Charlotte Agnes COX

"Lottie"

Source : Larry Hume (Ellen Marchese)

Parents : James Edward & Mathilda Murphy COX

Siblings : Anna Bernadine, Loretta, James Bernard & James O'Malley

Nurse

Maryland University Hospital in Baltimore

Source : American Battle Monuments Commission.

CEMETERY TEMPORARY of  Bazoilles-sur-Meuse N°6

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Source : Alvin17

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

On January 18, 1876, a New Year's baby girl was born to Margaret Matilda Murray and James Edward Cox in the city of Martinsburg, Berkeley County, West Virginia. Charlotte Agnes, known to family and friends as "Lottie," was the third child of five. Two older siblings were Anna Bernadine and James Bernard, and the two younger ones were Eulalia Murray and Edward Gregory.

Lottie was only nine years old when her father, James, passed at the age of 46. Mother Matilda held employment as a dressmaker, and the 1900 census documented Lottie, age 24, as being employed in a knitting mill. Lottie then entered training to become a nurse at the Maryland University Hospital in Baltimore and was in private practice by the 1910 census.

Her sister Eulalia was now in nurse training at the Maryland University Hospital and would graduate in 1912. 

On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany and entered the World War that had been raging in Europe since 1914. Obviously, doctors and nurses would be needed.

With only 403 nurses in the Army Nurse Corps (ANC) when the war began, the Surgeon General called for volunteers. Women in hospitals and private duty, as well as many in training, responded.

Those already staffing hospitals could join the ANC through the Army's newly established base hospital system and through the American Red Cross. By the end of the war, 21,480 women served in the Army Nurse Corps, rendering service "beyond expectations" at a time when women were not even allowed to vote".

Charlotte Agnes Cox volunteered to become an Army Nurse and serve overseas in France. She entered active duty on March 13, 1918, and was assigned to Base Hospital # 42, which had been organized in June 1917 at the University of Maryland. On April 1, 1918, they mobilized at Camp Meade, Maryland, where they trained and were equipped.

Source : Ancestry

On July 14, 1918, Nurse Cox departed New York Harbor with 101 other nurses and the last components of Hospital # 42 aboard the British liner RMS Baltic. Sister Eulalia Cox, 625 West Franklin Street, Baltimore, Maryland, was listed as the next of kin. Catching up to the advanced party of Hospital # 42 at Bazoilles-Sur-Meuse, Department of Vosges, she and the other nurses went to work.

Her hospital had been designated by the commanding officer as a special hospital for maxillofacial cases and cases of mumps and measles.

The normal capacity of the hospital was 1,000 beds; but with crisis expansion in marquee tents, this was increased to 2,000 beds. During its period of activity, July 19, 1918, to January 8, 1919, the hospital treated 2,593 surgical and 4,559 medical cases.

If the carnage of war wasn't enough, the 1918 Flu Pandemic was attacking worldwide, killing hundreds of thousands of people.

The military in Europe was not immune, and half of those who fell in France were due to the influenza virus. US Army Nurse Charlotte Cox died of dysentery at Base Hospital 42 on September 28, 1918, at the age of 42.

Her mother was notified by cablegram a few days later.

Source : usafdo

Source : Rene Brouwer

She was buried in Grave Number 480, American Cemetery Bazoilles-sur-Meuse, department of Vosges, two days after her death. Service information about her burial could not be found but it would have been with military honors.

Her fellow nurses and comrades would continue with the work of attempting to save lives until the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918. Base Hospital # 42 sailed from St. Nazaire on the ship Santa Paul, April 8, 1919 arriving in New York twelve days later and was demobilized at Camp Meade, Maryland on May 2, 1919.

Following her death, the October 9, 1918 edition of the Martinsburg Evening Journal reported her death in part "Miss Cox Has Made Supreme Sacrifice, Town Girl, Trained Nurse, Dies in France".

"It is with profound sorrow that the many friends of Miss Charlotte A. Cox, a native of Martinsburg and a widely known and efficiently trained nurse, we learn that she made the supreme sacrifice in France."

"Miss Cox was a very attractive and highly cultured young woman and especially capable training nurse and accomplished in many other ways."

"The family cannot help feeling great distressed but they have the wonderful consolation that she gave up her life that other might live and sacrificed her noble self on the altar of her country and for her God."

Families of fallen American military were given the choice of leaving their sons/daughters buried in an American Cemetery in Europe or to bring them home for reburial.

Mother Margaret chose to leave Charlotte with those she served and served with, as did approximately 40% of the families facing the same decision.

On December 13, 1921, she was disinterred for the final time and reburied in Plot F, Row 1, Grave 25 of the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial, Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Departement de la Meuse, Lorraine, France. Day is done, God is nigh.

Source : 

Epilogue: Mother Margaret died May 7, 1921, at the age of 71, when she was stricken with apoplexy on the way to church.

She is buried in Saint Joseph's Cemetery, Martinsburg, West Virginia, with her husband, James. Unfortunately, in 1929, when Congress enacted legislation for mothers and widows to visit their sons, daughters, and husbands' graves in France, no one in the Cox family was eligible to visit Lottie. 

It was my honor to write this short biography from available documents found. I know it doesn't start to do Charlotte or her family justice. Lest we forget…Larry E. Hume, Chief Master Sergeant, US Air Force, Retired.

Source : Larry Hume 

Source : Pierre E.

Soldats américains de la Première Guerre Mondiale du Maryland

Source : Ancestry