Susan M. (Getchell) Babcock (1812 - 1901)

Born Sep 1812 in Maine, United States

Wife of Theodore B. Smiley — married 23 Nov 1834 (to before 1850) in Vassalboro, Kennebec, Maine, United States

Wife of Daniel Babcock — married 16 Jan 1864 in Washington, Washington County, District of Columbia, United States

Died 23 Oct 1901 at age 89 in Adams, Jefferson, New York, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Warren Kuntz [send private message]

Biography

Susan was a Civil War Nurse.

Susan was born about 1813. She married Theodore Smiley 23 November 1834 in Kennebec County, Maine. The couple had two children: Mary Carrie, b. 1840, m1. Chas. Drew, m2. John K. Tarbuck, and Charles Edward, 1843-1864. Some time later, the marriage failed. Theodore was a soldier during the US-Mexican War of 1846 to 1848, in 1848 married again to Parthenia R Wilson at Richmond, Virginia, had four more children, and was a soldier for the C. S. A.

During the US Civil War, Susan Smiley's son Charles served in the 11th Maine Infantry and with the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery; he died at Spotsylvania, Virginia. Mrs. Smiley served as a nurse at first attached to the 11th Maine Infantry ^{[1] [2]} She was s stationed at Fort Monroe, Virginia, Point Lookout, Maryland, Columbian US Army Hospital, and at Harewood Hospital in the District of Columbia; she was paid the standard rate for nurses, 40 cents per day. In a letter she wrote about her nursing experience she says she served under Miss (Dorothea) Dix and says she worked for about four years at various locations. ^[3][4]

Susan married her second husband Daniel Babcock 16 January 1864 in Washington, D.C. and retired from army nursing. Mrs. Babcock resided in Jefferson County, New York until her death in 1901.

Research Notes

1. There is a G2G discussion and research regarding a "Mrs. Grace Babcock." (see: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1733802/u-s-civil-war-nurse-grace-babcock )
2. There is a photo identified as Grace Babcock in the Library of Congress sitting atop Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. (https://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.57145/).
3. Civil War nurse Loretta Hoisington recalls service at Lookout Mountain with a Miss Babcock. Nurse Hoisington (née: Cutler) served from May 1864 to June 1865. (See:Our Army Nurses pp.409. Archive.org

• Questions raised in the G2G discussion:
  • Are Grace and Susan the same person? If true, then the information on the back of the photo is incorrect.
  • Was Susan in Tennessee or strictly in the Washington, D. C. area?
  • Was the nurse Babcock who worked with Hoisington the same Babcock in this profile?
  • How many women named Babcock can be identified as army nurses serving during the Civil War?

Sources

1. ↑ The story of one regiment; the Eleventh Maine infantry volunteers in the war of the rebellion
2. ↑ NPS Muster Roll National Archives Soldiers and Sailors Database
3. ↑ Holland, Mary A. Gardner. Our Army Nurses. Boston: B. Wilkins & Co. 1895. pp.190. Archive.org
4. ↑ NPS Muster Roll National Archives Soldiers and Sailors Database

• Marriage: "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921"
  citing Kennebec, Maine, United States, multiple sources, Maine; FHL microfilm.
  FamilySearch Record: Q28Q-7K25 (accessed 16 March 2023)
  FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-99NW-C9P1 Image number 00057
  Name: Susan M Getchell; Marriage Date: 23 Nov 1834; Marriage Place: Kennebec, Maine, United States; Id: 240246; Event Place Parent Jur: 333/1; Event Place Year Range: 1807-1965; Event Place Sup: Kennebec County, Maine, Vital records, UNITED STATES.
• Birth of son Charles Edward Smiley: "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900"
  citing FHL microfilm: 1036332;
  FamilySearch Record: F4C9-VL3 (accessed 16 March 2023)
  Name: Susan M.; Source Reference: Item 15.
• 1860 Census: "United States Census, 1860"
  citing Page: 35; Affiliate Publication Number: M653; Affiliate Film Number: 440; FHL microfilm: 803440; Record number: 13468;
  FamilySearch Record: MDC3-JQN (accessed 16 March 2023)
  FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9B9V-82S Image number 00348
  Name: Susan Smiley; Census Date: 1860; Census Place: Vassalboro, Kennebec, Maine, United States; Birth Date: 1811; Birth Place: Maine; Race: White; Age: 49.
• Marriage: "District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950"
  citing p. 25, Records Office, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2,079,252.
  FamilySearch Record: XL81-JZS (accessed 16 March 2023)
  FamilySearch Image: 939Z-YPST-Y1 Image number 00932
  Name: Susan Smily; Marriage Date: 16 Jan 1864; Marriage Place: District of Columbia, United States.
• 1865 Census: "New York State Census, 1865"
  citing Census, p. 5, citing multiple county Clerks; Warren and Lewis County Board of Supervisors; multiple counties in New York; Utica and East Hampton Public Libraries, New York.
  FamilySearch Record: QVNV-WHDV (accessed 16 March 2023)
  FamilySearch Image: 9392-9F36-54
  Name: Susan Babcock; Census Date: 1865; Census Place: District 01, Adams, Jefferson, New York, United States; Birth Date: 1815; Age: 50; Relationship To Head: Daughter-in-law.
• 1880 Census: "United States Census, 1880"
  citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
  FamilySearch Record: MZ88-6W4 (accessed 16 March 2023)
  FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9YBX-9MZL Image number 00337
  Name: Susan M. Babcock; Census Date: 1880; Census Place: Adams, Jefferson, New York, United States; Ethnicity: American; Marital Status: Married; Occupation: Keeping House; Race: White; Birth Date: 1812; Birth Place: Maine, United States; Age: 68; Relationship To Head: Wife; Source Person Nbr: 1.
• 1900 Census: "United States Census, 1900"
  citing Affiliate Publication Number: T623; Line: 80; FHL microfilm: 1241041; Record number: 79;
  FamilySearch Record: MSFS-LLY (accessed 16 March 2023)
  FamilySearch Image: S3HY-DHDW-NK5 Image number 00006
  Name: Susan Babcock; Census Date: 1900; Census Place: Adams, Jefferson, New York, United States; Birth Date: Sep 1812; Birth Place: Maine; Ethnicity: American; Marital Status: Married; Marriage Date: 1863; Race: White; Age: 88; Cnt Living Children: 0; Cnt Years Married: 37; Cnt Children: 2; Relationship To Head: Wife.

See Also:

• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #83322242 (accessed 16 March 2023)
  Memorial page for Susan M. Getchell Babcock (14 Sep 1813-23 Oct 1901), citing Smithville Cemetery, Smithville, Jefferson County, New York, USA; Maintained by noelle nann fairbanks (contributor 46830790).
• FamilySearch Person: K8TQ-BJ7