MICHIGAN  BRIDGET:  Discovering  The  Truth 

Behind  the  Legend 

James  S.  Hannum,  M.D. 

"A  few  days  ago  I  saw  Bridget,  who  came  out  with · the  First  Michigan 
.., 

Cavalry,  and  has  been  with  the  regiment  ever  since. 

She  had  just  come 

i~  with  the  body  of  a  captain  who  was  killed  in  a  cavalry  skirmish.  She 

had  the  body  lashed  to  her  horse,  and  carried  him  fifteen  miles,  where 

she  procured  a  coffin,  and  sent  him  home.  She  says  this  is  the  hardesc 

battle  they  have  had,  and  the  ground  was  covered  with  the  wounded. 

She 

had  not  slept  for  48  hours,  having  worked  incessantly  with  the  wounded . 

. • 

She  is  brave ,  hero5c,  and  a  perfect  enthusiast  in  her  work .•• " 

A  stirring  visual  image  of  Bridget  is  presented  in  My  Story  of  tL ~ 

War, 

showing  her  carrying 

t:he  American  flag,  and 

leading 

the  Fir:  t 

Michigan  Cavalry  into  an  engagement. 

....  ....  . 

. 

•  • " :O'·~·.:. ~-"?.:~---~· .. 

"!"".""'/.-~ • 

~ .......... . 

. . •;t.

. 

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.-

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.  A-(· · <II;]'  1-'l  ~UTL"J.: . -•)0':1l.T O A."1 

--.... _ . 

. -·. ····- ~· -· 
. ...... . 

.. . .............................. - ----

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When  I  saw  this  picture  of  Michigan  Bridget  in  an  old  book,  my 

i~terest  was  stimulated.  Then  I  read  Women  of  the  Wa~ which  contained  a 

... 

letter  by  Rebecca  Usher 

to  her  home 

in  Maine. 

Part  of 

that 

correspondence  is  quoted  above. 

I  was  then  curious  to  learn  more  about 

Bridget. 

Much  of  the  literature  from  the  mid-19th  century  is  written  in  an 

idealized  and  highly  stylized 

form, 

conforming  with 

standards  of 

propriety  of 

the  day. 

Careful  analysis  of 

records  however 

shows 

Michigan  Bridget  to  have  been  a  fascinating  person,  especially  after 

removing  the  almost  mythological 

language  frequently  used  to  describe 

her. 

Who, 

then,  was  ~he  real  Michigan  Bridget?  .  Unfortunately  there  is 

not  uniform  agre.ement  upon 

the  spelling  of  her  name. 

This 

is  not 

unlikely  as  she  herself  probably  was  illiterate.  Various  books  present 

her  name  as  Deaver,  Deavers,  Divers,  Devan,  and  Devens.  At 

the  time 

when  she  was  clearly  associated  with  the  First  Michigan  Cavalry,  she 

seemed  consistently  to  go  by  the  name  Bridget•Deavers,  and  represented 

herself  as  unmarried. 

In  Stories  of  Hospital  and  Camp  Mrs.  C.  E.  McKay 

writes,  "March  28th  (1865) 

- Visited 

in  company  with  Miss  Bridget 

Deavers,  two  large  camps  of  dismounted  cavalrymen  lying  along  the  James 

River,  a  few  miles  from  City  Point.  Bridget  - or,  as  the  men  call  her, 

Biddy  - has  probably  seen  more  of  hardship  and  danger  than  any  other 

woman  during  the  war.  She  has  been  with  the  cavalry  all  the  time,  going 

out  with 

them  on  their  cavalry  raids 

always  ready 

to  succor 

the 

wounded  on  the  field  - often  getting  men  off  who,  but  for  her,  would  be 

-2-

•. 

lc(t  to  die,  and,  fearless  of  shell  or  bull~t,  among  the  last  to  leave." 

In  1864,  General  Grant  had  banished  all  women 

from  militaq 

operations,  and  Bridget  subsequently  worked  with 

the  United  State~ 

Sanitary  Commissicn.  She  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  last  year  of  the 

war  at 

the  cavalry  corp  hospital  at  City  Point,  caring 

in  various 

capacities  for  wocnded  soldiers.  At  City  Point,  she  was  a  tentmate  ol 

Cornelia  Hancock,  a  famous  Qcaker  hospital  worker  for  the  Union  cause. 

To  orient  ourselves,  it  would  b•e  helpful  to  examine  the  time  and 

location  of  eyewitness  accounts  describing  Bridget. 

From  this  we  can 

perhaps  draw  some  conclusions,  or  at  least  make  inferences  about  other 

aspects  of  her  life.  Bridget  is  first  mentioned  in  Women  of  the  War  as 

being  present  at  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks  on  May  31st,  1862.  Fair  Oaks 

is  located  just  east  of  Richmond,  Virginia.  This  same  book  says  that 

she  was  also  found  at  the  battle  of  Cedar  Creek,  Virginia  which 

took 

place  October  19th,  1864,  in  the  Shenendoah  Valiey  ~outh  of  Winchester, 

Virginia.  At  Cedar  Creek,  " .•. She  found  herself  at  one  time  cut  off  and 

surrounded  by  the  enemy,  but  managed,  by  an  adroit  movement, 

to  escape 

capture."  Her  presence  near  City  Point,  Virginia,  in  March  and  April  of 

1865  has  already  ~een  established. 

It  is  rewarding  to  see  that  these 

stirring  feats  of  daring  can  be  verified  by  the  historical  record. 

The 

Captain  mentioned 

in 

the  first  paragraph  was  George  C.  Whitney  of 

Hadley,  in  Lapeer  County,  who  commanded  Company  B  of  the  First  Michigan 

Cavalry. 

He  was  severely  wounded  at 

the  Batt] e  of  Five  Forks  near 

Petersburg,  Virginia,  on  April  1st,  1965.  His  military  record  shows 

that  he  died  April  4th,  1865, 

"on 

the 

road 

to 

the  Cavalry  Corp. 

-3-

Hospital"  at  City  Point,  Virginia.  His  body  was  returned  to  Michigan, 

and  he  was  buried  at  the  Hadley  Cemetery. 

~ 

Bridg'et's  activity  at  Five 

Forks  is  also  detailed  in  Women's  Work  in  the  Civil  War. 

"In  one  of 

Sheridan's  grand  raids,  during  the  latter  days  of  the  rebellion,  she,  as 

usual,  rode  with  the  troops  night  and  day,  wearing  out  several  horses, 

until  they  dropped  from  exhaustion. 

In  a  severe  cavalry  engagement,  in 

which  her  regiment  took  a  prominent  part,  her  colonel  was  wounded,  and 

her  ~aptain killed. 

She  accompanied ·l:he  former  to  the  rear,  where  she 

ministered  to  his  needs,  and  when  placed  in ,  the  cars,  bound  for  City 

Point  Hospital,  she  remained  with  him,  giving  all  the  relief 

iu.  her 

power,  on  that  -fatiguing  journey,  although  herself  almost  exhausted, 

having  been  without  ~leep  for  four  days  and  nights.  After  seeing  he::::-

colonel  safely  and  comfortably 

lodged  in  the  hospital,  she 

took  O!"le 

night's  rest,  and  returned  to  the  front. 

Finding  that  her  captain's 

body  ha?  not  been  recovered,  it  being  hazardous  ~o make  the  attempt,  ~he 

resolved  to  rescue  it,  as  •it  never  should  be  left  on  rebel  soil'.  So, 

with  her  orderly  for  sole  companion,  she  rode  fifteen  miles  to  the  scene 

of  the  late  conflict,  found  the  body  she  sought,  strapped  it  upon  her 

horse,  rode  back  seven  miles  to  an  embalmers,  where  she  wait  whilst  the 

body  was  enbalmed, 

then  again  strapping  it  on  her  horse, 

she 

rude 

several  miles  further  to  the  cars  in  which,  ~ith  her  precious  burden  ~he 

proceeded  to  City  Point,  where  she  obtained  a  rough  coffin  and  forwarjed 

the  whole  to  Michigan ... " 

The  Colonel  mentioned  above  was  George  R.  Maxwell,  of  Graft:>n, 

Monroe  County.  Although  this  man  had  sustained  several  wounds  earlier 

-4-

in  the  war,  the  inju~y  to  his  left  leg  received  at  Five  Forks  result~d 

in  the  amputation  of  the  leg  on  April  17th,  1865. 

ol\. 

George  returned  to 

Monroe .  County  and  married  Erruna  Bel le  Turner  on  September  16th,  186 5. 

His  new  wife,  however,  died  on  January  17th,  1866.  Subsequently,  George 

;;ioved 

to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah  Territory,  and  there  married  Mary  Ann 

Sprague,  July  21st,  1872.  George  died  in  Salt  Lake  City  on  July  2nd, 

1889,  reportedly  of  the  late  effects  of  his  many  war  wounds. 

As 

the 

First  t1ichigan  Cavalry.  was  stationed ··at  Camp  Douglas  (3  :niles  east  of 

Salt  Lake  City)  immediately  after  the  Civil  War,  certain  possibilities 

are  suggested  that  will  be  explored  later. 

It  is  now 

time 

to  return 

to 

the  question  of  Bridget's  exact 

relationship 

to  th~  First  Michigan  Cavalry,  ·  and 

to 

the  State  of 

Michigan.  Although  several  sources  state  that  her  husband  served  as  a 

private  soldier  in  that  regiment,  no  man  named  Deavers,  or  any  variant 

spellin~,  appears  on  the  rolls  of  that  regiment  (nor  on  the  rolls  of  the 

Fifth,  Sixth  or  Seventh  Michigan  Cavalry,  other 

regiments  of 

che 

Michigan  Cavalry  Brigade).  An  excerpt  from  Women  of  the  War  definitely 

suggests  that  in  1862,  Bridget  represented  herself  as  married. 

"The 

battle  of  Fair  Oaks  commenced  by  a  vigorous  charge  of  an  overwhelming 

rebel  force  upon  a  single  division  of  McClellan's  army,  which  hcd 

advanced  across  the  Chickahominy.  As  Casey's  division,  thus  attacked, 

gave  way,  there  was  danger  that  the  panic  might  spread  and  infect  the 

t r0ops  that  were  has~ening  to  the  support.  Among  these  was  the  Sever1th 

MassachusP.tts, 

that,  having  advanced 

to  within 

range  of 

the 

rebel 

artillery,  had  just  received  the  order  'forward',  that  would 

in  a 

1 ew 

moments  plunge 

them  into  the  heat  of 

the  contest. 

They  obeyed 

the 

command  but  slowly 1 

... 

for  the  enemy's  fire  was  growing  every  moment  more 

terrific. 

Just  then 

'Irish  Biddy'  came  along,  supporting  her  husband, 

who  had  a  ball  through  his  leg. 

Swinging  her  soldier's  ca;>  over  her 

head  she  shouted, 

'Ar rah!  Go 

in  boys,  and  bate  the  bloody  spalpeens. 

and  revinge  me  husband,  and  God  be  wid  ye.'" 

"The  effect  was 

instantaneous  and  decisive. 

The  regiment  gave 

three  cheers  for  'Irish  Biddy'  and  three  for  the  Seventh. 

Then  joining 

the  Tenth _  Massachusetts,  and  other  troops•  they  made  a  gallant  and 

successful  charge  on  the  e~emy's  center." 

Since  t~e  First  Michigan  Cavalry  was  in  the  Shenendoah  Valley  on 

May  31st,  1862,  and  thus,  far  from  the  battle  .of  Fair  Oaks,  Bridget's 

association  must  have  been  with  some  other  organization  on  that  date. 

Using  a  process  of  elimination,  it  is  possible  to  determine  all  the 

regimen_ts  engaged  in  that  battle,  and  which  regiments  were  in  position 

in  advance  of  the  Seventh  Massachusetts  Infantry.  One  can  then  select 

all  names  O'l 

those  rosters  which  conform  to• the  pattern  of  Deavers, 

Divers,  Devens,  etc.  Of  these  names,  Private  George  Devins  was  found  in 

the  104th  Pennsylvania  Infantry.  Official  accounts  of  the  battle  of 

Fair  Oaks  show  that,  in  fact,  this  regiment  was  driven  back  through  the 

lines  of  the  Seventh  Massachusetts.  More  significantly,  George  Devins 

died  of  wounds  received  on  that  date  at  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks.  This 

suggests  that  Bridget  was  then  presenting  herself  as  the  wife  of  George 

Devins.  This  is  also  consistent  with  her  being  called  Bridget  Devens  or 

Devan.  i~  various  other  records.  George  Devins  clearly  was  not  married 

-6-

t~  Bridget,  however,  as  he  had  a  wife,  Elizabeth,  and  several  children, 

in  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania • 

... 

I t 

is 

tempting 

to  speculate 

that 

similarities  in  the  last  names  of  Bridget  and  George  Devins  may  have 

lead  to  their  meeting,  possibly  while  the  104th  Pennsylvania  Infentry 

trained  in  Pennsylvania,  before  leaving  for  Washington,  D.C.  on  November 

6,  1861,  or  while  the  regiment  was  quartered  in  Washington,  D.C.,  until 

March,  1862. 

But  where  did  Bridget  come  from•originally?  Stories  of  Hospital 

and  Camp 

;;aid  +:hat 

in  1865  "She  is  an  Irish  woman,  has  been 

in  the 

country  sixteen  years,  and  is  now  26  years  of  age."  This  would  place 

her  date  of  birth  about  1839  and  the  year  of  immigration  as  1849. 

A:i 

exhaustive  review  of.relev~nt  immigration  indexes  reveals  that  a  Biddy 

Diver  arrived  in  Philadelphia  on  July  14th,  1849, 

from  Londonderry, 

Ireland  aboard  the  ship  Afton. 

She  was  described  as  eleven  years  old, 

and  wit~out  other  obvious  family  members.  The·  surname  Diver  is  found 

almost  exclusively 

in  County  Donnegal, 

Ireland,  which  borders  on 

Londonderry. 

It  seems  likely  that  Bridget  wa&  one  of  the  large  number 

of  Irish  who  came  to  Ame~ica  as  a  result  of  the  potato  famine. 

It  is 

also  true  that  no  definite  evidence  exists  that  Bridget  ever  actually 

resided  in  Michigan. 

Perhaps 

the  most 

interesting  question,  and  one  which 

remains 

unanswered,  is  what  happened  to  Bridget  after  the  war?  Woman's  Work  in 

the  Civil  War, 

in  1867, 

said 

that 

"when 

the  war 

ended,  Bridget 

accompanied  her  regiment  to  Texas,  from  whence  she  returned  with  them  to 

Michigan,  but 

the  attractions  of  army 

life  were 

too  strong 

to  be 

-7-

' 

overcome,  and  she  has  since  joined  one  of  tbe  regiments  of  the  regular 

army .  stationed  on 

.II-

the  plains 

in 

the  ne:ighborhood  of 

the  Rocky 

Mountains."  However,  Michig an  Women 

in  the  Civil  War 

indicates  that 

"Bridget  went  out  to  the  western  plains  with  her  regiment  after  the  war. 

She  must  have  liked  the  life,  for,  after  the  First  Michigan  Cavalry  was 

disbanded,  she  joined  a  regular  army  cavalry  unit  as  a 

laundress  and 

-continued  in  the  West." 

It  is  probable  that  Bridget  went·~o  Washington,  D.C.  for  the  Grand 

Review  of  the  troops  which  took  place  i n  late  May,  1865.  Following  this 

victory  parade,  most  volunteer  regiments  were  sent  home,  except  for 

cavalry,  which  still  had  a  role  to  play  on  the  frontiers  of  the  United 

States. 

In  June,  . 1865,  Gener~l  Custer 

took 

a  number  of  cavalry 

regiments  to  Texas  to  restore  order  and  make  sure  that  Mexico  did  not 

make  any  intrusions  during  the  unrest  after  the  collapse  of  the  Southern 

Confede ;- acy.  However  no  Michigan  cavalry  regiments  were  with  Custer's 

troops 

in  that  operation. 

The  First  Michigan  Cavalry,  on 

the  other 

hand,  left  in  June  for  service  in  the  Western  territories,  going  by  way 

of  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  finally  orriving  in  the  fall  at  Camp 

Douglas,  Utah  Territory.  That  regiment  was  mustered  out  at  Camp  Douglas 

in  March,  1866,  the  men  paid  off ,  and  most  of  them  no  doubt  returned  to 

Michigan. 

Bridget's  prior  association  with 

the  1C4th  Pennsylvania 

Infantry  suggests  that  she  was  not  necessarily  bound  exclusively  to  the 

First  Michigan  Cavalry,  and  therefore  could  have  gone 

to  Texas  with 

other  cavalry  regiments.  However  it  is  tempting  to  speculate  that  i he 

did  go  to  the  Salt  Lake  City  area  (Camp  Douglas)  ~ i th  the  First  Michi f· an 

-8-

Cavalry,  and  perhaps  remained  in  that  region  after  the  regiment  was 

mustered  out.  Whether  Colonel  Maxwell  knew  o[  her  presence,  or  of  other 

"' 

former  comrades  who 

remained 

in 

the  area,  and 

thus  decided 

to  move 

there,  remains  an  open  question. 

The  story  of  Bridget's  life  remains  incomplete.  Perhaps  at  some 

later  time,  further  study  will  show  exactly  how  she  spent  the  time  after 

the  Civil  War. 

If  she  indeed  did  spend  this  segment  of  her  life  on  the 

frontier,  perhaps  that  story  will  ~ as  interesting  as  her  escapades 

during  the  War. 

-9-

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Ha r tf or d ,  Con n. ,  S.  S.  Scrant on  and  Co. ,  1867. 

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Experience,  by  Mary  A.  Livermore,  Hartford,  Conn.,  1890 . 

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Claxton,  Remson  and  Haffelfinger,  1876. 

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~ 

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..