Page 295

“…heralded by the medical community…”

SIMS, J. Marion, (1885). The Story of my Life, ed. by H. Marion-Sims. D. Appleton & Co: New York, p. 316.

“…the Duchess of Hamilton.”

Evans, T. W., & Crane, E. A. (1905). The memoirs of Dr. Thomas W. Evans. New York: D. Appleton and Co., p. 7.

“…was employing private investigators…”

Miller, N. (1997). Spying for America: The hidden history of U.S. intelligence. New York: Marlowe & Co, p. 115.

“…sided with the South.”

Letter from Henry Shelton Sanford to William Seward, undated (probably July 1863), unofficial correspondence, held in The Sanford Family Collection at the Henry Shelton Sanford Memorial Library and Museum in Sanford, Florida.

“…when the emperor wished to send private messages…”

Letter from Resident Minister John Bigelow to William Seward, November 21, 1862, held in the State Department archives at the Archives II facility in Washington D.C.

“…what was intended for Sims.”

See “Sims’s contact in Paris…,” above.

Although there is no direct admission on Sims’s part that he was acting on behalf of the South in Paris, all of the evidence points in this direction. As will be seen, Sims did go into the service of the Duchess of Hamilton, a cousin to Napoleon III, and just as with Thomas Evans he would have immediate access to the emperor and to the representatives of the South in Paris at the time. In addition, Sims’s account of his meeting with the emperor indicates that they did, in fact, talk about the war. While there is perhaps another route that Sims may have taken in becoming an agent of the South in Europe, it’s clear—when all of the evidence is considered—that he was uniquely situated to perform a role that other doctors in Europe were performing at the same time. (And this might explain, as well, Sims’s later inexplicable hostility to Thomas Evans, as is documented in a later chapter.)

“…she would take Sims into service…”

This is exactly what happened.

SIMS, J. Marion, (1885). The Story of my Life, ed. by H. Marion-Sims. D. Appleton & Co: New York, p. 329.

“…the pretext of treating the empress…”

As will be documented later, Sims would be called to meet the emperor on this pretext in 1863. There would be a claim that Sims had a special speculum manufactured for her, but the nature of the condition that he was supposed to have treated her for was, notably, never made clear. By way of contrast, Sims would be only too willing to reveal details of the condition of a famous actress, Charlotte Cushman, as is documented below.

“Suburban Hospitals or ‘Homes,’” British Medical Journal, February 8, 1862, Vol. 1, p. 161.

“…the Persia landed at Queenstown.”

See “…the Persia…,” above.

The First Battle of Bull Run, or the First Battle of Manassas, as it was known in the South, was fought on July 21, 1861.

SIMS, J. Marion, (1885). The Story of my Life, ed. by H. Marion-Sims. D. Appleton & Co: New York, pp. 307, 328.

“…set off to Liverpool…”

See “Pratt was to coordinate efforts…,” above.

“…a handful of letters…”

Sims does not state that he acquired letters of introduction before departing (his biographer states it without citation), but this would have been in keeping with what he had done earlier when attempting to establish himself in a city.

SIMS, J. Marion, (1885). The Story of my Life, ed. by H. Marion-Sims. D. Appleton & Co: New York, p. 310.

Harris, S. (1950). Woman's surgeon: The life story of J. Marion Sims. New York: Macmillan, p. 208.

“…feted to exhaustion…”

SIMS, J. Marion, (1885). The Story of my Life, ed. by H. Marion-Sims. D. Appleton & Co: New York, p. 307.

“…the eating and drinking habits…”

SIMS, J. Marion, (1885). The Story of my Life, ed. by H. Marion-Sims. D. Appleton & Co: New York, p. 308.