A Journey from Enslavement to Civil War Heroism and Beyond
Lucy Higgs Nichols was born into the brutal reality of chattel slavery on April 10, 1838, in Halifax County, North Carolina. Owned by farmer Reubin Higgs, Lucy and her family were subjected to the whims of their enslaver, who relocated them multiple times—first to Mississippi and later to Tennessee—uprooting their lives in service of his interests. These moves were emblematic of the dehumanizing nature of slavery, where enslaved individuals were treated as property, their ties and aspirations disregarded. By 1862, Lucy faced the prospect of being forcibly moved south once again, further from any hope of freedom. Unwilling to endure this fate, she made the courageous decision to escape with her young daughter, Mona, and, according to some accounts, her husband, who later enlisted in the Union Army and reportedly died during the war. Lucy’s escape was a daring act of defiance, covering an arduous journey of approximately twenty to thirty miles to reach the encampment of the Indiana 23rd Volunteer Regiment in Bolivar, Tennessee.
Upon arriving at the Union camp, Lucy’s ordeal was far from over. Her former enslaver pursued her, seeking to reclaim her as his property. However, the Confiscation Acts of 1861 and 1862 provided her with a lifeline. These federal laws were designed to weaken the Confederate war effort by seizing property, including enslaved people, used to support the rebellion. The Confiscation Act of 1862 was particularly significant, declaring that enslaved individuals who escaped from rebel owners, were captured from them, or were found in areas previously occupied by Confederate forces and later taken by Union troops would be considered “captives of war” and “forever free of their servitude.” Invoking these protections, Lucy pleaded for sanctuary with the Indiana 23rd Regiment, which shielded her from being returned to slavery. This legal framework, while primarily a wartime measure to deprive the Confederacy of labor, marked a critical step toward emancipation and allowed Lucy and her daughter to secure their freedom with the regiment’s support.
In gratitude for the regiment’s protection, Lucy, then 30 years old, dedicated herself to serving the Indiana 23rd Volunteer Regiment. She took on multiple roles—hospital nurse, cook, laundress, and seamstress—demonstrating remarkable resilience and versatility. Lucy accompanied the regiment through some of the Civil War’s most grueling campaigns, including the Siege of Vicksburg (May–July 1863) and the Siege of Atlanta (July–September 1864), as well as General William Tecumseh Sherman’s infamous March to the Sea (November–December 1864). Her work was vital to the soldiers’ survival, as she tended to the wounded, prepared meals, and maintained their clothing under the harshest conditions of war. Lucy’s contributions were not limited to labor; her presence fostered morale among the troops, who came to regard her with deep affection.
Tragically, Lucy’s daughter, Mona, who was no older than five, died shortly after the Union victory at Vicksburg in July 1863. The soldiers of the 23rd Regiment, who had grown fond of the young girl, mourned her loss deeply. They honored Mona with an elaborate funeral, adorning her body with flowers and burying her in a trench alongside fallen Union soldiers on a hillside above Vicksburg. The loss devastated Lucy, leaving her “alone” in her grief, yet she remained steadfastly committed to the regiment, her resolve unbroken. Her dedication endured through the war’s final years, culminating in her participation in the Grand Review of the Armies in Washington, D.C., in May 1865, where she marched proudly alongside the 23rd Regiment as part of the Union’s victory celebration.
When the regiment was mustered out of service, the soldiers invited Lucy to return with them to New Albany, Indiana, a testament to the bond they had forged. In New Albany, she found employment as a servant in the households of several officers from the 23rd Regiment. In 1870, Lucy married John Nichols, a laborer, and the couple settled on Nagel Street in New Albany, where they lived until John died in 1910. Following his passing, Lucy supported herself as a boarder and laundress, remaining an active member of the New Albany community. Her connection to the 23rd Regiment endured; she attended every regimental reunion, marched in Memorial Day parades, and continued to care for ailing veterans, who affectionately called her “Aunt Lucy.” In return, the veterans supported her during times of illness and hardship, reflecting the mutual loyalty that defined their relationship.
Lucy’s service extended beyond the battlefield, as she became an active member of the New Albany chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a prominent fraternal organization for Union veterans. This membership was a rare honor for a woman, let alone a formerly enslaved Black woman, underscoring the respect she commanded among her peers. However, despite her contributions as a wartime nurse, the federal government initially failed to recognize her service. In 1892, Congress passed legislation granting pensions to women who had served as nurses under the Surgeon General during the Civil War and were in financial need. Lucy, suffering from medical issues that limited her ability to work, applied for a pension but faced rejection twice. Undeterred, she persisted, and in December 1898, a special act of Congress granted her a pension of $12 per month for the remainder of her life—a hard-won acknowledgment of her service.
In her later years, Lucy’s health and financial situation deteriorated. On January 5, 1915, she was admitted to the Floyd County Poor Farm, where she passed away just weeks later on January 29, 1915. She was laid to rest with military honors in an unmarked grave at West Haven Cemetery in New Albany. The absence of a tombstone and written documentation has left the precise location of her grave unknown, a poignant reminder of the marginalization faced by many Black veterans and civilians of her era. However, Lucy’s legacy has been reclaimed in recent years. In 2011, the Indiana Historical Bureau erected a historical marker in her honor outside the Second Baptist Church in New Albany, where she was a congregant. On July 3, 2019, a statue commemorating Lucy and her daughter Mona was unveiled in New Albany, standing as a powerful tribute to her courage, service, and resilience.
Lucy Higgs Nichols’ story is not only one of personal triumph but also a reflection of the broader struggles faced by Black veterans. Decades after her fight for recognition, the passage of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, known as the G.I. Bill, promised benefits such as job placement, unemployment compensation, loans, and educational subsidies to World War II veterans. While the legislation itself did not explicitly exclude Black veterans, its implementation was marred by systemic racism, particularly in the South. Racist administrators and discriminatory practices often denied Black veterans access to these benefits, echoing the challenges Lucy faced in securing her pension. Unlike Lucy, many Black World War II veterans were unable to overcome these barriers, highlighting a persistent pattern of inequity in recognizing the contributions of Black Americans in military service.
Lucy Higgs Nichols’ life—from her escape from slavery to her service on the Civil War’s front lines and her fight for recognition—stands as a testament to her indomitable spirit. Her story, preserved through monuments and historical markers, serves as both a celebration of her contributions and a reminder of the systemic obstacles faced by Black veterans across American history.