COLLECTING CIVIL WAR
SURGEON’S CDV IMAGES & PHOTOGRAPHS
By Melinda K.
Johnson and Paul R. Johnson,
M.D., F.A.C.S.
1.
CDV of Dr. Joseph
Bullock Brown, a career Army Surgeon. Brown was
commissioned Assistant Surgeon by President Zachary
Taylor in 1850. He served in Michigan, Oregon, and
other western posts until the Civil War. He was
commissioned Surgeon (Major) by President Lincoln on
July 4, 1861 and ultimately assigned as Medical
Director-4th Corps, Army of the Potomac under General
Keyes.
He served during
the entire Peninsular Campaign of Gen McClellan from
Yorktown to Malvern Hill. He authored a 4 page report
of these actions and the medical care of the wounded in
the Medical and Surgical History of the War of the
Rebellion. Suffering from exposure, he was reassigned
duty with the Assistant Surgeon General's Office, St.
Louis and then in Louisville, Ky..
He then was
assigned to the hospital at Fort Columbus, New York
Harbor. Here, he served valliantly after the Civil War
treating patients during the cholera epidemic. In fact,
he was promoted to Lt. Col., and then Brig. General "for
meritorious service at Fort Columbus, N.Y., where
cholera prevailed."
Photographed by
Addis, Washington, D.C.
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2.
Reverse of Brown's CDV to which a unknown Major or Lt. Col.'s
image has been pasted over the Addis, Washington backmark.
Perhaps this is a fellow Surgeon acquaintance of Dr. Brown's? |
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3.
Hospital" at Fort Columbus, New York Harbor. Very nice view of
the pot-bellied stoves and at least 12 patients with one
attendant. Unknown photographer circa 1865-66. |
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4.
CDV of Surgeon
(Major), 3/4 standing view. This unidentified Surgeon
is wearing his M 1840 Medical Staff sword suspended on
his belt with his officer's belt plate strategically
centered and held by his lower 4 frock coat buttons.
His right hand rests on the brim of what appears to be
an officer's M1858 Hardee hat with ostridge plume. His
hat device shows 'M.S.' in it's center for Medical
Staff. This appears to be an early Civil War image.
Photographed by Cremer, Philadelphia.
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5.
CDV (3/4 standing) of Dr. Walter
Burnham, autographed/signed: "Respects of Walter Burnham, M.D.,
surgeon, 6th mass. Regt. Vols." Dr. Burnham was a prominent
surgeon and professor from Lowell Mass.. In 1853, he is credited
with performing the first fully successful abdominal
hysterectomy. In fact, it is reported that this procedure a
result of an accident: Dr. Burnham was performing exploratory
surgery for what he believed to be an enlarged ovarian tumor.
during the procedure, the patient vomited, pushing an enlarged
uterus through the abdominal incision. Dr. Burnham was unable
to reduce it into the abdominal cavity, and had no alternative
but to remove it. his patient became the first woman ever to
survive abdominal hysterectomy! |
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6.
CDV
of Assistant Surgeon Lewis Tice, 17th New York
Vols. Image is photographed by M. Brady, Washington
City.
Written on the back is: "Lewis Tice, Assistant
Surgeon, 17th N.Y.Vols. Camp before Richmond, June
13th, 1862." This was shortly after the battles of
Fair Oaks and Seven Pines and just prior to the
Seven Days Battles before Richmond.
Dr. Tice served with his regiment through the
Peninsular Campaign, and cared for the wounded after
the Battle of Fredericksburg, Dec., 1862.
As
found in the Medical and Surgical History of the War
of the Rebellion, Dr. Tice cared for a Captain Alvin
M. W..., Co. K, 17th NYV who was wounded at the
battle of Fredericksburg, Dec. 13th, 1862 by a
musket ball, which fractured the left parietal bone
near the eminence. He walked with some assistance
to the hospital of the 3rd Corps, a distance of more
than a mile. His voice became thick and had an
unnatural hesitancy and slowness. The middle and
ring finger of the right hand were paralyzed, but
the motion and sensibility in the first and 4th
fingers were only slightly impaired. His mental
faculties were clear. He complained of a slight
headache and his pulse was slow and full.
The
trephine was applied by Assistant Surgeon Lewis
Tice, and a disc of bone and several fragments were
removed, one of which was 3/4ths of an inch in
diameter. The edges of the wound were approximated
by adhesive strips, and cold water dressings were
applied. During the operation, blood flowed
profusely from the perforation. One large fragment
of bone, evidently from the inner table, lay exactly
beneath, but was too large to be extracted from the
orifice. The dura mater was found to be uninjured.
The power of articulation returned immediately after
the operation, and the numbness of the fingers
became less marked. On Jan 2nd, 1863, the paralysis
of the fingers had entirely disappeared and the
wound was healing by granulation. The patient was
mustered out with his regiment on June 2nd, 1863.
The specimen (# 4049) was contributed by the
operator.
Per subsequent pension examiners, 'A musket all
entered the upper portion of the right parietal bone
and bones have been removed so that an irregular
opening exists of the size of a silver dollar.
His right hand and tongue were partially paralyzed.
Exercise produces violent throbbing at the wound and
at a point opposite on the back of the head.
His general health is very poor, probably owing to
the constant irritation about the brain.'
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7.
Dr. Edward Revere: KILLED AT ANTIETAM
CDV of Dr. Edward
Hutchins Robbins Revere, Assistant Surgeon, 20th Mass. Vols.,
and grandson of the Revolutionary War Patriot Paul Revere. He
was the brother of Col. Paul Joseph Revere who was killed at
Gettysburg commanding the 20th Mass during the repulse of
Pickett's charge.
Dr. Revere
graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1849 and served as the
Assistant Surgeon for the 20th Mass.. He stayed behind with his
wounded soldiers during the Battle of Ball's Bluff (Oct. 21,
1861) and was imprisoned in Richmond, being exchanged in Feb. of
1862. He rejoined his regiment and served through the
Peninsular Campaigns and Seven Days Battles before Richmond.
At Antietam
(Sept. 17th, 1862)..."It may be mentioned that, only a few
moments before he fell, he was observed by one of the officers
of his regiment to be attending to a wounded man upon the
ground. Whilst thus occupied, the regiment, which stood within
a few feet of him, suddenly changed front, faced to the rear,
and fired a volley over his head. he continued his work without
a trembling of the hand, and not even looked up."
He was shot
through the heart, and killed instantly. Another observation
was made that, at times, he was acting also as a line officer
keeping his men in line during the early action at Antietam. He
is buried with his brother at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge,
Mass..
Photographed by
Whipple, Boston, Mass..
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CDV of Dr. Thomas M. Flandrau, Surgeon
(Major) of the 146th New York. He served as Brigade Surgeon of
his Brigade, and was later (prior) to the Battle of Gettysburg,
promoted to Surgeon in Charge of the 2nd Division, 5th Corps,
Army of the Potomac. Image by Hoven and Moulton, Rome, N.Y. and
this image appears in the regimental history as his illustrative
portrait. In 1867, he was brevetted Lt. Colonel for faithful
and meritorious service, and later died in Rome, N.Y., in 1898 |
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