The first female chaplain in the US military, Ella Elvira Gibson (1821-1901) was not recognized for her service for 100 years because she was a woman. It was not until 2001 that the 107th Congress posthumously granted Gibson the rank of captain in the US Army Chaplain Corps.

Born in Winchendon, Massachusetts, Gibson moved with her family to Rindge, New Hampshire when she was five years old. While teaching in the public schools, she began to write and lecture on abolition and other moral issues. Gibson lectured and wrote extensively, advocating for supporting sick and wounded soldiers of the Union Army. Her work appeared in liberal publications including The Moralist, which she edited during the early 1890s.

Gibson accompanied her husband, Rev. John Hobart, when he served as the chaplain of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War, attending to the regiment’s sick and wounded. “The Soldiers Gift,” a pamphlet she wrote during this period, raised funds for the Northwestern Sanitary Commission, an organization dedicated to improving camp conditions.

In 1864, Gibson was elected to the office of the chaplaincy for the 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery Regiment. Despite being endorsed by President Abraham Lincoln, the Secretary of War refused to appoint Gibson, fearful of setting a precedent by commissioning a woman. Nonetheless, she remained in her position through the end of the war.

Never officially mustered into the Army, Gibson was ineligible for disability benefits and received no compensation for her service. Through continued advocacy she eventually received back pay but no pension. Her dedication and determination paved the way for women to serve in the Army.