Emerging Civil War

Museum display of Civil War surgical instruments. (Photograph by S.K. Bierle)

I’m getting ready to give a presentation to a round table this evening and have been reviewing my notes and what I’ll be sharing about Civil War medical practices and how those norms actually worked (or didn’t) during a campaign or battle. The talk is themed around the word “survive” or “survival.” It’s clear to draw the comparison and lessons from accounts of sick or wounded soldiers in a literal struggle to survive, but there’s another aspect that I address.

Any war or combat situation produces mental stress. Different people react and handle that stress and triggered memories in different ways. I’ve started a file of research notes specifically on how Civil War surgeons were affected by their experiences and how they coped with the carnage and death they routinely encountered and dealt with.

Dr. Alexander Neil joined the 12th West Virginia Infantry (Union) during the summer of 1863. He accompanied the regiment during the Shenandoah Campaigns of 1864, putting his degree from Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery to work and learn much more through experience in field hospitals. Continue reading →