Anna M. (Anna Morris) Holstein

Born in Pennsylvania in 1824, Anna Morris Holstein became known as a Civil War nurse, organizer, and author. During the war she worked in Union field hospitals, and after the Battle of Gettysburg she served as matron-in-chief in a large hospital caring for wounded soldiers.

She later wrote about those experiences in Three Years in Field Hospitals of the Army of the Potomac, a firsthand account valued for its plain, immediate picture of hospital life during the war. Writing under the name "Mrs. H.," she left a record that is both personal and historically useful.

Holstein was also active in preservation work after the war. She is especially associated with the effort to acquire and protect Washington’s Headquarters at Valley Forge, helping turn remembrance of the past into a public cause. She died in 1900, leaving behind a legacy of service, writing, and historical stewardship.