The Superintendent of Army Nurses, Dorthea Dix, took one look at Cornelia Hancock and told her to go back home. Rather than argue with "Dragon Dix" Cornelia hid in a baggage car. The date was July 5, 1863, and the train was headed for Gettysburg, where the Civil War's bloodiest battle had just ended.

Cornelia Hancock did not meet the government's requirements for Civil War nurses, and yet she served on the frontlines for nearly two years. Georgiann Baldino's biography is based on letters Cornelia wrote from 1861-1868. Cornelia's adventures would make a remarkable legend, except in her case the heart-rending stories are true.

Civil War commemorations inspire millions of Americans to imagine what it must have been like for soldiers or officers. Cornelia Hancock cared for those soldiers and for former slaves. This book provides a broad understanding of dedication to duty during a great national crisis.