Often talked to her children about sitting on the lap of Abraham Lincoln in Metamora, Woodford Co, IL. Lincoln was a Circuit Lawyer at the time.
Her future husband, Thomas Cummings was ordered to recruitment duty in late December 1861 and early 1862.
According to family lore, Sgt. Thomas Cummings did visit Metamora sometime during the war. He may have been during a recruitment drive. The family story is that Thomas met Alice Melissa at a dance. Alice took notice of Thomas in his uniform, and the two shared a dance.
In June 1964, then Lt Thomas Cummings was severely injured at the Battle of Kenesaw and was slowly made his way back to Illinois. In July 1864, the wagon carrying Thomas along with other wounded passed through Metamora, Illinois.
Alice Melissa Egbert was walking home on the streets of Metamora, when she saw the wagon full of wounded withThomas Cummings lying in the back of the wagon. She exclaimed "That is my Thomas!". After a short but heated discussion with the driver, she had Thomas delivered to the front porch of her father's house. The Egberts took in Cummings, placing him in an upstairs bedroom and calling for the doctor.
The Doctor told the Egberts that Thomas might recover if he had good care. This was not good news. In those days, most women who acted as nurses had little training. Many of the "nurses" who followed the army were prostitutes. A female nurse was "looked down upon" by other women. "Nice women" just didn't take care of sick men. There was no one in Metamora to care for Thomas.
As a female member of high society, Alice Melissa Egbert could not enter the bedroom to care for Thomas. Because she was afraid she would lose her love, she took matters into her own hands.
On July 20, 1864 she went out and got a minister. With the help of friends holding him up in bed, Alice and Thomas were married against her parent's wishes. Before the ceremony, the attending doctor warned her she might become a widow the next day.
She had a cot brought into the bedroom and spent the honeymoon tending to her new husband.
Thomas Cummings slowly recovered. Thomas lost the use of his left arm and he could not straighten his fingers on that hand. However, the love of Alice Melissa Egbert had saved his life. The couple lived to have seven children, five of whom lived to adulthood.
Alice's parents were upset by the kind of "wedding" their daughter had. In September 1864, they held a big reception in honor of the bride and groom. Even with the war, family relations came to the celebration from as far away as Ohio
Her future husband, Thomas Cummings was ordered to recruitment duty in late December 1861 and early 1862.
According to family lore, Sgt. Thomas Cummings did visit Metamora sometime during the war. He may have been during a recruitment drive. The family story is that Thomas met Alice Melissa at a dance. Alice took notice of Thomas in his uniform, and the two shared a dance.
In June 1964, then Lt Thomas Cummings was severely injured at the Battle of Kenesaw and was slowly made his way back to Illinois. In July 1864, the wagon carrying Thomas along with other wounded passed through Metamora, Illinois.
Alice Melissa Egbert was walking home on the streets of Metamora, when she saw the wagon full of wounded withThomas Cummings lying in the back of the wagon. She exclaimed "That is my Thomas!". After a short but heated discussion with the driver, she had Thomas delivered to the front porch of her father's house. The Egberts took in Cummings, placing him in an upstairs bedroom and calling for the doctor.
The Doctor told the Egberts that Thomas might recover if he had good care. This was not good news. In those days, most women who acted as nurses had little training. Many of the "nurses" who followed the army were prostitutes. A female nurse was "looked down upon" by other women. "Nice women" just didn't take care of sick men. There was no one in Metamora to care for Thomas.
As a female member of high society, Alice Melissa Egbert could not enter the bedroom to care for Thomas. Because she was afraid she would lose her love, she took matters into her own hands.
On July 20, 1864 she went out and got a minister. With the help of friends holding him up in bed, Alice and Thomas were married against her parent's wishes. Before the ceremony, the attending doctor warned her she might become a widow the next day.
She had a cot brought into the bedroom and spent the honeymoon tending to her new husband.
Thomas Cummings slowly recovered. Thomas lost the use of his left arm and he could not straighten his fingers on that hand. However, the love of Alice Melissa Egbert had saved his life. The couple lived to have seven children, five of whom lived to adulthood.
Alice's parents were upset by the kind of "wedding" their daughter had. In September 1864, they held a big reception in honor of the bride and groom. Even with the war, family relations came to the celebration from as far away as Ohio
Often talked to her children about sitting on the lap of Abraham Lincoln in Metamora, Woodford Co, IL. Lincoln was a Circuit Lawyer at the time.
Her future husband, Thomas Cummings was ordered to recruitment duty in late December 1861 and early 1862.
According to family lore, Sgt. Thomas Cummings did visit Metamora sometime during the war. He may have been during a recruitment drive. The family story is that Thomas met Alice Melissa at a dance. Alice took notice of Thomas in his uniform, and the two shared a dance.
In June 1964, then Lt Thomas Cummings was severely injured at the Battle of Kenesaw and was slowly made his way back to Illinois. In July 1864, the wagon carrying Thomas along with other wounded passed through Metamora, Illinois.
Alice Melissa Egbert was walking home on the streets of Metamora, when she saw the wagon full of wounded withThomas Cummings lying in the back of the wagon. She exclaimed "That is my Thomas!". After a short but heated discussion with the driver, she had Thomas delivered to the front porch of her father's house. The Egberts took in Cummings, placing him in an upstairs bedroom and calling for the doctor.
The Doctor told the Egberts that Thomas might recover if he had good care. This was not good news. In those days, most women who acted as nurses had little training. Many of the "nurses" who followed the army were prostitutes. A female nurse was "looked down upon" by other women. "Nice women" just didn't take care of sick men. There was no one in Metamora to care for Thomas.
As a female member of high society, Alice Melissa Egbert could not enter the bedroom to care for Thomas. Because she was afraid she would lose her love, she took matters into her own hands.
On July 20, 1864 she went out and got a minister. With the help of friends holding him up in bed, Alice and Thomas were married against her parent's wishes. Before the ceremony, the attending doctor warned her she might become a widow the next day.
She had a cot brought into the bedroom and spent the honeymoon tending to her new husband.
Thomas Cummings slowly recovered. Thomas lost the use of his left arm and he could not straighten his fingers on that hand. However, the love of Alice Melissa Egbert had saved his life. The couple lived to have seven children, five of whom lived to adulthood.
Alice's parents were upset by the kind of "wedding" their daughter had. In September 1864, they held a big reception in honor of the bride and groom. Even with the war, family relations came to the celebration from as far away as Ohio
Her future husband, Thomas Cummings was ordered to recruitment duty in late December 1861 and early 1862.
According to family lore, Sgt. Thomas Cummings did visit Metamora sometime during the war. He may have been during a recruitment drive. The family story is that Thomas met Alice Melissa at a dance. Alice took notice of Thomas in his uniform, and the two shared a dance.
In June 1964, then Lt Thomas Cummings was severely injured at the Battle of Kenesaw and was slowly made his way back to Illinois. In July 1864, the wagon carrying Thomas along with other wounded passed through Metamora, Illinois.
Alice Melissa Egbert was walking home on the streets of Metamora, when she saw the wagon full of wounded withThomas Cummings lying in the back of the wagon. She exclaimed "That is my Thomas!". After a short but heated discussion with the driver, she had Thomas delivered to the front porch of her father's house. The Egberts took in Cummings, placing him in an upstairs bedroom and calling for the doctor.
The Doctor told the Egberts that Thomas might recover if he had good care. This was not good news. In those days, most women who acted as nurses had little training. Many of the "nurses" who followed the army were prostitutes. A female nurse was "looked down upon" by other women. "Nice women" just didn't take care of sick men. There was no one in Metamora to care for Thomas.
As a female member of high society, Alice Melissa Egbert could not enter the bedroom to care for Thomas. Because she was afraid she would lose her love, she took matters into her own hands.
On July 20, 1864 she went out and got a minister. With the help of friends holding him up in bed, Alice and Thomas were married against her parent's wishes. Before the ceremony, the attending doctor warned her she might become a widow the next day.
She had a cot brought into the bedroom and spent the honeymoon tending to her new husband.
Thomas Cummings slowly recovered. Thomas lost the use of his left arm and he could not straighten his fingers on that hand. However, the love of Alice Melissa Egbert had saved his life. The couple lived to have seven children, five of whom lived to adulthood.
Alice's parents were upset by the kind of "wedding" their daughter had. In September 1864, they held a big reception in honor of the bride and groom. Even with the war, family relations came to the celebration from as far away as Ohio
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