Caroline “Carrie” H. Christman was born July 9, 1879 in the community of Fallsington, Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Her parents Phebe Ann Hirst of Pennsylvania and Edward Christman a native of New Jersey were married July 10, 1976 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey. She had a sister Anna who was a little over a year older. When Carrie was six years old her mother Phebe died at the age of 31 and father Edward passed in 1906 at the age of 53. They are both buried in the Morrison Cemetery, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Caroline and sister Anna both became nurses; schools, hospitals and dates are unknown. According to her passport application and the US Consular Certificate of Registration Caroline departed the United States on February 4, 1914 and arrived in Shanghai, China twenty days later for the purpose of doing Nurse Graduate work for the Harvard Medical School. Her local address there was 7 Siccawei Road, Shanghai China. Over two years later on November 10, 1917 Caroline made application for an emergency passport to return to the United States via Manila, Philippines.
An incident on the trip was described by the Hilo Daily Tribune, Hilo, Hawaii two months later on February 23, 1918. “Miss Caroline H. Christman, at one time a nurse in the Hilo Hospital and who proceeded to the Orient from this city some time ago is the heroine of a seafaring story that concerns a man very ill with typhoid fever, a purse of $150.00 in gold and a donation to the American Red Cross. Miss Christman was a passenger on the Pacific Mail Liner Ecuador from China to San Francisco. On board the same vessel was E. Covington, who had just recovered from typhoid fever, had a relapse while on the steamer and would have died had not Miss Christman taken charge of the case. She worked day and night to save the life of the sick man and after he had two more relapses she did manage to pull him through safely. The other passengers knowing of the hard and faithful work of the volunteer nurse clubbed together and got $150 together. They offered it to her but she refused to take it, ‘give it to the Red Cross’ she exclaimed and the donors did so.” She arrived at the port of San Francisco, January 3, 1918.
She is believed to have then returned to Pennsylvania and volunteered to become an Army Nurse through the Red Cross. The United States had entered World War I nine months earlier on April 6, 1917 and was in desperate need of trained medical personnel. Her entry date to active service with the Army Nurse Corps is not known but on June 12, 1918 she departed the Port of Hoboken, New Jersey aboard the ship Anchises with Army Nurse replacements. Her sister Mrs. William Whitfield, 101 Congress Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island was listed as her next of kin.
Arriving some eleven days later via Liverpool, England, Nurse Christman joined Army Evacuation Hospital # 6 that was located at the railhead at Souilly France along with Evacuation # 7. The facility was a French hospital having a capacity of 1,000 beds by occupying both barracks and tents. Passageways between buildings were floored and roofed and had concrete shelters. The French turned over all equipment except instruments, but it was still far from being thoroughly equipped from the American point of view. Evac # 6 and 7 worked in conjunction and was ready for operation on August 27. The battle casualties began to pour in around September 12.
If the carnage of war wasn’t enough, the 1918 Flu Pandemic was attacking worldwide killing hundreds of thousands of people. The military in Europe were not immune and half of those who fell in France was due to the influenza virus. US Army Nurse Caroline H. Christman died of pneumonia and influenza at Evacuation Hospital # 6 on October 6, 1918, four months after her arrival. Her sister Anna was notified by cablegram a few days later. Caroline was buried in Temporary Grave # 194, Section A, Plot 4, American Cemetery, Souilly, Meuse the same day as her death. Service information about her burial could not be found but it would have been with military honors.
In October 1919, families of fallen Americans were given the choice of leaving their sons/daughters buried in an American Cemetery in Europe with their comrades or bring them home for reburial in a State or National Cemetery like Arlington or a cemetery in their hometown. Sister Anna chose to leave Caroline with those she served and served with as did approximately 30% of the families. On October 17, 1921, she was disinterred and reburied for the final time in the new Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial, Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Departement de la Meuse, Lorraine, France, Plot F, Row 15, Grave 1. Day is done, God is nigh.
Epilogue: Her mother Phebe having died in 1885 left no one eligible to visit her grave under the Gold Star Mother’s Pilgrimage enacted by Congress in 1929. Sister Anna lived to age 77, passing in 1956.
It was my honor to write this short biography from available documents found. I know it doesn’t start to do Caroline or her family justice. Lest we forget…Larry E. Hume, Chief Master Sergeant, US Air Force, Retired.
Caroline and sister Anna both became nurses; schools, hospitals and dates are unknown. According to her passport application and the US Consular Certificate of Registration Caroline departed the United States on February 4, 1914 and arrived in Shanghai, China twenty days later for the purpose of doing Nurse Graduate work for the Harvard Medical School. Her local address there was 7 Siccawei Road, Shanghai China. Over two years later on November 10, 1917 Caroline made application for an emergency passport to return to the United States via Manila, Philippines.
An incident on the trip was described by the Hilo Daily Tribune, Hilo, Hawaii two months later on February 23, 1918. “Miss Caroline H. Christman, at one time a nurse in the Hilo Hospital and who proceeded to the Orient from this city some time ago is the heroine of a seafaring story that concerns a man very ill with typhoid fever, a purse of $150.00 in gold and a donation to the American Red Cross. Miss Christman was a passenger on the Pacific Mail Liner Ecuador from China to San Francisco. On board the same vessel was E. Covington, who had just recovered from typhoid fever, had a relapse while on the steamer and would have died had not Miss Christman taken charge of the case. She worked day and night to save the life of the sick man and after he had two more relapses she did manage to pull him through safely. The other passengers knowing of the hard and faithful work of the volunteer nurse clubbed together and got $150 together. They offered it to her but she refused to take it, ‘give it to the Red Cross’ she exclaimed and the donors did so.” She arrived at the port of San Francisco, January 3, 1918.
She is believed to have then returned to Pennsylvania and volunteered to become an Army Nurse through the Red Cross. The United States had entered World War I nine months earlier on April 6, 1917 and was in desperate need of trained medical personnel. Her entry date to active service with the Army Nurse Corps is not known but on June 12, 1918 she departed the Port of Hoboken, New Jersey aboard the ship Anchises with Army Nurse replacements. Her sister Mrs. William Whitfield, 101 Congress Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island was listed as her next of kin.
Arriving some eleven days later via Liverpool, England, Nurse Christman joined Army Evacuation Hospital # 6 that was located at the railhead at Souilly France along with Evacuation # 7. The facility was a French hospital having a capacity of 1,000 beds by occupying both barracks and tents. Passageways between buildings were floored and roofed and had concrete shelters. The French turned over all equipment except instruments, but it was still far from being thoroughly equipped from the American point of view. Evac # 6 and 7 worked in conjunction and was ready for operation on August 27. The battle casualties began to pour in around September 12.
If the carnage of war wasn’t enough, the 1918 Flu Pandemic was attacking worldwide killing hundreds of thousands of people. The military in Europe were not immune and half of those who fell in France was due to the influenza virus. US Army Nurse Caroline H. Christman died of pneumonia and influenza at Evacuation Hospital # 6 on October 6, 1918, four months after her arrival. Her sister Anna was notified by cablegram a few days later. Caroline was buried in Temporary Grave # 194, Section A, Plot 4, American Cemetery, Souilly, Meuse the same day as her death. Service information about her burial could not be found but it would have been with military honors.
In October 1919, families of fallen Americans were given the choice of leaving their sons/daughters buried in an American Cemetery in Europe with their comrades or bring them home for reburial in a State or National Cemetery like Arlington or a cemetery in their hometown. Sister Anna chose to leave Caroline with those she served and served with as did approximately 30% of the families. On October 17, 1921, she was disinterred and reburied for the final time in the new Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial, Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Departement de la Meuse, Lorraine, France, Plot F, Row 15, Grave 1. Day is done, God is nigh.
Epilogue: Her mother Phebe having died in 1885 left no one eligible to visit her grave under the Gold Star Mother’s Pilgrimage enacted by Congress in 1929. Sister Anna lived to age 77, passing in 1956.
It was my honor to write this short biography from available documents found. I know it doesn’t start to do Caroline or her family justice. Lest we forget…Larry E. Hume, Chief Master Sergeant, US Air Force, Retired.
Caroline “Carrie” H. Christman was born July 9, 1879 in the community of Fallsington, Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Her parents Phebe Ann Hirst of Pennsylvania and Edward Christman a native of New Jersey were married July 10, 1976 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey. She had a sister Anna who was a little over a year older. When Carrie was six years old her mother Phebe died at the age of 31 and father Edward passed in 1906 at the age of 53. They are both buried in the Morrison Cemetery, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Caroline and sister Anna both became nurses; schools, hospitals and dates are unknown. According to her passport application and the US Consular Certificate of Registration Caroline departed the United States on February 4, 1914 and arrived in Shanghai, China twenty days later for the purpose of doing Nurse Graduate work for the Harvard Medical School. Her local address there was 7 Siccawei Road, Shanghai China. Over two years later on November 10, 1917 Caroline made application for an emergency passport to return to the United States via Manila, Philippines.
An incident on the trip was described by the Hilo Daily Tribune, Hilo, Hawaii two months later on February 23, 1918. “Miss Caroline H. Christman, at one time a nurse in the Hilo Hospital and who proceeded to the Orient from this city some time ago is the heroine of a seafaring story that concerns a man very ill with typhoid fever, a purse of $150.00 in gold and a donation to the American Red Cross. Miss Christman was a passenger on the Pacific Mail Liner Ecuador from China to San Francisco. On board the same vessel was E. Covington, who had just recovered from typhoid fever, had a relapse while on the steamer and would have died had not Miss Christman taken charge of the case. She worked day and night to save the life of the sick man and after he had two more relapses she did manage to pull him through safely. The other passengers knowing of the hard and faithful work of the volunteer nurse clubbed together and got $150 together. They offered it to her but she refused to take it, ‘give it to the Red Cross’ she exclaimed and the donors did so.” She arrived at the port of San Francisco, January 3, 1918.
She is believed to have then returned to Pennsylvania and volunteered to become an Army Nurse through the Red Cross. The United States had entered World War I nine months earlier on April 6, 1917 and was in desperate need of trained medical personnel. Her entry date to active service with the Army Nurse Corps is not known but on June 12, 1918 she departed the Port of Hoboken, New Jersey aboard the ship Anchises with Army Nurse replacements. Her sister Mrs. William Whitfield, 101 Congress Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island was listed as her next of kin.
Arriving some eleven days later via Liverpool, England, Nurse Christman joined Army Evacuation Hospital # 6 that was located at the railhead at Souilly France along with Evacuation # 7. The facility was a French hospital having a capacity of 1,000 beds by occupying both barracks and tents. Passageways between buildings were floored and roofed and had concrete shelters. The French turned over all equipment except instruments, but it was still far from being thoroughly equipped from the American point of view. Evac # 6 and 7 worked in conjunction and was ready for operation on August 27. The battle casualties began to pour in around September 12.
If the carnage of war wasn’t enough, the 1918 Flu Pandemic was attacking worldwide killing hundreds of thousands of people. The military in Europe were not immune and half of those who fell in France was due to the influenza virus. US Army Nurse Caroline H. Christman died of pneumonia and influenza at Evacuation Hospital # 6 on October 6, 1918, four months after her arrival. Her sister Anna was notified by cablegram a few days later. Caroline was buried in Temporary Grave # 194, Section A, Plot 4, American Cemetery, Souilly, Meuse the same day as her death. Service information about her burial could not be found but it would have been with military honors.
In October 1919, families of fallen Americans were given the choice of leaving their sons/daughters buried in an American Cemetery in Europe with their comrades or bring them home for reburial in a State or National Cemetery like Arlington or a cemetery in their hometown. Sister Anna chose to leave Caroline with those she served and served with as did approximately 30% of the families. On October 17, 1921, she was disinterred and reburied for the final time in the new Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial, Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Departement de la Meuse, Lorraine, France, Plot F, Row 15, Grave 1. Day is done, God is nigh.
Epilogue: Her mother Phebe having died in 1885 left no one eligible to visit her grave under the Gold Star Mother’s Pilgrimage enacted by Congress in 1929. Sister Anna lived to age 77, passing in 1956.
It was my honor to write this short biography from available documents found. I know it doesn’t start to do Caroline or her family justice. Lest we forget…Larry E. Hume, Chief Master Sergeant, US Air Force, Retired.
Caroline and sister Anna both became nurses; schools, hospitals and dates are unknown. According to her passport application and the US Consular Certificate of Registration Caroline departed the United States on February 4, 1914 and arrived in Shanghai, China twenty days later for the purpose of doing Nurse Graduate work for the Harvard Medical School. Her local address there was 7 Siccawei Road, Shanghai China. Over two years later on November 10, 1917 Caroline made application for an emergency passport to return to the United States via Manila, Philippines.
An incident on the trip was described by the Hilo Daily Tribune, Hilo, Hawaii two months later on February 23, 1918. “Miss Caroline H. Christman, at one time a nurse in the Hilo Hospital and who proceeded to the Orient from this city some time ago is the heroine of a seafaring story that concerns a man very ill with typhoid fever, a purse of $150.00 in gold and a donation to the American Red Cross. Miss Christman was a passenger on the Pacific Mail Liner Ecuador from China to San Francisco. On board the same vessel was E. Covington, who had just recovered from typhoid fever, had a relapse while on the steamer and would have died had not Miss Christman taken charge of the case. She worked day and night to save the life of the sick man and after he had two more relapses she did manage to pull him through safely. The other passengers knowing of the hard and faithful work of the volunteer nurse clubbed together and got $150 together. They offered it to her but she refused to take it, ‘give it to the Red Cross’ she exclaimed and the donors did so.” She arrived at the port of San Francisco, January 3, 1918.
She is believed to have then returned to Pennsylvania and volunteered to become an Army Nurse through the Red Cross. The United States had entered World War I nine months earlier on April 6, 1917 and was in desperate need of trained medical personnel. Her entry date to active service with the Army Nurse Corps is not known but on June 12, 1918 she departed the Port of Hoboken, New Jersey aboard the ship Anchises with Army Nurse replacements. Her sister Mrs. William Whitfield, 101 Congress Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island was listed as her next of kin.
Arriving some eleven days later via Liverpool, England, Nurse Christman joined Army Evacuation Hospital # 6 that was located at the railhead at Souilly France along with Evacuation # 7. The facility was a French hospital having a capacity of 1,000 beds by occupying both barracks and tents. Passageways between buildings were floored and roofed and had concrete shelters. The French turned over all equipment except instruments, but it was still far from being thoroughly equipped from the American point of view. Evac # 6 and 7 worked in conjunction and was ready for operation on August 27. The battle casualties began to pour in around September 12.
If the carnage of war wasn’t enough, the 1918 Flu Pandemic was attacking worldwide killing hundreds of thousands of people. The military in Europe were not immune and half of those who fell in France was due to the influenza virus. US Army Nurse Caroline H. Christman died of pneumonia and influenza at Evacuation Hospital # 6 on October 6, 1918, four months after her arrival. Her sister Anna was notified by cablegram a few days later. Caroline was buried in Temporary Grave # 194, Section A, Plot 4, American Cemetery, Souilly, Meuse the same day as her death. Service information about her burial could not be found but it would have been with military honors.
In October 1919, families of fallen Americans were given the choice of leaving their sons/daughters buried in an American Cemetery in Europe with their comrades or bring them home for reburial in a State or National Cemetery like Arlington or a cemetery in their hometown. Sister Anna chose to leave Caroline with those she served and served with as did approximately 30% of the families. On October 17, 1921, she was disinterred and reburied for the final time in the new Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial, Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Departement de la Meuse, Lorraine, France, Plot F, Row 15, Grave 1. Day is done, God is nigh.
Epilogue: Her mother Phebe having died in 1885 left no one eligible to visit her grave under the Gold Star Mother’s Pilgrimage enacted by Congress in 1929. Sister Anna lived to age 77, passing in 1956.
It was my honor to write this short biography from available documents found. I know it doesn’t start to do Caroline or her family justice. Lest we forget…Larry E. Hume, Chief Master Sergeant, US Air Force, Retired.
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