During the American Civil War, women by the thousands volunteered to work as nurses. Some served officially, others unofficially; all made an impact. This talk will explore the lives and experiences of three women: Sally Tompkins (a Richmond resident who ran Robertson Hospital), Phoebe Yates Pember (a widow who served as matron of Hospital #2 at Chimborazo) and Susie King Taylor (a formerly enslaved teenager who accompanied her husband's regiment, the 33rd United States Colored Troops).