Who was the only woman in the Confederacy to hold military rank and served as superintendent?

• A. Dorothea Dix
• B. Clara Barton
• C. Mary Breckenridge
• D. Sally Tompkins

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is recognizing a rare instance of formal military rank awarded to a woman within the Confederacy, along with a leadership role over nursing care. Sally Tompkins was the only woman officially commissioned as a captain in the Confederate Army and served as superintendent of nurses, running the Robertson Hospital in Richmond and coordinating care for Confederate soldiers. This combination of formal rank and supervisory leadership in a military medical setting is what makes her stand out.

Dorothea Dix and Clara Barton are well known for Union nursing leadership, not Confederate, so they don’t fit this scenario. Mary Breckinridge is a later figure from the 20th century, not the Civil War era.