In the spring of 1850, while the United States was polarized over the slavery debate and Daniel Webster was negotiating the compromise of that year, the outspoken abolitionist, feminist, and journalist, Jane Grey Swisshelm (1815-1884) unleashed a congressional sex scandal. Frustrated by what she saw as the Massachusetts senator's surrender to the Southern Slave Power, she published an article alleging Webster's marital infidelities with women of color. As a result of the media storm that followed, Swisshelm lost her job at the New York Tribune. This is but one of the many episodes found in her 1880 autobiography, "Half a Century," which is a narrative of the frontier, of the fight against slavery, and of Swisshelm's fearless, compassionate, and innovative work as a surgical nurse treating Union soldiers who had suffered the most terrible wounds of war. (Pamela Nagami, M.D.)
Chapters
1
Ch. 1: I Find Life Read by Pamela Nagami 9:24
2
Ch. 2: Progress in Calvinism, Hunt Ghosts, See La Fayette Read by Pamela Nagami 12:08
3
Ch. 3: Father’s Death Read by Pamela Nagami 4:42
4
Ch. 4: Go to Boarding School Read by Pamela Nagami 14:13
5
Ch. 5: Lose my Brother Read by Pamela Nagami 9:18
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Ch. 6: Join Church, and Make New Endeavors to Keep Sabbath Read by Pamela Nagami 8:24
7
Ch. 7: Deliverer of the Dark Night Read by Pamela Nagami 14:17
8
Ch. 8: Fitting Myself into My Sphere Read by Pamela Nagami 8:08
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Ch. 9: Habitations of Horrid Cruelty Read by Pamela Nagami 14:59
10
Ch. 10: Kentucky Contempt for Labor Read by Pamela Nagami 9:29
11
Ch. 11: Rebellion Read by Pamela Nagami 5:24
12
Ch. 12: The Valley of the Shadow of Death Read by Pamela Nagami 6:08
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Ch. 13: ‘Labor—Service or Act’ Read by Pamela Nagami 4:32
14
Ch. 14: Swissvale Read by Pamela Nagami 6:37
15
Ch. 15: Willows by the Water-Courses Read by Pamela Nagami 3:34
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Ch. 16: The Waters Grow Deep Read by Pamela Nagami 13:49
17
Ch. 17: My Name Appears in Print Read by Pamela Nagami 6:11
18
Ch. 18: Mexican War Letters Read by Pamela Nagami 11:12
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Ch. 19: Training School Read by Pamela Nagami 8:18
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Ch. 20: Rights of Married Women Read by Pamela Nagami 6:36
21
Ch. 21: Pittsburg Saturday Visiter Read by Pamela Nagami 11:42
22
Ch. 22: Reception of the Visiter Read by Pamela Nagami 6:45
23
Ch. 23: My Crooked Telescope Read by Pamela Nagami 8:00
24
Ch. 24: Mint, Cummin, and Annis Read by Pamela Nagami 3:04
25
Ch. 25: Free Soil Party Read by Pamela Nagami 4:13
26
Ch. 26: Visit Washington Read by Pamela Nagami 13:47
27
Ch. 27: Daniel Webster Read by Pamela Nagami 8:16
28
Ch. 28: Fugitive Slave Law—The Two Riddles Read by Pamela Nagami 6:32
29
Ch. 29: Bloomers and Woman’s Rights Convention Read by Pamela Nagami 10:33
30
Ch. 30: Many Matters Read by Pamela Nagami 8:42
31
Ch. 31: The Mother Church Read by Pamela Nagami 9:57
32
Ch. 32: Politics and Printers Read by Pamela Nagami 4:41
33
Ch. 33: Sumner, Burlingame and Cassius M. Clay Read by Pamela Nagami 7:17
34
Ch. 34: Finance and Desertion Read by Pamela Nagami 13:52
35
Ch. 35: My Hermitage Read by Pamela Nagami 2:51
36
Ch. 36: The Minnesota Dictator Read by Pamela Nagami 10:58
37
Ch. 37: Another Visiter Read by Pamela Nagami 5:29
38
Ch. 38: Border Ruffianism Read by Pamela Nagami 7:09
39
Ch. 39: Speak in Public Read by Pamela Nagami 6:42
40
Ch. 40: A Famous Victory Read by Pamela Nagami 11:57
41
Ch. 41: State and National Politics Read by Pamela Nagami 10:38
42
Ch. 42: Religious Controversies Read by Pamela Nagami 5:29
43
Ch. 43: Frontier Life Read by Pamela Nagami 7:08
44
Ch. 44: Printers Read by Pamela Nagami 3:48
45
Ch. 45: The Rebellion Read by Pamela Nagami 4:41
46
Ch. 46: Platforms Read by Pamela Nagami 5:56
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Ch. 47: Out into the World and Home Again Read by Pamela Nagami 10:04
48
Ch. 48: The Aristocracy of the West Read by Pamela Nagami 10:06
49
Ch. 49: The Indian Massacre of ‘62 Read by Pamela Nagami 7:41
50
Ch. 50: A Missive and a Mission Read by Pamela Nagami 8:41
51
Ch. 51: No Use for Me Among the Wounded Read by Pamela Nagami 8:17
52
Ch. 52: Find Work Read by Pamela Nagami 12:25
53
Ch. 53: Hospital Gangrene Read by Pamela Nagami 3:27
54
Ch. 54: Get Permission to Work Read by Pamela Nagami 2:45
55
Ch. 55: Find a Name Read by Pamela Nagami 9:14
56
Ch. 56: Drop My Alias Read by Pamela Nagami 4:31
57
Ch. 57: Hospital Dress Read by Pamela Nagami 3:55
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Ch. 58: Special Work Read by Pamela Nagami 5:30
59
Ch. 59: Heroic and Anti-Heroic Treatment Read by Pamela Nagami 8:28
60
Ch. 60: Cost of Order Read by Pamela Nagami 8:06
61
Ch. 61: Learn to Control Pyaemia Read by Pamela Nagami 3:30
62
Ch. 62: First Case of Growing a New Bone Read by Pamela Nagami 10:14
63
Ch. 63: A Heroic Mother Read by Pamela Nagami 3:21
64
Ch. 64: Two Kinds of Appreciation Read by Pamela Nagami 10:13
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Ch. 65: Life and Death Read by Pamela Nagami 7:26
66
Ch. 66: Meet Miss Dix and Go to Fredericksburg Read by Pamela Nagami 10:16
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Ch. 67: The Old Theater Read by Pamela Nagami 11:22
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Ch. 68: Am Placed in Authority Read by Pamela Nagami 5:57
69
Ch. 69: Visitors Read by Pamela Nagami 7:59
70
Ch. 70: Wounded Officers Read by Pamela Nagami 5:30
71
Ch. 71: ‘Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep’ Read by Pamela Nagami 5:55
72
Ch. 72: More Victims and a Change of Base Read by Pamela Nagami 10:35
73
Ch. 73: Prayers Enough and to Spare Read by Pamela Nagami 3:58
74
Ch. 74: Get Out of the Old Theater Read by Pamela Nagami 5:14
75
Ch. 75: Take Boat and See a Social Party Read by Pamela Nagami 6:06
76
Ch. 76: Take Final Leave of Fredericksburg Read by Pamela Nagami 16:08
77
Ch. 77: Try to Get Up a Society and Get Sick Read by Pamela Nagami 5:42
78
Ch. 78: An Efficient Nurse Read by Pamela Nagami 2:16
79
Ch. 79: Two Fredericksburg Patients Read by Pamela Nagami 1:48
80
Ch. 80: Am Enlightened Read by Pamela Nagami 2:57
81
Conclusion Read by Pamela Nagami 2:54
From LibriVox, read by volunteers and in the public domain. LibriVox page (opens librivox.org) , the text (opens archive.org) , all files on the Internet Archive (opens archive.org) .
