Susie King Taylor
Susie Taylor, as she is popularly known is recognized as the first black army nurse when she was recruited to cater for the all Black Army troop and then later assigned to the 33rd United States Colored Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Although she dedicated her time and life to the army, Susie was never paid for her work as she was registered as a volunteer. She was born a slave on a plantation in 1848 and died in 1912 leaving behind her memoir Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33rd United States Colored Troops, Late 1st S.C. Volunteers recorded as the only African American woman’s documentation of war experiences.
