Florena Budwin
Believed to be the first woman buried in a National Cemetery
Standing alone amidst the rows of trench burials from the Florence Stockade in the Florence National Cemetery is the headstone of Florena Budwin. Her story has been told many times throughout the years, but the truth as to how she ended up as a POW in the Florence Stockade may remain a mystery forever.
As the story goes, Florena was a Philadelphia woman who disguised herself as a man to be with her husband during the war. Both her and her husband were captured and were held captive at Andersonville, GA where her husband was killed. She was transferred, along with other prisoners, to the Florence Stockade. During a routine examination, her identity as a female was discovered by a Confederate doctor. She was then removed from the stockade. She was given a private room and the ladies of Florence donated food and clothing. She helped to care for the sick, but died of pneumonia on January 25th, 1865 at the age of 20. She lies buried in grave D-2480.
Unfortunately, all efforts to positively identify her or her husband have come up empty. However, there is no doubt that she was woman who was held captive at Florence and probably deserves the right to be known as the first woman to be buried in a National Cemetery.
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