In a letter to Mary G. Holland about her wartime experience, Harkin describes a spirit of excitement and enthusiasm on behalf of the nurses, soldiers, and civilians as the newly-enlisted members were traveling.
[1] Not much is known about Harkin's life before the war, but on February 13, 1862, she traveled to Madison, Wisconsin State House to be commissioned as a volunteer nurse.
Harkin describes a measles outbreak early on in her wartime experience, which was not uncommon given the poor sanitary conditions of medical environments.
[2] Upon arrival at the Shiloh front, the soldiers traveling with Harkin's regiment were initially ordered to bury those who had died in battle before even beginning service.
The rations were inadequate, and nurses nearly starved--eating only hardtack--to save every scrap of food for the soldiers and the patients.