485 - One Unwashed Lettuce Leaf

This week, Karen and Georgia cover the story of heroic Civil War nurse, Lucy Nichols. For our sources and show notes, visit www.myfavoritemurder.com/episodes http://www.myfavoritemurder.com/episodes. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3UFCn1g. See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:01Karen Kilgariff?

  This is exactly right.

• 0:06Speaker 01

  In New Orleans, truckers kept getting sideswiped the exact same way. When a man is found murdered under questionable circumstances related to these accidents, the rubber hits the road. And what the feds uncover is a complex scheme of staged wrecks, financial fraud, and a pair of conspiring lovers behind it. This is a story about fake accidents that led to real consequences. Listen to Over My Dead Body: Operation Sideswipe wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

• 0:42Georgia Hardstark?

  The Hulu original series Phony is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. Sonny's life is pretty great until he wakes up from a car accident to a world that looks exactly like his, with one exception, his mom.

• 0:55Karen Kilgariff?

  Starring five-time Emmy nominee Carney Britton and Sam Nivola, this small town is hiding the mother of all mysteries just beneath the surface.

• 1:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Watch the Hulu original series, Phony.

• 1:04Karen Kilgariff?

  Now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

• 1:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.

• 1:26Karen Kilgariff?

  Hello and welcome.

• 1:29Georgia Hardstark?

  To my favorite murder.

• 1:30Karen Kilgariff?

  That's Georgia Hardstark.

• 1:32Georgia Hardstark?

  That's Karen Kilgariff.

• 1:33Karen Kilgariff?

  And we're here to just do a super quick little episode for you. Just a little solo, just to get this, let's get it out there. Let's get it done.

• 1:41Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, it's officially summer. We're enjoying the heat. Hope you are too. I don't know. What's going on?

• 1:49Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, I had food poisoning last night. And didn't sleep at all. Couldn't stop barfing.

• 1:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, what was it? I always want to know, but I know you don't, no one knows.

• 2:00Karen Kilgariff?

  Right? I'm trying to back time it. And if it is the restaurant that my dad and I ate at together, it will break my heart because we eat there all the time and I love it. And I was just like, as it was starting, I was just like, no. Because I've had bad food poisoning once before. And.

• 2:21Karen Kilgariff?

  Sorry, but remember that? Well, like, maybe I shouldn't name names, but I don't think these stores exist anymore. Remember that Fresh Choice in Highland Park?

• 2:28Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, it was like a, yeah, it was like a little grocery, like pre-made packaged stuff.

• 2:32Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah. Right. Which when you first go into it, you're like, this is a dream come true for the person that can't cook and doesn't cook.

• 2:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 2:39Karen Kilgariff?

  So I got a Chinese chicken salad from there, but the salad part wasn't lettuce. It was all cut up cabbage. And then like 24 hours later, I literally thought I was gonna have to go to the hospital. And since that time, and that was 2010s.

• 2:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 2:54Karen Kilgariff?

  Literally, the word cabbage bums me out. Like, I can't even think about it. So as I was trying to figure out where this came from, I was like, but when you find out, there's gonna be a whole realm of things ruined forever for you.

• 3:07Georgia Hardstark?

  But I think that in general, lettuces and cabbages and that kind of thing is just like dangerous and way more than we think we realize. So it doesn't mean the restaurant gave it to you because they

• 3:17Karen Kilgariff?

  That's true.

• 3:18Georgia Hardstark?

  are bad. It's like, just like one unwashed lettuce leaf can like ruin everything.

• 3:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Also, in these days, it's just such a, you know, as we all talk about this dystopian nightmare we're sliding into, when those, like, the stories of recalls that keep on happening.

• 3:36Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my God.

• 3:37Karen Kilgariff?

  Because everything has just been like deregulated and like, yeah, everybody just do what you want. It's just like, my God.

• 3:44Georgia Hardstark?

  Pick your level. Yeah, it's absurd. So I feel like that it's not, I always want someone that it was this thing that I ate at this place, so I can always avoid it.

• 3:52Karen Kilgariff?

  Right.

• 3:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Same with true crime, where it's like, this thing happened and this thing happened. Now I can avoid it, you know?

• 3:57Karen Kilgariff?

  We all wish, if only.

• 3:59Georgia Hardstark?

  If only. It's, life isn't like that, unfortunately. So I think you don't have to worry about the restaurant.

• 4:04Karen Kilgariff?

  And also, I don't know if this has ever happened to you, when you're sick, but you watch a certain thing on TV and then the thing seems worse than, like, you're trying to enjoy it, but you're like, this represents all of my suffering.

• 4:15Georgia Hardstark?

  I can't hear the theme song to Orange is the New Black without getting depressed because I watched it in this really deep depression of my life back in the old apartment.

• 4:25Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 4:26Georgia Hardstark?

  And so what's that beautiful song that the opening is?

• 4:30Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, is that a Regina Spector song?

• 4:31Georgia Hardstark?

  Yes, yes. You've Got Time by Regina Spector. I will cry. I will fucking just go into a deep depression if I hear that song because I watched that show.

• 4:40Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 4:41Georgia Hardstark?

  While I was depressed.

• 4:42Karen Kilgariff?

  And also that show, you go through that show.

• 4:44Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 4:45Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, I mean, that is such a, an experience of a show. It's not like, you know, you're just kind of like, oh, this whole thing. You're just like, oh, my God, Noah, I'm also in prison. Now I'm also trying to survive, whatever.

• 4:56Georgia Hardstark?

  So, it's so sad. Okay.

• 4:59Karen Kilgariff?

  It's a lot.

• 4:59Georgia Hardstark?

  Well, I'm sorry about your food poisoning. Let's, um,

• 5:02Karen Kilgariff?

  Hey.

• 5:03Georgia Hardstark?

  Let's make this quick.

• 5:04Karen Kilgariff?

  Hey, we can do this. Look, I'm blessed to have food poisoning in this goddamn day and age. Here's kind of a cute thing, which is somebody wrote an email after the Harper Lee episode that I did, if you want to hear it, because I said, if anybody out there, the whole thing was about how Harper Lee was down in that town where Reverend Willie Maxwell was killing people and people think that she may have been writing a book. Nothing ever came of it. And then there was a part where somebody years later had found a note that she had

• 5:35Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 5:36Karen Kilgariff?

  Put into a encyclopedia, I think, at the local library. So I asked for if anybody has a secret Harper Lee treasure

• 5:45Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh.

• 5:45Karen Kilgariff?

  That they want to share with us.

• 5:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 5:47Karen Kilgariff?

  To please do that. So we got an email.

• 5:49Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my God.

• 5:49Karen Kilgariff?

  And the subject line is Harper Lee treasure. It just starts, now I wasn't able to search a dusty attic as Karen instructed in Alexander City for the missing Willie Maxwell manuscript. My apologies. Would you settle for a retired educator's basement safe in rural Missouri?

• 6:05Georgia Hardstark?

  Always.

• 6:06Karen Kilgariff?

  I mean, the idea of a basement safe is on par with safe deposit box at the bank, right?

• 6:11Georgia Hardstark?

  A safe, like what, who?

• 6:14Karen Kilgariff?

  Personal safe.

• 6:15Georgia Hardstark?

  Has a fucking safe. That's so cool.

• 6:17Karen Kilgariff?

  I walked into my sister's garage when I was home and there was a safe in her garage. And I was like, what the hell?

• 6:23Georgia Hardstark?

  Who are you?

• 6:23Karen Kilgariff?

  She robbed a bank or something? It was the previous owner. It's just sitting out there because no one can move it.

• 6:28Georgia Hardstark?

  Did I tell you that when Vince and I way back, we were looking at houses to buy and one of them had a fur safe? That's how old the house was. It was like a climate controlled, huge safe, just for like this society ladies' furs back in the twenties.

• 6:46Karen Kilgariff?

  Holy shit.

• 6:47Georgia Hardstark?

  I know. And I was like, okay, I just want this.

• 6:50Karen Kilgariff?

  That is, yep. Go in there, lock yourself in, watch Orange is the New Black. Get it taken care of. Okay, so we're still in this email. So basically they're apologizing. But would we settle for this? A basement safe in rural Missouri. What we're saying to you right now, writer, is that yes, the answer is yes. Back in the email. If so, your search will uncover the typewritten note of advice Harper Lee sent to my parents after my birth. Then it says backing up a bit. When my two educator parents chose to name their perfect firstborn, me, they chose the name Harper. In 1993, when I was almost five years old, my father, the English teacher, wrote to Harper Lee with no expectation of hearing

• 7:34Karen Kilgariff?

  back, as she lived a notoriously quiet life. To their surprise, she wrote back the following address to me. They actually sent a picture of this. And it says, Dear Harper, you are beginning a life in a world quite different from the world I knew as a child. The only thing I can say is, in your reading, if there are any books left to read, instead of watch, always keep the best company. That way, you can't go wrong. With all good wishes, Harper Lee.

• 8:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my God.

• 8:03Karen Kilgariff?

  And then back into the rest of it, they say, I've done my best to live up to this advice for the last 40 years, and now get to foster the same passion for literary works with my own child. My namesake was right. Books make the best company. Stay sexy, protect the written word, and libraries, and make Harper Lee proud. All the best, Harper Z.

• 8:23Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow. What a like coincidence. Like what if that was, I was Harper listening. Oh, my God, beautiful.

• 8:30Karen Kilgariff?

  I know.

• 8:31Georgia Hardstark?

  I'd be like, I have an email.

• 8:33Karen Kilgariff?

  I know. Here, here you go. I'm Harper Z. You want this? And it's a beautifully typewritten little note.

• 8:39Georgia Hardstark?

  Gorgeous.

• 8:39Karen Kilgariff?

  Signed by Harper Lee at the bottom.

• 8:41Georgia Hardstark?

  I love it.

• 8:42Karen Kilgariff?

  Also, wouldn't you just love your dad for being that kind of forward thinking?

• 8:47Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah. It's beautiful.

• 8:48Karen Kilgariff?

  Nice job.

• 8:49Georgia Hardstark?

  Cool.

• 8:49Karen Kilgariff?

  Should we do some highlights?

• 8:50Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, we have a podcast network. It's called Exactly Right Media. Here are some highlights before we begin.

• 8:56Karen Kilgariff?

  Over on our podcast, The Knife, I cannot wait to listen to this episode. They're telling the harrowing story of Jackie Flug, who survived the hijacking of Egypt Air Flight 648 in 1985.

• 9:10Georgia Hardstark?

  Incredible. And then we have an Exactly Right crossover for the ages. Roz welcomes That's Messed Up host Lisa Trager back to Ghosted. They talk about ghosts, psychics, and one very dramatic haunting. And the two of them together, man, get ready to laugh.

• 9:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Come on. Also, this week over on Bananas, Kurt and Scotty ask the eternal question, did you know that Andre the Giant let out a 16-second fart on the set of Princess Bride?

• 9:37Karen Kilgariff?

  What a great news podcast.

• 9:39Georgia Hardstark?

  16 seconds. And then, yeah.

• 9:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Count it out.

• 9:42Georgia Hardstark?

  That's a long one.

• 9:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Hold your breath that long and see what happens. Oh, my God. I can't wait to hear that whole thing.

• 9:49Georgia Hardstark?

  And then, this is really exciting. So we have brand new merch based on the hit episode of MFM animated Look for a Goth. You guys loved it. We love it. So you can get a ladies' muscle tee or a unisex tee featuring the gorgeous Goth girl drawn by the great Nick Terry. And it says, Look for a Goth. So it's a kind of perfect for people who aren't Goth, but want to support the Goth community.

• 10:12Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 10:13Georgia Hardstark?

  It's perfect.

• 10:14Karen Kilgariff?

  You don't like, all those piercings and the makeup, you don't have to do any of that. You can just wear a Goth on your shirt.

• 10:19Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah. There's also a decal that says, Look for a Goth. That's designed by our in-house graphic designer, Vanessa Lilak.

• 10:26Karen Kilgariff?

  It's so good. It's like a little baby on board, Look for a Goth triangle. It looks very official and it's basically like helping people out.

• 10:35Georgia Hardstark?

  So go to myfavoritemurder.com to check out the store. We have a lot of great merch in there, including that.

• 10:42Karen Kilgariff?

  This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. Turning something you love into a career is exciting. Then come the invoices. Lucky for you, Squarespace can handle the business stuff, so you can focus on your business. From consultations to events and experiences, you can showcase your skills with a customizable website designed to attract clients and grow your business. With Squarespace's collection of cutting-edge design tools, anyone can build a beautiful, professional, online presence that perfectly fits their brand or business. Get paid on time with professional invoices and online payments. Plus, streamline your workflow with built-in appointment scheduling and email marketing. Tools. Head to Squarespace.com/murder for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, use offer code MURDER to save 10% off your first

• 11:27Karen Kilgariff?

  purchase of a website or domain. Goodbye. We've all had moments where dealing with healthcare or insurance feels completely overwhelming.

• 11:34Georgia Hardstark?

  You're sick, worried about someone you love, trying to understand what comes next, and suddenly you're spending hours on hold, filling out paperwork and trying to figure out who to call.

• 11:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Research shows patients spend the equivalent of an eight-hour workday every month coordinating their own care.

• 11:49Georgia Hardstark?

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• 11:53Karen Kilgariff?

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• 11:55Georgia Hardstark?

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• 12:01Karen Kilgariff?

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• 12:07Georgia Hardstark?

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• 12:13Karen Kilgariff?

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• 12:19Georgia Hardstark?

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• 12:23Karen Kilgariff?

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• 12:25Georgia Hardstark?

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• 12:30Karen Kilgariff?

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• 12:33Georgia Hardstark?

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• 12:36Karen Kilgariff?

  That's S-O-L-A-C-E health.com/murder.

• 12:40Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.

• 12:41Karen Kilgariff?

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• 13:00Karen Kilgariff?

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• 13:06Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye. So today, this episode comes out on Juneteenth, the day that marks the ending of slavery in the United States. And so I saw a TikTok on an incredible woman. So today's story is about a remarkable woman born into slavery in 1830s North Carolina. And because of

• 13:29Karen Kilgariff?

  And the erasure of black accomplishment by a racist establishment. There are gaps in what we know about her life, but luckily in recent years, historians have worked very hard to change that. Searching archives and poring over old documents to find information and basically piece her life story together. So because of that reporting, I am able to tell you today the amazing story of heroic Civil War nurse Lucy Nichols.

• 13:57Georgia Hardstark?

  Whoa.

• 13:57Karen Kilgariff?

  So the sources for the story that Marian used are the research of Pamela Peters, Curtis Peters and Victor McGinty, and the reporting of Dr. Eileen Yanoviac, who published a book about Lucy called The Tenacious Nurse Nichols. And the rest of the sources are in our show notes. Lucy's life begins in April of 1838, when she's born into slavery in Halifax County, North Carolina. She's owned by Jacob and Sally Higgs. And because that's the way it worked back then, she is forced to take their last name as her own. So technically, her legal name is Lucy Higgs. We don't know the names of Lucy's parents

• 14:40Karen Kilgariff?

  or the details of what her day to day life was like. Much of what historians have cobbled together comes from the Higgs's legal documents. And those legal documents purely speak of the people that they owned as inventory. So it is

• 14:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 14:55Karen Kilgariff?

  how many of them, the cost, the names. And they track her movements to the different households within the family. Or they name her in legal disputes over which family member owns her.

• 15:09Georgia Hardstark?

  That's so crazy and awful.

• 15:11Karen Kilgariff?

  It's so horrible. But here is what we do know. In 1839, when Lucy is an infant, Jacob and Sally Higgs' 29-year-old son, Reuben, claims legal ownership of her, Lucy's seven-year-old brother, Aaron, and her four-year-old sister, Angeline. So before she's a year old, Reuben takes Lucy and her two siblings and a small group of other enslaved workers from the Higgs, North Carolina, property to his new home in Tennessee. It's unclear if Lucy's parents Go with this group, but under slavery, families are constantly and very commonly torn apart. So when Lucy's eight years old, she and her sister Angeline are forcibly moved again after Reuben's wife, Eliza divorces him and moves to Mississippi.

• 15:57Karen Kilgariff?

  And Maren makes the note, she says, sort of an aside, but divorce would have been extremely atypical in the South in this era. Which is the first thing I thought of where I was like, oh, my God, this woman was like, goodbye.

• 16:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 16:10Karen Kilgariff?

  I mean, it wasn't done.

• 16:12Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 16:13Karen Kilgariff?

  But we don't know why the marriage ended. We do know that Reuben ended up marrying his first cousin not long after. So then, when Eliza dies, Lucy and Angeline are moved again to another Higgs property back in Tennessee, in a town called Bolivar, not far from the Tennessee Mississippi border. And here Lucy, Angeline, and their brother Aaron are reunited. By 1860, Lucy is in her early twenties and now married to a man who is also enslaved by the Higgs family. They have a baby girl that they name Mona. And we know Mona's age because the Higgs 1860 property inventory list. She appears there listed as infant.

• 16:57Karen Kilgariff?

  That same document reduces Lucy and Mona's lives to a dollar amount. Together, they are valued at $1,400.

• 17:04Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 17:05Karen Kilgariff?

  So it's presumed Lucy's husband is Mona's father. But of course, very dark side of slavery is that there's always the disturbing possibility that Lucy was sexually assaulted by her white owner and became pregnant because of that. What we do know is that Mona's birth marks a very pivotal moment in Lucy's life. This is what historian Eileen Yanoviac writes. She says, quote, "The birth of Mona was undoubtedly steeped with mixed emotions. The pride and joy of a new mother and the fear and sorrow of a life bound into slave labor. It offered Lucy the opportunity to love and be loved unconditionally. She experienced the instinct to protect her child." So it's kind of cool. It's like that.

• 17:49Karen Kilgariff?

  Driving force behind what the rest of the story becomes. So in 1861, the Civil War begins. And a year later, in July, in Kentucky, which is directly north of Tennessee, they're mostly under Union control. And the Higgs family, as enslavers, probably are starting to feel the walls closing in.

• 18:10Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 18:10Karen Kilgariff?

  So they start talking about trafficking their enslaved laborers further south, where they can be sold for tens of thousands of dollars each.

• 18:19Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 18:19Karen Kilgariff?

  Lucy knows what this means. She will wind up deeper in Confederate territory and farther away from the possibility of freedom if she would ever want to try to flee to a Union state. And because of that, it's almost guaranteed she'll be separated from her loved ones, including her baby daughter. So Lucy and a few of the other people enslaved by the Higgs family plan their escape and bravely set out at night in the summer of 1862. So we can assume the group is very small. Lucy's thought to be the only adult woman in it, which means her sister Angeline did not go with them. But historians believe Lucy's husband is a part of the group. And we know for sure Lucy is carrying Mona with her on this.

• 19:03Karen Kilgariff?

  So how frightening to be an escaping slave with a baby.

• 19:08Georgia Hardstark?

  Totally.

• 19:09Karen Kilgariff?

  I mean, and Eileen Yanoviac writes this, she says, quote, Mona was only two or three years of age then, a bright eyed and merry child whose sweet chatter or loud wails of fear could jeopardize their escape. But in the sweltering heat of a Tennessee summer, Lucy swaddled Mona in her gown and snuck away in the cover of night.

• 19:29Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 19:29Karen Kilgariff?

  So like many escaping slaves, the group almost certainly uses the stars to navigate north. It's unclear if they have a more specific destination in mind other than just going north. But they would be making their way through briars and bushes, a lot of the time barefoot, which is a thing I didn't really think of until now, or just like getting out with what you have. It's not like they had a bunch of stuff that they could take with them or.

• 19:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Totally.

• 19:57Karen Kilgariff?

  It's worst case scenario, of course, in every way. They're trying to keep hidden in wooded areas. A lot of it would be unfamiliar, definitely hostile territory. And it'd be easier for them to get turned around or lost, which could of course lead to them being recaptured and then brutally punished, of course. So this group makes it three miles when they arrive outside a Union Army camp. This camp houses hundreds of soldiers making up Indiana's 23rd Volunteer Regiment. The soldiers come from a town called New Albany, Indiana, more than 300 miles from their current post in Tennessee. Major will later describe Lucy and her group as quote dusty and foot sore

• 20:42Karen Kilgariff?

  from the long and hurried journey. Some sources say the group traveled 30 miles, but experts on her life say it was more likely three miles. Either way, in the middle of the night, just trying to get away.

• 20:56Georgia Hardstark?

  No shoes, my god, I mean, all the things.

• 20:59Karen Kilgariff?

  It's like all 100 miles, yeah. So of course, the Higgses know immediately when the slaves escape, so they're already in pursuit of this group. So now Lucy and the group are in the horrible position of having to beg these white Union soldiers to help protect them from their enslavers. Because even a Union camp is a threat to freedom seekers like Lucy. Escape slaves risk assault and sexual violence or being taken captive under the Fugitive Slave Act. And this is a federal law requiring that escaped enslaved people be returned to their quote owners and often resulted in a monetary reward.

• 21:39Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, it's the reality of it, right?

• 21:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, if you're being seen as less than human anyway, then no matter what side you're on, it's, you know.

• 21:47Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 21:48Karen Kilgariff?

  It's that. But also, the Union soldiers could just turn them away.

• 21:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 21:52Karen Kilgariff?

  And basically say, we can't help you.

• 21:54Georgia Hardstark?

  I think people think that just because it's like the Union, they're not racist and it's like, they're still racist.

• 21:59Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, yeah.

• 22:00Georgia Hardstark?

  It's just, it's a different flavor.

• 22:02Karen Kilgariff?

  That's right. Fortunately, though, these Union soldiers do the right thing.

• 22:07Georgia Hardstark?

  Great.

• 22:08Karen Kilgariff?

  When someone from the Higgs home does show up to the 23rd Regiment's camp, the men of the 23rd refuse to turn Lucy and her group over. There are theories that that's because of baby Mona. Even these hardened soldiers wouldn't want to throw a small child to the wolves that way. And there are laws known as confiscation acts where Union forces are technically allowed to seize any property being used to support the Confederacy. And because enslaved people are seen as and treated like property, these freedom seekers can arguably be considered contraband of war. So the Higgs family are furious and there's a standoff. But the soldiers don't back down.

• 22:51Karen Kilgariff?

  And so the Higgs have no choice but to leave. I mean, it's a camp of soldiers, all armed, you know? So Lucy then decides to stay at the camp, presumably because she doesn't have other options. They didn't have a final destination. And at least here she can feed and care for Mona, who immediately becomes a rare source of joy for the regiment soldiers. Eileen Yanoviac writes, quote, "The soldiers would lovingly croon to the little girl to earn her giggles and glee."

• 23:21Georgia Hardstark?

  What?

• 23:22Karen Kilgariff?

  I know. But of course, nothing's free. So Lucy and her husband have to work very hard for basic necessities if they're going to stay at this camp. Lucy's immediately put to work as a laundress and a cook, while her husband would have likely been assigned manual labor jobs or even could be enlisted in black volunteer regiments. Eileen Yanoviac says, quote, "It was essentially a different type of bondage that required work in exchange for protection provisions and the promise of freedom." End quote. Within weeks, the Indiana 23rd is instructed to pack up and move on to the next battle. They set up camp in southern towns where the fighting requires them. So Lucy's responsibilities begin to evolve. Within a year of her arrival at the regiment,

• 24:07Karen Kilgariff?

  she becomes known for how good she is at soothing the sick and treating minor injuries, which are things she's learned as an enslaved domestic worker. So, big part of her job. And skills that she's basically already earned and learned.

• 24:21Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 24:21Karen Kilgariff?

  Lucy's caregiving skills eventually catch the attention of the regiment's surgeon, Dr. Magnus Brucker, and he chooses her to serve as his right hand. This is a critical and high stakes job that most doctors at the time would only consider another white man to be able to do.

• 24:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 24:39Karen Kilgariff?

  Wow. This story keeps making me think of The Nick. Do you remember that series, The Nick?

• 24:43Georgia Hardstark?

  Definitely.

• 24:44Karen Kilgariff?

  Looking at history, we just have no idea unless we study it.

• 24:49Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 24:49Karen Kilgariff?

  The details of that kind of stuff of like, it's the accomplishment alone. She must have been incredible.

• 24:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Totally.

• 24:55Karen Kilgariff?

  To have this white surgeon be like, no, it's got to be you. You're the one that's going to come and help me. But because war demands it, out of sheer need, more and more women take on nursing roles, often with no real training. And Lucy already has experience.

• 25:11Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 25:12Karen Kilgariff?

  And has done it. So these women include Harriet Tubman and the founder of the Red Cross, Clara Barton, who were forced to learn everything in real time, in wartime. Dr. Brucker then offers Lucy the unofficial title of nurse and promises she will eventually be compensated for her service. So that promise really matters to Lucy because even though, of course, her immediate world is consumed by the war, she's trying to make plans and prepare for her and Mona's future as free women.

• 25:44Karen Kilgariff?

  We've all had moments where dealing with healthcare or insurance feels completely overwhelming.

• 25:49Georgia Hardstark?

  You're sick, worried about someone you love, trying to understand what comes next, and suddenly you're spending hours on hold, filling out paperwork and trying to figure out who to call.

• 25:57Karen Kilgariff?

  Research shows patients spend the equivalent of an eight-hour workday every month coordinating their own care.

• 26:03Georgia Hardstark?

  Nobody hands you a roadmap when you're dealing with a diagnosis or ongoing health issues.

• 26:08Karen Kilgariff?

  That's why there's Solace Health.

• 26:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Solace provides personal healthcare advocates who average 16 years of healthcare experience and can help you get answers fast.

• 26:16Karen Kilgariff?

  Think of them as someone in your corner who understands the healthcare system and can handle the logistics while you focus on your health.

• 26:22Georgia Hardstark?

  They can help with appointments, insurance denials, medical bills, treatment options, and understanding doctor recommendations.

• 26:28Karen Kilgariff?

  Research shows 92% of patients report a positive impact on their care from working with an advocate.

• 26:33Georgia Hardstark?

  Advocacy improves outcomes, and Solace advocates are covered by insurance nationwide.

• 26:38Karen Kilgariff?

  Eligibility varies by insurance plan.

• 26:40Georgia Hardstark?

  Advocates do not provide medical or legal advice or services. Must be 18 years or older.

• 26:44Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to solacehealth.com/murder to see if you qualify.

• 26:48Georgia Hardstark?

  It takes about two minutes, and it's covered by insurance.

• 26:50Karen Kilgariff?

  That's S-O-L-A-C-E health.com/murder.

• 26:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.

• 26:56Karen Kilgariff?

  Vacation planning should feel like a breeze, not a deep dive into countless travel sites searching for the best deal.

• 27:01Georgia Hardstark?

  With CheapCaribbean's Budget Beach Finder, you can search every destination and every date all in one search.

• 27:07Karen Kilgariff?

  You'll save time and money with the Budget Beach Finder.

• 27:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Say goodbye to endless scrolling and tab hopping, and hello to Budget Beach Bliss at your fingertips.

• 27:15Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to cheapcaribbean.com to try out the Budget Beach Finder and see just how stress-free vacation planning should be.

• 27:21Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.

• 27:22Karen Kilgariff?

  You know a favorite M-word? Magnesium.

• 27:25Georgia Hardstark?

  Like the kind that's in Dr. Teal's magnesium spray.

• 27:27Karen Kilgariff?

  Made from a proprietary blend of topical minerals, powered by pure Epsom salt and natural Dead Sea salt, it's designed to help you relax and get in the right state of mind for a good night's rest.

• 27:38Georgia Hardstark?

  If you need a reset after a crazy day, make Dr. Teal's magnesium spray part of your nighttime routine. It's an effortless way to get a boost of topical magnesium that can help you relax your body and mind before bedtime.

• 27:49Karen Kilgariff?

  Dr. Teal's magnesium spray comes in a lightweight, fast-drying formula.

• 27:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Just shake it up and generously spritz onto the soles of your feet and massage until absorbed.

• 27:57Karen Kilgariff?

  I was kind of blown away the first time I used this spray because I do have problems sleeping. And when there's something this simple, you just sprayed on your feet, and suddenly you're asleep, and the next morning you're like, wait, what happened? Did my problem just get solved? Like, it actually is that easy.

• 28:12Georgia Hardstark?

  And your stinky feet now smell like lavender. Like, what more do you want?

• 28:15Karen Kilgariff?

  How dare you call my feet stinky?

• 28:18Georgia Hardstark?

  For wellness, you can feel find Dr. Teal's magnesium spray online or in your local bath aisle.

• 28:23Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye.

• 28:26Karen Kilgariff?

  So Lucy takes the job. She immediately begins tending to gruesome injuries. The soldiers are torn apart by grape shot, which are clusters of small cannonballs, as well as musket fire that can easily shred muscle and obliterate bone. Lucy's right in the middle of the action. Later, a fellow soldier will describe her as, quote, "fearlessly going to the front to seek out wounded soldiers and officers, all equal in her mind, to administer water to thirsty mouths, pull away wounded soldiers, and gently care for them. She witnessed men gasping their last breaths, whispering comforts to them as their angel of mercy," end quote.

• 29:08Georgia Hardstark?

  How horrifying, yeah.

• 29:09Karen Kilgariff?

  She's just immediately a full-time war medic at the front.

• 29:13Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 29:15Karen Kilgariff?

  Lucy also cares for the regiment through relentless waves of illness, and she shepherds many sick men to their death. 217 members of the 23rd Regiment died during this war, 145 of them dying of diseases like dysentery, malaria, and typhoid fever.

• 29:31Georgia Hardstark?

  Holy shit, that's a big percentage.

• 29:33Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, so Lucy's constantly surrounded by death and chaos, as well as dwindling food rations, filthy living conditions, and she still has Mona to take care of and worry about. But she keeps marching forward with the 23rd Regiment, and she's there around 30 battles.

• 29:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god.

• 29:53Karen Kilgariff?

  She did 30 times.

• 29:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Can you imagine having the food poisoning you have right now, but in a war, on the front with no...

• 30:01Karen Kilgariff?

  Yep, but people are just like, can you push this bone back into my arms so I can go keep fighting? It's like, really, can you give me two seconds? I just have to retch. Okay, so the Louisville Courier-Journal later reports, quote, "She was sometimes at the rear, sometimes at the front, and often in the thickest of the battle, as much a soldier as her male companions, except that she did not carry arms. She never received a scratch."

• 30:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 30:28Karen Kilgariff?

  Isn't that wild?

• 30:29Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 30:30Karen Kilgariff?

  So Lucy's a nurse during the Battle of Atlanta, where Union forces capture one of the South's most critical cities, as well as Sherman's March to the Sea, which is the brutal push to the Georgia coast that helps turn the tide of the war in the Union's favor. Which, so she's there for all the big ones.

• 30:48Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, damn, that's amazing.

• 30:50Karen Kilgariff?

  She's also present at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, where, following a relentless 47-day siege, the Union finally wins. It's seen as a turning point in the Civil War, but it comes with an enormous loss for Lucy, because this is when Mona, who is now around three or four years old, dies.

• 31:09Georgia Hardstark?

  No.

• 31:11Karen Kilgariff?

  We don't know why.

• 31:12Georgia Hardstark?

  You didn't warn us.

• 31:13Karen Kilgariff?

  I know, I'm sorry. But this is a story of slavery and war. So it's a, it's as bad as it, it's bad.

• 31:20Georgia Hardstark?

  The warning comes with the territory.

• 31:22Karen Kilgariff?

  But it's also like putting perspective on this life this woman led under the greatest oppression. And in the worst circumstances, like going from slavery to the Civil War frontlines.

• 31:36Georgia Hardstark?

  Sure.

• 31:37Karen Kilgariff?

  My God.

• 31:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 31:38Karen Kilgariff?

  So we don't know how or why Mona dies. It is another detail of Lucy's life that is lost to time and to indifference. Given how rampant and lethal disease is during the war, it is very possible Mona just gets one of these diseases, doesn't recover. It's also possible she was killed. Like nearly every other aspect of her life, we don't have Lucy's perspective on her daughter's death. But a member of the 23rd Regiment will report that, quote, "In the siege of Vicksburg, after the city had been captured, our regiment was one of the first to go in and receive surrender. Aunt Lucy followed in our wake. A short time after, her child died. It almost broke the mother's heart.

• 32:23Karen Kilgariff?

  The men, too, had grown to be so fond of Mona, and it was a severe pain that went through the entire 23rd."

• 32:30Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my God, that's so touching.

• 32:32Karen Kilgariff?

  It's so sad.

• 32:33Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 32:34Karen Kilgariff?

  The soldiers collect flowers from Mona's grave, and she's buried in Vicksburg alongside members of the regiment who were killed in that battle. It's believed that this is when Lucy's husband enlists in the war. Yanoviac writes, quote, "Perhaps he was compelled to fight in honor of his fallen daughter, unable to bear the burden of her death as a passive bystander of the war effort." But after his enlistment, Lucy will never see her husband again. Yanoviac adds, quote, "While the war brought Lucy opportunity and the prospect of freedom, it also delivered intense personal tragedy. She left behind her siblings, lost her husband, and watched her beloved child die.

• 33:15Karen Kilgariff?

  In contrast to the perceptions that enslaved people were passive recipients of freedom bestowed upon them by Yankees, Lucy's story, like so many others, illustrates the intense self-sacrifice made by Black men and women to attain freedom. They too went deep into the war zones, working to survive bloody battles in a brutal civil war that tore the nation apart to reconcile its brutal past." That just makes me think of the movie Glory. If you haven't seen the movie Glory, you absolutely have to see that movie. It's so good. So about a year later, in 1864, the 23rd Regiment is granted a 60-day furlough and heads home to New Albany, Indiana, for the first time in years, and Lucy goes with them.

• 34:00Karen Kilgariff?

  In Indiana, she's on free soil, and she could leave the war behind. But when that furlough ends, she decides to return to the front, perhaps because the regiment gives her something to focus on in her grief, or maybe out of loyalty to the soldiers who've become like family to her. So she has a chance. She makes it to freedom, and she goes back. Either way, the 23rd Regiment is active through the final days of the Civil War, which ends with Union victory in 1865. When the troops march through Washington DC in the Union's Victory Parade, which is known as the Grand Review, it's clear how much the men of the 23rd Regiment respect Lucy, because she marches right beside them as one of them.

• 34:44Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my God, stop.

• 34:45Karen Kilgariff?

  I know. After the war, the men urge Lucy, who is still only in her 20s, to settle in New Albany, and she does it. Here, she becomes one of the few female members of the Grand Army of the Republic, which is an organization for Union veterans, and she stays very close with her fellow soldiers. While getting back on her feet, she earns a living as a domestic worker and a nurse in some of their houses. Then when Lucy is around 32 years old, she marries a man named John Nichols. Like Lucy, he is a black veteran of the Civil War. Their wedding is held at the Second Baptist Church in New Albany, which is a known stop on the Underground Railroad. And then they buy a house together.

• 35:26Karen Kilgariff?

  Lucy finally seems to have some long overdue happiness and stability, but one thing is missing. She has not been paid for all of the work that she did during the war, and her pension claim is denied. At this point, the US pension system is massive, actively paying out over 950,000 veterans and their families, some going all the way back to the Revolutionary War.

• 35:50Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 35:51Karen Kilgariff?

  The payments eat up around 40% of our federal budget. And it's a commendable progressive system in many ways, but it's also very flawed. More than 18,000 women who served the Union as hospital nurses, laundresses, and cooks are left out entirely, mostly because they don't have the official records that are required to actually get the government to sign off on their pension.

• 36:13Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 36:15Karen Kilgariff?

  But remember, Lucy was hired by Dr. Brucker, so she is one of those thousands of women without formal paperwork outlining her service. But her bravery and determination isn't going anywhere. So in the 1890s, after her pension claim is denied, she starts a battle with the US government.

• 36:35Georgia Hardstark?

  Damn.

• 36:37Karen Kilgariff?

  She starts by filing a petition, which is one of the few documents we have actually written by Lucy herself and in her voice. So it says, quote, "I served as a nurse for about three years. I cooked for the soldiers, dressed their wounds, gave them medicine and washed for them, and did anything I was called to do. I never received a nickel for my services as a nurse. Dr. Brucker told me I would get paid, and I worked on the hope of getting paid." So Lucy's initial appeals are all rejected and for most women, this would be the end of the road and they just wouldn't get a pension. But Lucy keeps on fighting. She even strategically enlists her fellow soldiers to back her up. Dozens of men from the 23rd Regiment step up, including Dr.

• 37:22Karen Kilgariff?

  Brucker himself, testifying that he could not have done his job without Lucy.

• 37:28Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow, that's so incredible.

• 37:29Karen Kilgariff?

  Takes seven years, 55 testimonials and an avalanche of paperwork. Yes, she just got to get everybody, basically who was left from the regiment.

• 37:39Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 37:40Karen Kilgariff?

  That she could get a hold of and all the paperwork.

• 37:43Georgia Hardstark?

  So much paperwork, so much paperwork.

• 37:45Karen Kilgariff?

  Paperwork, but she does it and she wins. In December of 1898, when Lucy is in her mid 50s, she is finally granted a pension through a special act of Congress. Now, it isn't much. She's going to be paid $12 a month, which is roughly around $480 in today's money.

• 38:03Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, that's not nothing.

• 38:05Karen Kilgariff?

  It's not nothing and it's a hard won victory that helps pave the way for others. A few years later, in 1901, Congress formally recognizes the role of nurse as an official military post, making all Civil War nurses eligible for pensions.

• 38:21Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, interesting.

• 38:23Karen Kilgariff?

  And that's because of Lucy fighting that hard and never giving up.

• 38:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 38:28Karen Kilgariff?

  So Lucy is a trailblazer in more ways than one. The work she and other women did during the war transforms nursing from a male dominated job into one predominantly female. And by the year 1991%, of American nurses are women.

• 38:43Georgia Hardstark?

  That's so cool.

• 38:45Karen Kilgariff?

  Mm hmm. Lucy stays close friends with the men of the 23rd Regiment for the rest of her life. She's at every reunion with them. She marches in every Memorial Day parade alongside them and she's even on the invite list as their children grow up and get married.

• 39:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh.

• 39:03Karen Kilgariff?

  I know. In turn, the men are also there for her, like when she gets the measles and years later, when she has a stroke. Lucy never fully recovers from the latter and she passes away in January of 1915 at the age of 69. She's buried next to her husband, John, at the Second Baptist Church where they'd been married decades earlier. Lucy's buried with full military honors.

• 39:27Georgia Hardstark?

  My God.

• 39:28Karen Kilgariff?

  In an elaborate ceremony with her obituary noting that, quote, "Lucy was known to almost everyone in the city and everyone honored her for her loyalty," end quote. A century later, in 2019, a statue is put up at this church depicting Lucy, holding her baby Mona.

• 39:47Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god, stop.

• 39:50Karen Kilgariff?

  Finally returning Lucy with the child she loves so much. And Lucy Nichols is now the subject of a permanent exhibition at the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, where Eileen Janoviak serves as executive director. And quoting a historian named A. Glenn Crowthers, Eileen says, quote, "Lucy's story is indeed an important example of determination, grit, service, and loyalty. But more importantly, her battle to build a life beyond enslavement, to serve, to work, to secure a pension, and receive legitimization is a testament to the lingering effects of

• 40:31Karen Kilgariff?

  inequality well after the war was won and to Lucy's triumphant spirit." And that is the story of boundary-breaking Civil War nurse Lucy Nichols.

• 40:42Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow. I mean,

• 40:44Karen Kilgariff?

  I mean.

• 40:45Georgia Hardstark?

  The timing couldn't be.

• 40:46Karen Kilgariff?

  It's so relevant.

• 40:48Georgia Hardstark?

  It's so relevant. Imagine that. Imagine just wanting the chance to live and work and be independent and having to fight so hard for that.

• 41:00Karen Kilgariff?

  Fight literally on the front lines of the, one of the worst wars this country has ever seen. And then they're like, no, I don't think we're going to pay you.

• 41:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 41:09Karen Kilgariff?

  Just like, yes, you will. Yes, you will.

• 41:12Georgia Hardstark?

  So inspiring.

• 41:13Karen Kilgariff?

  Isn't it great?

• 41:14Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, I'm so glad you did that. That's, yeah.

• 41:17Karen Kilgariff?

  It's a nice one. I'm glad I found it because that, of course, her story is kind of just lost to time.

• 41:22Georgia Hardstark?

  No.

• 41:23Karen Kilgariff?

  And, you know, it's the kind of story people really, really need to hear, I think.

• 41:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Definitely. Well, that was a great story for Juneteenth. Good job.

• 41:32Karen Kilgariff?

  Thank you. I'm going to go put one of those old fashioned cartoon ice packs on my head and lay on the couch. How about it?

• 41:39Georgia Hardstark?

  You should. You poor thing. Go to bed. That sucks. We're back to normal next week. We'll tell you two great stories. We'll both be so healthy and well. It's just, you're gonna, you're gonna freak.

• 41:50Karen Kilgariff?

  You won't believe it.

• 41:51Georgia Hardstark?

  You won't believe it.

• 41:52Karen Kilgariff?

  The return we're about to make.

• 41:55Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah. But thank you guys so much for listening, for being here.

• 41:58Karen Kilgariff?

  Yep. And for staying strong through all of this, all of the things going on these days.

• 42:04Georgia Hardstark?

  Chaos.

• 42:05Karen Kilgariff?

  Chaos. And yet, man, those No Kings parades. There were little tiny towns. I kept seeing them on TikTok, just like the town has 5,000 people in it and 2,000 are standing on their main street. It's just a beautiful thing.

• 42:20Georgia Hardstark?

  So inspiring.

• 42:21Karen Kilgariff?

  I think it's what everybody needed right now.

• 42:23Georgia Hardstark?

  Absolutely.

• 42:23Karen Kilgariff?

  We're the majority. Stay sexy.

• 42:26Georgia Hardstark?

  And don't get murdered.

• 42:28Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye. Elvis, do you want a cookie? Ah.

• 42:39Karen Kilgariff?

  This has been an Exactly Right production.

• 42:40Georgia Hardstark?

  Our senior producers are Alejandra Keck and Molly Smith.

• 42:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Our editor is Aristotle Acevedo.

• 42:45Georgia Hardstark?

  This episode was mixed by Leona Scolacci.

• 42:48Karen Kilgariff?

  Our researchers are Maren McGlashan and Ally Elkin.

• 42:51Georgia Hardstark?

  Email your hometowns to [email protected].

• 42:54Karen Kilgariff?

  Follow the show on Instagram at MyFavoriteMurder.

• 42:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Listen to My Favorite Murder on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 43:01Karen Kilgariff?

  And now you can watch us on Exactly Right's YouTube page. While you're there, please like and subscribe. Goodbye.

• 43:14Karen Kilgariff?

  Vacation planning should feel like a breeze, not a deep dive into countless travel sites searching for the best deal.

• 43:19Georgia Hardstark?

  With CheapCaribbean's Budget Beach Finder, you can search every destination and every date all in one search.

• 43:25Karen Kilgariff?

  You'll save time and money with the Budget Beach Finder.

• 43:28Georgia Hardstark?

  Say goodbye to endless scrolling and tab hopping and hello to budget beach bliss at your fingertips.

• 43:33Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to cheapcaribbean.com to try out the Budget Beach Finder and see just how stress-free vacation planning should be.

• 43:39Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye. You know a favorite M-word? Magnesium.

• 43:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Like the kind that's in Dr. Teal's magnesium spray.

• 43:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Made from a proprietary blend of topical minerals, it's designed to relax and prepare you for a night of rest.

• 43:51Karen Kilgariff?

  If you need a reset after your day, make Dr. Teal's magnesium spray part of your nighttime routine.

• 43:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Generously spritz each foot before bed and you'll be all set. I've actually started doing this and I'm obsessed with magnesium. It does everything.

• 44:03Karen Kilgariff?

  Something like this is just like, it's simple, it's easy, and it actually works.

• 44:07Georgia Hardstark?

  Totally. For wellness you can feel, find Dr. Teal's magnesium spray online or in your local bath aisle. Goodbye.

• 44:14Speaker 03

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