The object of this study is Anna Neri (1814-1880), an anonymous woman who participated in the Paraguay War (1865-1870). This is a social-historical biographical study guided by the principles of the New History. The objective of this research is to characterize and raise relevant aspects of Anna Neri's life. It is known that this woman left her domestic life to play an important role in the public space. Her motivation was genuinely affectionate, and she didn't expect to be called a nurse. Anna Neri met the requirements that would raise the social and moral status of the XXth century nursing workers, and became a symbol of Brazilian nursing.