485 - One Unwashed Lettuce Leaf

Speaker 1 This is exactly right.

Speaker 1 No one brings out your inner monster like a bad neighbor.

Speaker 1 Claire Danes and Matthew Reese find that out for themselves in The Beast in Me, a new eight-episode drama from the team that brought you homeland. Danes plays Aggie Wiggs, a grieving writer.

Speaker 1 Reese plays Niall Jarvis, her new neighbor and possible murderer. But who's the monster and who's the bad neighbor? That's another story.

Speaker 1 It's a game of cat and mouse that sets them on a collision course with fatal consequences. The Beast and Me, now playing only on Netflix.
You will not want to miss this. Goodbye.
Goodbye.

Speaker 1 This podcast is sponsored by PayPal. Okay, let's talk holiday shopping.
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Speaker 1 Hello

Speaker 1 and welcome to my favorite murder. That's Georgia Hartstark.
That's Karen Kellgariff. And we're here to just do a super quick little episode for you.
Just a little solo. Just get this.

Speaker 1 Let's get it out there. Let's get it done.
Yeah. It's officially summer.
We're enjoying the heat. Hope you are too.

Speaker 1 I don't know. What's going on? Oh, I had food poisoning last night and didn't sleep at all.
Couldn't stop barfing.

Speaker 1 What was it? I always want to know, but I know you don't. No one knows, right? I'm trying to backtime it.

Speaker 1 And if it is the restaurant that my dad and I ate at together, it will break my heart because we eat there all the time and I love it.

Speaker 1 And I was just like, as it was starting, I was just like, no, because I've had bad food poisoning once before.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 sorry, but remember that. Well, maybe I shouldn't name names, but I don't think these stores exist anymore.
Remember that Fresh Choice in Highland Park?

Speaker 1 Yeah, it was like a, yeah, it was like a little grocery, like pre-made, packaged stuff. Yeah.
Right.

Speaker 1 Which when you first go into it, you're like, this is a dream come true for the person that can't cook and doesn't cook. And right.

Speaker 1 So I got a Chinese chicken salad from there, but the salad part wasn't lettuce. It was all cut up cabbage.

Speaker 1 And then like 24 hours later, I literally thought I was going to have to go to the hospital. And since that time, and that was 2010s, literally the word cabbage bums me out.

Speaker 1 Like I can't even think about it. So as I was trying to figure out where this came from, I was like, but when you find out, there's going to be a whole realm of things ruined forever for you.

Speaker 1 But I think that in general, lettuces and cabbages and that kind of thing is just like dangerous and way more than we think we realize. So it doesn't mean the restaurant.
gave it to you because they

Speaker 1 are bad. It's like just like one unwashed lettuce leaf can like ruin everything.

Speaker 1 Also in these days, it's just such a, you know, as we all talk about this dystopian nightmare we're sliding into, when those like the stories of recalls, they keep on happening. Oh, my God.

Speaker 1 Because everything has just been like deregulated. And like, yeah, everybody just do what you want.
It's just like, you know, my God. Pick your level.
Yeah. It's absurd.
So I feel like that it's not.

Speaker 1 I always want someone to be like, it was this thing that I ate at this place. So I can always avoid it.
Right. Same with true crime where it's like, this thing happened and this thing happened.

Speaker 1 Now I can avoid it. You know, we all wish, if only.
If only. It's life isn't like that, unfortunately.

Speaker 1 so i think you don't have to worry about the restaurant and also i don't know if this has ever happened to you when you're sick but you watch a certain thing on tv and then the thing seems worse than like you're trying to enjoy it but you're like this represents all my suffering i can't hear the theme song to orange is the new black without getting depressed because i watched it in this really deep depression of my life back in the old apartment.

Speaker 1 Yep. And so what's that beautiful song that the opening is? I love it.

Speaker 1 Is it a Regina Specter song yes yes you've got time by Regina Specter I will cry I will fucking just go into a deep depression if I hear that song because I watched that show yes while I was depressed and also that show you go through that show yeah I mean that is such a an experience of a show it's not like you know you're just kind of like oh this whole thing you're just like oh my god no i'm also in prison now i'm also trying to survive whatever so it's so sad okay it's a lot well i'm sorry about your food poisoning.

Speaker 1 Let's. Hey, let's make this quick.
Hey, we can do this. Look, I'm blessed to have food poisoning in this goddamn day and age.

Speaker 1 Here's kind of a cute thing, which is somebody wrote an email after the Harper Lee episode that I did.

Speaker 1 If you want to hear it, because I said if anybody out there, the whole thing was about how Harper Lee was down in that town where Reverend Willie Maxwell was killing people and people think that she may have been writing a book.

Speaker 1 Nothing ever came of it. And then there there was a part where somebody years later had found a note that she had put into an encyclopedia, I think, at the local library.

Speaker 1 So I asked for if anybody has a secret Harper Lee treasure that they want to share with us to please do that. So we got an email.
Oh my God. And the subject line is Harper Lee Treasure.

Speaker 1 It just starts, now I wasn't able to search a dusty attic as Karen instructed in Alexandra City for the missing Willie Maxwell manuscript. My apologies.

Speaker 1 Would you settle for a retired educator's basement safe in rural Missouri? Always. I mean, the idea of a basement safe is on par with safe deposit box at the bank, right?

Speaker 1 A safe. Like, what? Who? Ah,

Speaker 1 personal safe. Has a fucking safe.
That's so cool. I walked into my sister's garage when I was home and there was a safe in her garage.
And I was like, what the hell is she using a safe for?

Speaker 1 Did she rob a bank or something? It was the previous owner. It's just sitting out there because no one can move it.

Speaker 1 Did I tell you that when Vince and I, way back, we were looking at houses to buy and one of them had a fur safe? That's how old the house was.

Speaker 1 It was like a climate-controlled, huge safe just for like this society lady's furs back in the 20s. Holy shit.
I know. And I was like, okay, I just want this.
That is amazing. Yep.

Speaker 1 Go in there, lock yourself in, watch Orange is the New Black.

Speaker 1 Get it taken care of. Okay, so we're still in this email.
So basically, they're apologizing, but would we settle for this? A basement safe in rural Missouri?

Speaker 1 What we're saying to you right now, writer, is that yes, the answer is yes.

Speaker 1 Back in the email. If so, your search will uncover the typewritten note of advice Harper Lee sent to my parents after my birth.
What?

Speaker 1 Then it says, backing up a bit, when my two educator parents chose to name their perfect firstborn me, they chose the name Harper.

Speaker 1 In 1993, when I was almost five years old, my father, the English teacher, wrote to Harper Lee with no expectation of hearing back as she lived a notoriously quiet life.

Speaker 1 To their surprise, she wrote back the following address to me.

Speaker 1 They actually sent a picture of this. And it says, Dear Harper, you are beginning a life in a world quite different from the world I knew as a child.

Speaker 1 The only thing I can say is in your reading, if there are any books left to read, instead of watch, always keep the best company. That way you can't go wrong.
With all good wishes, Harper Lee.

Speaker 1 Oh my God. And then back into the rest of it, they say, I've done my best to live up to this advice for the last 40 years and now get to foster the same passion for literary works with my own child.

Speaker 1 My namesake was right. Books make the best company.
Stay sexy, protect the written word and libraries and make Harper Lee proud. All the best.
Harper Z.

Speaker 1 Wow. What a like coincidence.
Like what, if that was, I was Harper listening. Oh my God, beautiful.
I know.

Speaker 1 I'd I'd be like I have an email I know here here you go I'm Harper Z you want this and it's beautifully typewritten little note gorgeous signed by Harper Lee at the bottom I saw it also wouldn't you just love your dad for being that kind of forward thinking

Speaker 1 yeah it's beautiful nice job cool should we do some highlights yeah we have a podcast network it's called exactly right media here are some highlights before we begin over on our podcast the knife i cannot wait to listen to this episode they're telling the harrowing story of Jackie Flug, who survived the hijacking of Egypt Air Flight 648 in 1985.

Speaker 1 Incredible. And then we have an exactly right crossover for the ages.
Roz welcomes That's Messed Up host, Lisa Traeger, back to Ghosted.

Speaker 1 They talk about ghosts, psychics, and one very dramatic haunting. And the two of them together, man, get ready to laugh.

Speaker 1 Come on.

Speaker 1 Also, this week over on Bananas, Kurt and Scotty asked the eternal question. Did you know that Andre the Giant let out a 16 second fart on his set of princess pride

Speaker 1 what a great news podcast 16 seconds and then yeah count it out that's a long one hold your breath that long and see if see what happens oh my god i can't wait to hear that whole thing and then this is really exciting so we have brand new merch based on the hit episode of mfm animated look for a goth

Speaker 1 you guys loved it we love it so you can get a ladies muscle tea or a unisex tea featuring the gorgeous goth girl drawn by the great Nick Terry. And it says, look for a goth.

Speaker 1 So it's like kind of perfect for people who aren't goth but want to support the goth community. Yeah.
It's perfect. You don't like all those piercings and the makeup, you don't have to do any of that.

Speaker 1 You can just wear a goth on your shirt. Yeah.
There's also a decal that says look for a goth that's designed by our in-house graphic designer, Vanessa Lilac. It's so good.

Speaker 1 It's like a little baby on board. Look for a goth triangle.
It looks very official and it's basically like helping people out. So go to myfavorite murder.com to check out the store.

Speaker 1 We have a lot of great merch in there, including that.

Speaker 1 Every family has so many amazing stories that no one has ever heard before. That's why Story Worth memoirs are perfect for your loved ones this holiday season.

Speaker 1 It might sound a little intimidating, but it's so easy. They'll love it.
It's a gift they won't see coming, something that makes them feel truly special. And it turns out it's a gift for you too.

Speaker 1 Their magic layout and new book designs make your books books and photos look even more beautiful. What's not changing, customers love for Storyworth.

Speaker 1 They printed over a million books and preserved 35 million family stories since their founding 13 years ago. They have over 48,000 five-star reviews on TrustPilot.

Speaker 1 Wirecutter, the strategist, CNN, Fox News, and more agree Storyworth is the perfect gift for the people you love most. I mean, what a great thing.

Speaker 1 There's always the gift list for people that are impossible. impossible to buy for people that you've bought everything for on and on.

Speaker 1 This gift truly is like different than any other gift you give because it's literally giving your family members their own memories back to them. Totally.

Speaker 1 And it's something that you can share and cherish for generations, really. So give your loved ones a unique keepsake you'll all cherish for years.
Storyworth memoirs.

Speaker 1 Right now, save $15 or more during their holiday sale when you go to storyworth.com slash MFM. That's storyworth.com slash MFM to save $15 or more on your order.
Goodbye.

Speaker 1 Taking care of our mental health usually ends up at the bottom of the to-do list.

Speaker 1 It's somewhere between cleaning out the junk drawer and going to the post office, so basically, it isn't going to happen. But Talkspace makes it easy to fit therapy into your life.

Speaker 1 Talkspace is the number one rated online therapy provider, bringing you professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatrists that you can access anytime, anywhere.

Speaker 1 Talkspace is also in network. It's covered by most insurers, and most insured members pay a copay of $0.

Speaker 1 Talkspace is affordable, even if you pay out of pocket. Part of the mission of Talkspace is to provide quality care that's accessible and affordable, whether or not you're insured.

Speaker 1 You can switch providers at no extra cost, so you'll be sure to find a licensed provider that fits your needs.

Speaker 1 Here's why I love TalkSpace because they're making it actually affordable for people in 2025. Very important these days.
We need it the most now, and we can't afford it the most now.

Speaker 1 So let's fucking do it. Yeah, let's get it all covered by our insurance and let's get some therapy.

Speaker 1 As a listener of this podcast, you'll get $80 off your first month with TalkSpace when you go to talkspace.com/slash MFM and enter promo code space80. That's S-P-A-C-E 80.

Speaker 1 To match with the licensed therapist today, go to talkspace.com slash MFM and enter promo code SPACE80. Google.
Goodbye. This podcast is sponsored by PayPal.
Okay, let's talk holiday shopping.

Speaker 1 From now through December 8th, you can get 20% cash back when you pay in four with PayPal. No fees, no interest.

Speaker 1 This limited time offer is perfect for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals you've been eyeing. Save the offer in the app now.

Speaker 1 So whether you're buying tickets to an improv show or a whodunit board game, PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Expires December 8th.

Speaker 1 See PayPal.com slash promo terms subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com slash payin4, PayPal Inc, NMLS 910-457.
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Speaker 1 So today, this episode comes out on Juneteenth, the day that marks the ending of slavery in the United States.

Speaker 1 And so I saw a TikTok on an incredible woman. So today's story is about a remarkable woman born into slavery in the 1830s, North Carolina.

Speaker 1 And because of this and the erasure of black accomplishment by a racist establishment, there are gaps in what we know about her life.

Speaker 1 But luckily, in recent years, historians have worked very hard to change that, searching archives and poring over old documents to find information and basically piece her life story together.

Speaker 1 So, because of that reporting, I am able to tell you today the amazing amazing story of heroic Civil War nurse Lucy Nichols.

Speaker 1 So the sources for the story that Marin used are the research of Pamela Peters, Curtis Peters, and Victor McGuinty, and the reporting of Dr.

Speaker 1 Eileen Yanoviak, who published a book about Lucy called The Tenacious Nurse Nichols.

Speaker 1 And the rest of the sources are in our show notes. Lucy's life begins in April of 1838 when she's born into slavery in Halifax County, North Carolina.
She's She's owned by Jacob and Sally Higgs.

Speaker 1 And because that's the way it worked back then, she is forced to take their last name as her own. So technically, her legal name is Lucy Higgs.
We don't know the names of Lucy's parents.

Speaker 1 or the details of what her day-to-day life was like. Much of what historians have cobbled together comes from the Higgs's legal documents.

Speaker 1 And those legal documents purely speak of the people that they owned as inventory. So it is

Speaker 1 how many of them, the cost, the names, and they track her movements to the different households within the family, or they name her in legal disputes over which family member owns her.

Speaker 1 That's so crazy and awful. It's so horrible.
But here is what we do know. In 1839, when Lucy is an infant, Jacob and Sally Higgs' 29-year-old son Ruben claims legal ownership of her.

Speaker 1 Lucy's seven-year-old brother Aaron and her four-year-old sister Angeline.

Speaker 1 So, before she's a year old, Reuben takes Lucy and her two siblings and a small group of other enslaved workers from the Higgs, North Carolina property to his new home in Tennessee.

Speaker 1 It's unclear if Lucy's parents go with this group, but under slavery, families are constantly and very commonly torn apart.

Speaker 1 So, when Lucy's eight years old, she and her sister Angeline are forcibly moved again after Ruben's wife, Eliza, divorces him and moves to Mississippi.

Speaker 1 And Maren makes the note, she says, sort of an aside, but divorce would have been extremely atypical in the South in this era, which is the first thing I thought of where I was like, oh my God, this woman was like, goodbye.

Speaker 1 I mean, even this,

Speaker 1 but we don't know why the marriage ended. We do know that Ruben ended up marrying his first cousin not long after.

Speaker 1 So then when Eliza dies, Lucy and Angeline are moved again to another Higgs property back in Tennessee in a town called Bolivar, not far from the Tennessee-Mississippi border.

Speaker 1 And here Lucy, Angeline, and their brother Aaron are reunited. By 1860, Lucy is in her early 20s and now married to a man who is also enslaved by the Higgs family.

Speaker 1 They have a baby girl that they name Mona, and we know Mona's age because the Higgs 1860 property inventory list, she appears there listed as infant.

Speaker 1 That same document reduces Lucy and Mona's lives to a dollar amount. Together, they are valued at $1,400.

Speaker 1 Wow.

Speaker 1 So it's presumed Lucy's husband is Mona's father.

Speaker 1 But of course, very dark side of slavery is that there's always the disturbing possibility that Lucy was sexually assaulted by her white owner and became pregnant because of that.

Speaker 1 What we do know is that Mona's birth marks a very pivotal moment in Lucy's life. This is what historian Eileen Yanoviak writes.
She says,

Speaker 1 The birth of Mona was undoubtedly steeped with mixed emotions, the pride and joy of a new mother and the fear and sorrow of a life bound into slave labor.

Speaker 1 It offered Lucy the opportunity to love and be loved unconditionally. She experienced the instinct to protect her child.
So it's kind of cool.

Speaker 1 It's like that driving force behind what the rest of the story becomes. So in 1861, the Civil War begins.

Speaker 1 And a year later, in July, in Kentucky, which is directly north of Tennessee, they're mostly under Union control.

Speaker 1 And the Higgs family, as enslavers, probably are starting to feel the walls closing in.

Speaker 1 So they start talking about trafficking their enslaved laborers. further south where they can be sold for tens of thousands of dollars each.

Speaker 1 Lucy knows what this means. She will wind up deeper in Confederate territory and farther away from the possibility of freedom if she would ever want to try to flee to a Union state.

Speaker 1 And because of that, it's almost guaranteed she'll be separated from her loved ones, including her baby daughter.

Speaker 1 So Lucy and a few of the other people, enslaved by the Higgs family, plan their escape and bravely set out at night in the summer of 1862.

Speaker 1 So we can assume the group is very small. Lucy's thought to be the only adult woman in it, which means her sister Angeline did not go with them.

Speaker 1 But historians believe Lucy's husband is a part of the group. And we know for sure Lucy is carrying Mona with her on this.
So how frightening to be an escaping slave with a baby. Totally.

Speaker 1 I mean, and Eileen Yanoviak writes this.

Speaker 1 She says, quote, Mona was only two or three years of age then, a bright-eyed and merry child whose sweet chatter or loud wails of fear could jeopardize their escape.

Speaker 1 But in the sweltering heat of a Tennessee summer, Lucy swaddled Mona in her gown and snuck away in the cover of night. Wow.

Speaker 1 So like many escaping slaves, the group almost certainly uses the stars to navigate north.

Speaker 1 It's unclear if they have a more specific destination in mind other than just going north, but they would be making their way through briars and bushes a lot of the time barefoot, which is the thing I didn't really think of until now or just like getting out with what you have.

Speaker 1 It's not like they had a bunch of stuff that they could take with them or totally. It's worst case scenario, of course, in every way.
They're trying to keep hidden in wooded areas.

Speaker 1 A lot of it would be unfamiliar, definitely hostile territory, and it'd be easier for them to get turned around or lost, which could, of course, lead to them being recaptured and then brutally punished, of course.

Speaker 1 So this group makes it three miles when they arrive outside a Union Army camp. This camp houses hundreds of soldiers making up Indiana's 23rd Volunteer Regiment.

Speaker 1 The soldiers come from a town called New Albany, Indiana, more than 300 miles from their current post in Tennessee.

Speaker 1 Major will later describe Lucy and her group as, quote, dusty and foot sore from the long and hurried journey.

Speaker 1 Some sources say the group traveled 30 miles, but experts on her life say it was more likely three miles.

Speaker 1 Either way, in the middle of the night, just trying to get away. No shoes, my God.
I mean, all the things. It's like all 100 miles.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 So, of course, the Higgses know immediately when the slaves escape. So they're already in pursuit of this group.

Speaker 1 So now Lucy and the group are in the horrible position of having to beg these white Union soldiers to help protect them from their enslavers.

Speaker 1 Because even a union camp is a threat to freedom seekers like Lucy. Escaped slaves risk assault and sexual violence or being taken captive under the Fugitive Slave Act.

Speaker 1 And this is a federal law requiring that escaped enslaved people be returned to their quote owners and often resulted in a monetary reward. Yeah, it's the reality of it, right?

Speaker 1 Yeah, if you're being seen as less than human anyway, then no matter what side you're on, it's, you know, it's that.

Speaker 1 But also, the union soldiers could just turn them away and basically say, we can't help you.

Speaker 1 I think people think that just because it's like the Union, they're not racist and it's like they're still racist. It's just not,

Speaker 1 it's a different flavor. That's right.

Speaker 1 Fortunately, though, these Union soldiers do the right thing.

Speaker 1 When someone from the Higgs home does show up to the 23rd Regiment's camp, the men of the 23rd refuse to turn Lucy and her group over. There are theories that that's because of baby Mona.

Speaker 1 Even these hardened soldiers wouldn't want to throw a small child to the wolves that way.

Speaker 1 And there are laws known as confiscation acts where Union forces are technically allowed to seize any property being used to support the Confederacy.

Speaker 1 And because enslaved people are seen as and treated like property, these freedom seekers can arguably be considered contraband of war.

Speaker 1 So the Higgs family are furious and there's a standoff, but the soldiers don't back down. And so the Higgs have no choice but to leave.
I mean, it's a camp of soldiers all armed, you know.

Speaker 1 So Lucy then decides to stay at the camp, presumably because she doesn't have other options. They didn't have a final destination.

Speaker 1 And at least here she can feed and care for Mona, who immediately becomes a rare source of joy for the regiment soldiers.

Speaker 1 Eileen Yanoviak writes, quote, the soldiers would lovingly croon to the little girl to earn her giggles and glee. What? I know.

Speaker 1 But of course, nothing's free, so Lucy and her husband have to work very hard for basic necessities if they're going to stay at this camp.

Speaker 1 Lucy's immediately put to work as a laundress and a cook, while her husband would have likely been assigned manual labor jobs or even could be enlisted in black volunteer regiments.

Speaker 1 Eileen Yanoviak says, quote, it was essentially a different type of bondage that required work in exchange for protection, provisions, and the promise of freedom, end quote.

Speaker 1 Within weeks, the Indiana Indiana 23rd is instructed to pack up and move on to the next battle. They set up camp in southern towns where the fighting requires them.

Speaker 1 So Lucy's responsibilities begin to evolve.

Speaker 1 Within a year of her arrival at the regiment, she becomes known for how good she is at soothing the sick and treating minor injuries, which are things she's learned as an enslaved domestic worker. So

Speaker 1 big part of her job

Speaker 1 and skills that she's basically already earned and learned. Lucy's caregiving skills eventually eventually catch the attention of the regiment's surgeon, Dr.

Speaker 1 Magnus Brucker, and he chooses her to serve as his right hand. This is a critical and high-stakes job that most doctors at the time would only consider another white man to be able to do.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 Wow. This story keeps making me think of The Nick.
Do you remember that series, The Nick? Definitely. Looking at history, we just have no idea.

Speaker 1 Unless we study it. Right.
The details of that kind of stuff of like, it's the accomplishment alone. She must have been incredible to have this white surgeon be like, no, it's got to be you.

Speaker 1 You're the one that's going to come and help me. But because war demands it out of sheer need, more and more women take on nursing roles, often with no real training.

Speaker 1 And Lucy already has experience and has done it. So these women include Harriet Tubman and the founder of the Red Cross, Clara Barton, who were forced to learn everything in real time in wartime.
Dr.

Speaker 1 Brucker then offers Lucy the unofficial title of nurse and promises she will eventually be compensated for her service.

Speaker 1 So that promise really matters to Lucy because even though of course her immediate world is consumed by the war, she's trying to make plans and prepare for her and Mona's future as free women.

Speaker 1 Every family has so many amazing stories that no one has ever heard before. That's why Story Worth memoirs are perfect for your loved ones this holiday season.

Speaker 1 It might sound a little intimidating, but it's so easy. They'll love it.
It's a gift they won't see coming, something that makes them feel truly special. And it turns out it's a gift for you too.

Speaker 1 Their magic layout and new book designs make your books and photos look even more beautiful. What's not changing? Customers love for Story Worth.

Speaker 1 They printed over a million books and preserved 35 million family stories since their founding 13 years ago. They have over 48,000 five-star reviews on Trust Pilot.

Speaker 1 Wirecutter, The Strategist, CNN, Fox News, and more agree Story Worth is the perfect gift for the people you love most. I mean, what a great thing.

Speaker 1 There's always the gift list for people that are impossible to buy for, people that you've bought everything for, on and on.

Speaker 1 This gift truly is like different than any other gift you give because it's literally giving your family members their own memories back to them. Totally.

Speaker 1 And it's something that you can share and cherish for generations, really. So give your loved ones a unique keepsake you'll all cherish for years.
StoryWorth memoirs.

Speaker 1 Right now, save $15 or more during their holiday sale when you go to storyworth.com slash MFM. That's storyworth.com/slash MFM to save $15 or more on your order.
Goodbye.

Speaker 1 Taking care of our mental health usually ends up at the bottom of the to-do list.

Speaker 1 It's somewhere between cleaning out the junk drawer and going to the post office, so basically, it isn't going to happen. But Talkspace makes it easy to fit therapy into your life.

Speaker 1 Talkspace is the number one rated online therapy provider, bringing you professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatrists that you can access anytime, anywhere.

Speaker 1 Talkspace is also in network. It's covered by most insurers and most insured members pay a copay of $0.
Talkspace is affordable even if you pay out of pocket.

Speaker 1 Part of the mission of Talkspace is to provide quality care that's accessible and affordable, whether or not you're insured.

Speaker 1 You can switch providers at no extra cost, so you'll be sure to find a licensed provider that fits your needs.

Speaker 1 Here's why I love TalkSpace, because they're making it actually affordable for people in 2025. Very important these days.
We need it the most now and we can't afford it the most now.

Speaker 1 So let's fucking do it. Yeah, let's get it all covered by our insurance and then let's get some therapy.

Speaker 1 As a listener of this podcast, you'll get $80 off your first month with TalkSpace when you go to talkspace.com slash MFM and enter promo code SPACE80. That's S-P-A-C-E80.

Speaker 1 To match with the licensed therapist today, go to talkspace.com slash MFM and enter promo code SPACE80. Google.
Goodbye. This podcast is sponsored by PayPal.
Okay, let's talk holiday shopping.

Speaker 1 From now through December 8th, you can get 20% cash back when you pay in four with PayPal. No fees, no interest.

Speaker 1 This limited time offer is perfect for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals you've been eyeing. Save the offer in the app now.

Speaker 1 So, whether you're buying tickets to an improv show or a whodunit board game, PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Expires December 8th.

Speaker 1 See PayPal.com/slash promo terms subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com/slash payin4, PayPal, Inc., NMLS 910-457.
Goodbye. Goodbye.

Speaker 1 So, Lucy takes the job. She She immediately begins tending to gruesome injuries.

Speaker 1 The soldiers are torn apart by grape shot, which are clusters of small cannonballs, as well as musket fire that can easily shred muscle and obliterate bone.

Speaker 1 Lucy's right in the middle of the action.

Speaker 1 Later, a fellow soldier will describe her as, quote, fearlessly going to the front to seek out wounded soldiers and officers, all equal in her mind, to administer water to thirsty mouths, pull away wounded wounded soldiers, and gently care for them.

Speaker 1 She witnessed men gasping their last breaths, whispering comforts to them as their angel of mercy. Wow.
End quote. How horrifying.
Yeah. She's just immediately a full-time war medic at the front.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Yeah.
Lucy also cares for the regiment through relentless waves of illness, and she shepherds many sick men to their death.

Speaker 1 217 members of the 23rd Regiment died during this war, 145 of them dying of diseases like dysentery, malaria, and typhoid fever. Holy shit, that's a big percentage.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 So Lucy's constantly surrounded by death and chaos, as well as dwindling food rations, filthy living conditions, and she still has Mona to take care of and worry about.

Speaker 1 But she keeps marching forward with the 23rd Regiment, and she's there around 30 battles. Oh my God.
She did 30 times.

Speaker 1 Can you imagine having the food poisoning you have right now, but in a war war on the front with no.

Speaker 1 Yeah, but people are just like, Can you push this bone back into my arm so I can go keep fighting? It's like, really, can you give me two seconds? I just have to retch.

Speaker 1 Okay, so the Louisville Career Journal later reports: quote, she was sometimes at the rear, sometimes at the front, and often in the thickest of the battle, as much a soldier as her male companions, except that she did not carry arms.

Speaker 1 She never received a scratch. Wow.

Speaker 1 Isn't that wild? Yeah.

Speaker 1 So Lucy's a nurse during the Battle of Atlanta, where Union forces capture one of the South's most critical cities, as well as Sherman's March to the Sea, which is the brutal push to the Georgia coast that helps turn the tide of the war in the Union's favor.

Speaker 1 So she's there for all the big ones. Yeah.
Damn. That's amazing.
She's also present at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, where following a relentless 47-day siege, the Union finally wins.

Speaker 1 It's seen as a turning point in the Civil War, but it comes with an enormous loss for Lucy because this is when Mona, who is now around three or four years old, dies. No.

Speaker 1 We don't know why. They didn't warn us.
I know. I'm sorry, but this is a story of slavery and war.
So

Speaker 1 it's as bad as it.

Speaker 1 The warning comes with the territory.

Speaker 1 But it's also like putting perspective on this life this woman led under the greatest oppression and in the worst circumstances, like going from slavery to the Civil War front lines. Sure.
My God.

Speaker 1 So we don't know how or why Mona dies. It is another detail of Lucy's life that is lost to time and to indifference.

Speaker 1 Given how rampant and lethal disease is during the war, it is very possible Mona just gets one of these diseases, doesn't recover. It's also possible she was killed.

Speaker 1 Like nearly every other aspect of her life, we don't have Lucy's perspective on her daughter's death, but a member of the 23rd Regiment will report that, quote, in the siege of Vicksburg, after the city had been captured, our regiment was one of the first to go in and receive surrender.

Speaker 1 Aunt Lucy followed in our wake. A short time after, her child died.
It almost broke the mother's heart.

Speaker 1 The men, too, had grown to be so fond of Mona, and it was a severe pain that went through through the entire 23rd. Oh my god, that's so touching.
It's so sad.

Speaker 1 The soldiers collect flowers for Mona's grave and she's buried in Vicksburg alongside members of the regiment who were killed in that battle.

Speaker 1 It's believed that this is when Lucy's husband enlists in the war.

Speaker 1 Yanoviak writes, quote, perhaps he was compelled to fight in honor of his fallen daughter, unable to bear the burden of her death as a passive bystander of the war effort.

Speaker 1 But after his enlistment, Lucy will never see her husband again. Yanoviak adds: quote, while the war brought Lucy opportunity and the prospect of freedom, it also delivered intense personal tragedy.

Speaker 1 She left behind her siblings, lost her husband, and watched her beloved child die.

Speaker 1 In contrast to the perceptions that enslaved people were passive recipients of freedom bestowed upon them by Yankees, Lucy's story, like so many others, illustrates the intense self-sacrifice made by black men and women to attain freedom.

Speaker 1 They too went deep into the war zones, working to survive bloody battles in a brutal civil war that tore the nation apart to reconcile its brutal past.

Speaker 1 That just makes me think of the movie Glory. If you haven't seen the movie Glory, you absolutely have to see that movie.
It's so good.

Speaker 1 So about a year later in 1864, the 23rd Regiment is granted a 60-day furlough and heads home to New Albany, Indiana for the first time in years. And Lucy goes with them.

Speaker 1 In Indiana, she's on free soil and she could leave the war behind.

Speaker 1 But when that furlough ends, she decides to return to the front, perhaps because the regiment gives her something to focus on in her grief, or maybe out of loyalty to the soldiers who've become like family to her.

Speaker 1 So she has a chance. She makes it to freedom and she goes back.

Speaker 1 Either way, the 23rd Regiment is active through the final days of the Civil War, which ends with Union victory in 1865. When the troops march through Washington, D.C.

Speaker 1 in the Union's victory parade, which is known as the Grand Review, it's clear how much the men of the 23rd Regiment respect Lucy because she marches right beside them as one of them. Oh my god, stop.

Speaker 1 I know. After the war, the men urge Lucy, who is still only in her 20s, to settle in New Albany, and she does it.

Speaker 1 Here she becomes one of the few female members of the Grand Army of the Republic, which is an organization for Union veterans, and she stays very close with her fellow soldiers.

Speaker 1 While getting back on her feet, she earns a living as a domestic worker and a nurse in some of their houses. Then when Lucy is around 32 years old, she marries a man named John Nichols.

Speaker 1 Like Lucy, he is a black veteran of the Civil War.

Speaker 1 Their wedding is held at the Second Baptist Church in New Albany, which is a known stop on the Underground Railroad, and then they buy a house together.

Speaker 1 Lucy finally seems to have some long overdue happiness and stability, but one thing is missing. She has not been paid for all of the work that she did during the war, and her pension claim is denied.

Speaker 1 At this point, the U.S. pension system is massive, actively paying out over 950,000 veterans and their families, some going all the way back to the Revolutionary War.
Wow.

Speaker 1 The payments eat up around 40% of our federal budget, and it's a commendable progressive system in many ways, but it's also very flawed.

Speaker 1 More than 18,000 women who serve the union as hospital nurses, laundresses, and cooks are left out entirely, mostly because they don't have the official records that are required to actually get the government to sign off on their pension.

Speaker 1 Right.

Speaker 1 But remember, Lucy was hired by Dr. Brucker, so she is one of those thousands of women without formal paperwork outlining her service.
But her bravery and determination isn't going anywhere.

Speaker 1 So, in the 1890s, after her pension claim is denied, she starts a battle with the U.S. government.
Damn.

Speaker 1 She starts by filing a petition, which is one of the few documents we have actually written by Lucy herself and in her voice. So, it says, quote, I served as a nurse for about three years.

Speaker 1 I cooked for the soldiers, dressed their wounds, gave them medicine, and washed for them, and did anything I was called to do. I never received a nickel for my services as a nurse.
Dr.

Speaker 1 Brucker told me I would get paid, and I worked on the hope of getting paid.

Speaker 1 So, Lucy's initial appeals are all rejected. And for most women, this would be the end of the road, and they just wouldn't get a pension.
But Lucy keeps on fighting.

Speaker 1 She even strategically enlists her fellow soldiers to back her up. Dozens of men from the 23rd Regiment step up, including Dr.

Speaker 1 Brucker himself, testifying that he could not have done his job without Lucy. Wow, Wow, that's so incredible.
It takes seven years, 55 testimonials and an avalanche of paperwork.

Speaker 1 Yes, she's just got to get everybody basically who was left from the regiment

Speaker 1 that she could get a hold of and all that paperwork. So much paperwork.
So much

Speaker 1 paperwork. But she does it and she wins.
In December of 1898, when Lucy is in her mid-50s, she is finally granted a pension through a special act of Congress. Now, it isn't much.

Speaker 1 She's going to be paid $12 a month, which is roughly around $480 in today's money. Yeah, that's not nothing.
It's not nothing. And it's a hard-won victory that helps pave the way for others.

Speaker 1 A few years later, in 1901, Congress formally recognizes the role of nurse as an official military post, making all Civil War nurses eligible for pensions. Wow, interesting.

Speaker 1 And that's because of Lucy fighting that hard and never giving up. Wow.
So Lucy Lucy is a trailblazer in more ways than one.

Speaker 1 The work she and other women did during the war transforms nursing from a male-dominated job into one predominantly female. And by the year 1900, 91% of American nurses are women.
That's so cool.

Speaker 1 Wow. Lucy stays close friends with the men of the 23rd Regiment for the rest of her life.

Speaker 1 She's at every reunion with them. She marches in every Memorial Day parade alongside them.
And she's even on the invite list as their children grow up and get married.

Speaker 1 I know. In turn, the men are also there for her, like when she gets the measles and years later when she has a stroke.

Speaker 1 Lucy never fully recovers from the latter, and she passes away in January of 1915 at the age of 69.

Speaker 1 She's buried next to her husband, John, at the Second Baptist Church, where they'd been married decades earlier. Lucy's buried with full military honors.
Oh my God.

Speaker 1 In an elaborate ceremony with her obituary noting that, quote, Lucy was known to almost everyone in the city and everyone honored her for her loyalty, end quote.

Speaker 1 A century later, in 2019, a statue is put up at this church depicting Lucy holding her baby Mona. Oh my God, stop.
Finally, returning Lucy with the child she loves so much.

Speaker 1 And Lucy Nichols is now the subject of a permanent exhibition at the Cargie Center for Art and History in New Albany, where Eileen Yanoviak serves as executive director.

Speaker 1 And quoting a historian named A. Glenn Crothers, Eileen says,

Speaker 1 Lucy's story is indeed an important example of determination, grit, service, and loyalty.

Speaker 1 But more importantly, her battle to build a life beyond enslavement, to serve, to work, to secure a pension, and receive legitimization is a testament to the lingering effects of inequality well after the war was won and to Lucy's triumphant spirit.

Speaker 1 And that is the story of boundary breaking Civil War nurse Lucy Nichols. Wow.
I mean.

Speaker 1 I mean. The timing couldn't be.
It's so relevant. It's so relevant.
Imagine that. Imagine just wanting the chance to live and work and be independent and having to fight so hard for that.

Speaker 1 Fight literally on the front lines of one of the worst wars this country has ever seen. And then they're like, no, I don't think we're going to pay you.
Yeah. Just like, yes, you will.
Yes, you will.

Speaker 1 So inspiring. Isn't it great? Yeah, I'm so glad you did that.
That's, yeah. It's a nice one.
I'm glad I found it because that, of course, her story is kind of just lost to time. No.

Speaker 1 And, you know, it's the kind of story people really, really need to hear, I think. Definitely.
Well, that was a great story for Juneteenth. Good job.
Thank you.

Speaker 1 I'm going to go put one of those old-fashioned cartoon ice packs on my head and lay on the couch. How about you should, you poor thing.
Go to bed. That sucks.
We're back to normal next week.

Speaker 1 We'll tell you two great stories. We'll both be so healthy and well.
It's just, you're going to

Speaker 1 believe it when it won't believe it. The return we're about to make.
Yeah. But thank you guys so much for listening, for being here.
Yep. Yep.

Speaker 1 And for staying strong through all of this, all of the things going on these days. Chaos.
Chaos. And yet, man, those No Kings parades.
There were little tiny towns.

Speaker 1 I kept seeing them on TikTok just like the town has 5,000 people in it and 2,000 are standing on their main street. It's just a beautiful thing.

Speaker 1 I think it's what everybody needed right now. Absolutely.
We're the majority. Stay sexy.
And don't get murdered. Goodbye.

Speaker 1 Elvis, do you want a cookie?

Speaker 1 This has been an Exactly Right production. Our senior producers are Alejandra Keck and Wally Smith.
Our editor is Aristotle Acevedo. This episode was mixed by Liana Scolaci.

Speaker 1 Our researchers are Maren McGlashen and Allie Elkin. Email your hometowns to myfavoritemurder at gmail.com.
Follow the show on Instagram at myfavorite murder.

Speaker 1 Listen to MyFavavite Murder on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And now you can watch us on Exactly Right's YouTube page.

Speaker 1 While you're there, please like and subscribe. Goodbye.

Speaker 1 No one brings out your inner monster like a bad neighbor.

Speaker 1 Claire Danes and Matthew Reese find that out for themselves in The Beast in Me, a new eight-episode drama from the team that brought you homeland. Daines plays Aggie Wiggs, a grieving writer.

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Goodbye.

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