In 1861, Mary Sullivan left her teaching position in upstate New York to help with the approach-ing Civil War. She travels to meet her society cousins in New York City where they are leaders in the New York Woman's Organization of Relief. As war becomes a reality, Mary joins the United States Sanitary Commission where she is involved with many of the major battles in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania while serving as a Civil War nurse. Although Mary weathers many trials on the transport ships and battlefields, there are happy times during those years of 1861-1865. This is Mary's story.