taylor, first African-American flight attendant

Ruth Carol Taylor, born December 27, 1931, was the first African-American flight attendant in the US.  She became a registered nurse from the Bellevue School of Nursing in New York City.  She was hired in December 1957 and started on February 11, 1958 as a flight attendant for Mohawk Airlines, for the Ithaca to New York route.  

She was let go within six months because Mohawk Air had a ban against common marriage ban.