A gloomy and tragic scene—one with which the inhabitants of the oft-contested metropolis of Winchester, Va., had been sadly all too acquainted—unfolded all through the evening of September 19, 1864, as 1000’s of casualties from the Third Battle of Winchester had been delivered to makeshift hospitals all through the group. “All of the wounded,” reported Surgeon James T. Ghiselin, the Military of the Shenandoah’s medical director, had been taken to “church buildings, public buildings, and such personal dwellings as had been appropriate.”
It didn’t take lengthy for Ghiselin to appreciate that the 40 constructions remodeled into ersatz hospitals can be inadequate to deal with the military’s casualties, which exceeded 4,000 troops. Ghiselin additionally understood these areas can be additional strained with extra casualties as Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan’s Military of the Shenandoah pursued Lt. Gen. Jubal Early’s Confederates south towards Fisher’s Hill. Sheridan’s medical director shortly realized that the time had come to implement a plan, developed a number of weeks earlier, to move lots of of tents to Winchester and assemble what can be generally known as the Sheridan Subject Hospital—the most important hospital of its form constructed throughout the Civil Warfare.
(Library of Congress)
The day after the battle Surgeon Basic Joseph Okay. Barnes ordered Surgeon John Brinton “to proceed directly to Winchester” and supervise the development of “a big tent hospital…to be of a capability of 4 to 5 thousand beds.” The next evening Brinton arrived in Winchester. Whereas erecting “500 tents…was no slight matter,” as Brinton asserted, the duty of erecting the Sheridan Subject Hospital was accomplished on September 29, 1864, with the assist of roughly 500 troops from Colonel Oliver Edwards’ brigade. After the hospital’s development, and within the ensuing weeks, a bevy of civilians, together with reduction brokers from the U.S. Christian Fee and nurses arrived to help in caring for the wounded. Amongst them was Jane Boswell Moore.
Moore, a local of Baltimore, Md., who on the warfare’s outset aided wounded and sick Union troopers delivered to town, believed that by the late summer time of 1862 her abilities may very well be put to higher use within the discipline. After the battle’s bloodiest day at Antietam, Moore ventured from Baltimore to Sharpsburg. From that second till the warfare’s finish, she cared for wounded troopers within the aftermath of the a number of the battle’s fiercest engagements within the East, together with Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Petersburg.
Within the autumn of 1864, Moore got here to Winchester. Throughout that point Moore aided wounded troopers in numerous hospitals all through the city, together with the Sheridan Subject Hospital. As had been the case all through her service, Moore took a particular curiosity particularly troopers and determined to share their tales and her experiences by sending letters to “plenty of spiritual and secular periodicals.” Moore hoped that publication of those letters would encourage donations of provides. Whereas tough to quantify the quantity of donations Moore secured, a Congressional report famous a long time after the battle that her printed letters prompted “nice portions of donations.”
Throughout Moore’s stint in Winchester, two of her letters appeared within the Advocate and Household Guardian—a biweekly newspaper printed by the American Feminine Guardian Society in New York Metropolis. These letters, printed in early 1865, reveal a lot a few nurse’s experiences caring for troopers wounded throughout Phil Sheridan’s 1864 Shenandoah Marketing campaign, illuminate the sufferings of the wounded, and function a robust reminder of warfare’s devastating and tragic penalties.
(Library of Congress)
Moore’s first letter, printed on January 16, 1865, contains an account of her encounter with Sophronia Loder, a mom who ventured to Winchester from Indiana when she discovered that her son, Sergeant Adam Loder, 18th Indiana Infantry, had been wounded on the Battle of Fisher’s Hill on September 22. Sadly, the injuries Sergeant Loder acquired to his left lung and left arm proved mortal. He died on October 7, 1864, previous to his mom’s arrival. As well as, Moore recounts the difficulties skilled by Non-public Walter F. Reed, shot within the jaw on the Battle of Cedar Creek, and Corporal Isaac Value, fifteenth West Virginia Infantry, who misplaced each arms within the skirmish close to Hupp’s Hill, south of Cedar Creek, on October 13, 1864.
Advocate and Household Guardian
January 16, 1865
I rose from a impolite mattress on the ground of a home in Braddock Avenue, within the previous city of Winchester, Va., the place we have now spent seven weeks ministering to the wounded within the final nice battle [Cedar Creek]….At eight o’clock every day, an ambulance studies for responsibility… we, away from the house, and standing within the stead of kindred, dedicate at the present time, by an act of respect, to the useless, who sleep in Virginia soil….On this brilliant morning, we pluck a sprig of evergreen to ship to the family members far-off from the grave through which their son and brother is sleeping, and our hearts are saddened to suppose how these mounds are filling loving hearts with anguish and desolation….Each one in every of these small shingle-boards, with its depressing and nearly illegible penciling, has its historical past, and that of some is heartrending. Shall I briefly allude to these whose names had been carved by identical hand?
On this nook lies Sergt. Loder, from Indiana; seven weeks in the past, within the ambulance through which we rode from Martinsburg right here, we met his mom, and to know her was to like her. Within the pages of reminiscence the report of these nice hours and attention-grabbing dialog will stay, when years have handed away. It’s not typically you may know the center of a stranger, but typically, in our journey by way of life, we meet a delicate, loving spirit whose sympathies with our personal, and whose transparency and ease of character are as uncommon as charming. Unhappy, certainly, was the end result that widowed mom’s journey, for ere she left house her son was laid on this burial spot. She waited lengthy, in hopes of taking him to his spouse and youngster, however this, owing to the style of his burial, was not completed; and he or she returned, leaving us to mark the spot; and on the very day I carried out this responsibility, I acquired from her a type of heat, affectionate letters that proved ours to be greater than widespread acquaintanceship….Our unhappy activity over, we load the ambulance with comfortable crackers, pickles, wine, condensed milk, tobacco (wanted within the terribly offensive state of wounds), tomatoes, jelly, butter, and eggs, (when they are often obtained). Bay rum, cleaning soap, canned fruits, stationery, clothes, &c., and drive over a tough highway, up the hill to Sheridan’s discipline hospital, the place snowy tents loom up towards the beautiful hue of the peaks of the distant Blue Ridge—tents alas! so filled with distress. Right here, Wards, three, 4, 5, six, seven, ten, twelve, fifteen, sixteen, nineteen, eighteen, twenty, twenty-six and 7, and the gangrene tents declare our particular consideration.
Allow us to hurriedly look at a number of the extra attention-grabbing circumstances. In ward three Walter F. Weed, of the 114th N.Y.V., has lengthy been a candidate for comfortable meals, his mouth and jaw being terribly damaged by a minie ball. At first he couldn’t converse, and we introduced him contemporary milk; however now he is ready to inform his desires, chew somewhat, and goes house. His can of peaches we discover he has been saving to eat on the way in which, so we add different articles, and smile at his provident forethought….Isaac Value of the fifteenth loyal Va., appears to be like dispirited, as he sits with each arms gone. Maybe he’s considering of the spouse, mom, and 9 kids at house on whom in addition to himself this heavy trial has fallen…
Effectively, reader, little doubt you might be weary of a lot struggling, and so are also we, so we hurry house at half-past twelve, making a really plain and hasty dinner of crackers, beef and as it’s Thanksgiving, some canned tomatoes…after which drive to the “entrance,” with dried fruits, condensed milk, crackers, stationery, needle-bags, little books and papers. We’ve got paid fixed consideration to different regiments and to-day we are going to bear in mind Maryland. It’s fairly disappointing to search out the members of the sixth totally on picket, however amongst these left in camp our inventory is decidedly unpopular…
We pay a go to to the poor troopers in Camp Convalescent, and so they look so sadly into the ambulance, it makes one’s coronary heart ache. After tea, a sick New Yorker sends for one thing he can eat; so we put crackers, butter, a lemon, loaf sugar and calves-foot jelly on a tin plate, and ship to him. At evening there are letters to put in writing for the sick, and a head-board to carve for the useless—unhappy, but unnecessary duties; and, as I look to do not forget that to not me has the day handed with out bringing its personal unhappy recollections.
One month after Moore’s first letter appeared within the Advocate and Household Guardian, the paper printed a second. Along with describing the grisly scenes that adopted the Battle of Cedar Creek, Moore shared the experiences of Non-public George Hill, thirteenth West Virginia, who misplaced his proper leg at Cedar Creek, and his interactions with Carrie Fahnestock, the seven-year-old daughter of Gettysburg, Pa., service provider Edward Fahenstock, who despatched a quick observe and housewife to the U.S. Christian Fee to hopefully brighten the spirits of a wounded Union soldier. Along with together with the textual content of Fahnestock’s letter, Moore additionally despatched Hill’s response to it. Hill survived his wound however perished 14 years later on the age of 32. Whether or not Hill’s warfare wound contributed to his dying is unknown.
Advocate and Household Guardian
February 16, 1865
On the twenty-first of October, after the final nice battle within the valley, Dr. [James H.] Manown, the kind-hearted surgeon of the fourteenth West Virginia, advised me that in the direction of night plenty of wagons would arrive from the “entrance,” with wounded, on their strategy to Martinsburg, twenty-two miles additional. My orderly was despatched to borrow pails, and we had been quickly busily employed making milk punch. Nearly darkish, an immense double practice of tough military wagons arrived, blocking up the streets, and belonging to the Sixth, Eighth, and Nineteenth Corps, every freighted with mangled, bleeding, but valuable burdens, amongst whom our work commenced. It was a wierd, warlike scene—darkish evening settling over Virginia roads, mud, cavalry, and wagons, while with flaming candles (lanterns weren’t be to procured) we provided the wounded within the completely different wagons, giving to every half a tin cup full, and to others scorching tea. The evening was uncooked and chilly, and each then and on the subsequent, our duties being the identical, many suffered from the chilly, particularly the rebels whose garments had been ragged and thread-bare, many having previous quilts and spreads round their shivering varieties. They had been largely from North and South Carolina, Louisiana, Virginia, Georgia, &c., ours from West Va., N.Y., Mass., Ohio, Ind., Pa., &c, &c. Many needed to be lifted as much as drink, and two had been past the attain of all earthly ache. Two whose legs had been amputated, one from N.Y. the opposite from Pa. implored me to have them left in Winchester, they being unable to endure the tough journey over stony roads, in lumbering wagons, and Dr. Manown had them taken out, with others, for whom an additional journey would have been impracticable. Amongst them was Georgie Hill, who was afraid of being moved lest the stump of his proper leg ought to be jarred, so Dr. M. lifted him tenderly in his arms, and carried him into his personal hospital, within the Southern Methodist Church, on Braddock Avenue, two doorways from our quarters…mendacity in entrance of the pulpit, I discovered him. He didn’t look greater than twelve years previous, his pores and skin was truthful as a woman’s, his hair darkish, and his nice black eyes, nearly as massive and filled with mischief as any I ever noticed. Although I had a terrific many critical circumstances in Sheridan Hospital, who weren’t almost so nicely cared for, I typically managed at midday to get a minute to take a can of peaches or cherries, or another delicacy to the pricey little fellow, whose brilliant eyes sparkled with pleasure…
(Common Historical past Archive (Getty Pictures))
In the future I considered a gift for Georgie, despatched by somewhat woman in Gettysburg to the Christian Fee, and entrusted to me. It was a needle-book or housewife, manufactured from fairly pink, white, and blue merino, or comfortable flannel, with pins, black-thread, a pleasant letter, some little bits of sweet wrapped in paper, and a candy carte-de-visite of a pricey little woman. So I advised Georgie about it, and his face lighted up as he mentioned, “Deliver it proper in, in order that I can see it.” Some days elapsed earlier than I discovered time to take action, receiving at size a delicate reminder that, “that although promised three days earlier than, he had not seen it but.” So at midday I hurried into the church, and stooping on the ground, confirmed Georgie the great contents of the needle-book, and skim to him little Carrie’s letter. “Isn’t she somewhat one!” he exclaimed, his eyes increasing to their utmost capability. That is Carrie’s letter:
Gettysburg, February twenty fifth [1864]
Pricey Soldier,—I can’t do a lot for you, as I’m a little or no woman—however I consider you, and pray for you too. I hope you might be good, and pray for your self. After we had the battle right here, I noticed the way you needed to undergo, and I pity you. I carried issues to sick troopers, and when you had been right here would do it for you. I ship you my image that you could be see how small I’m.
Good-by. Carrie Fahnestock.
Just a few days after, I went in to offer eggnog to the wounded, and was sorry to see Georgie about to be taken in an ambulance from the church to Sheridan field-hospital. His few worldly possessions lay on his stretcher, and he appeared sorry to go away, for it was one of many coldest days we had had. I attempted to consolation him, telling him I every day visited Sheridan hospital, and all he needed to do in case we didn’t discover him amongst so many was to tell us the variety of his tent. “How can I let you understand?” was his uncertain reply. However late within the afternoon, I despatched James with some little article for poor Jones, in whom I took a deep curiosity, and certain sufficient in “Ward Seven” lay Georgie…
The following day was intensely chilly. The sky was unusually coated with brilliant, shifting clouds, trying like grotesquely-shaped precipices, the exquisitely-tinted hills of the Blue Ridge forming a framework or border to the image of the hillside, with its orchard of ruined fruit-trees, by way of which numberless groups and wagons wended their strategy to the closely-gathered tents of Sheridan, masking so many struggling and dying souls… I sought out Georgie, and wrote in reply to Carrie’s letter:
Sheridan Hospital, Ward 7
Nov. fifth 1864 Winchester, VA
Pricey Little Carrie,—I’m fairly somewhat boy, and my identify is Georgie Hill, Co. Okay, thirteenth West Va. Regiment. I’ve been somewhat soldier boy fourteen months, and was wounded within the leg on the nineteenth of October close to Cedar Creek, Va., with a minnie ball. I used to be carried to Newtown and lay in a tent, and on the 20 th the physician took my proper leg off. My father is useless, however I’ve a mom, three brothers and one sister, and my house is in Mason County, Va. Three of my brothers are useless, all troopers, one died within the Mexican warfare, one on the siege of Vicksburg, and one within the hospital in Gallipolis, Ohio….Miss Moore gave me your pricey little image and current. She advised me I need to preserve it so long as I dwell to recollect the time I lay on the church ground in Winchester, after the battle; and I’ll. Yesterday they introduced me to this field- hospital, the place all of the sick are in tents, and I discover mine very chilly this windy day. I don’t prefer it in addition to a home, and if I may have stayed, wouldn’t have left the nice and cozy church [Southern Methodist Church on Braddock Street]. Miss Moore discovered me to-day proper in her ward—she introduced me somewhat puzzle-box, with seven items of wooden, and if you understand how, you may make squares and humorous figures. At first I couldn’t put all of them again within the field. I’m going to play with it once I go house, earlier than I get my picket leg and am capable of run round. I’ve not been house for fourteen months, and I don’t know once I shall get there. I’ve not had a letter for 2 months both, my mom doesn’t get my letters, or I don’t get hers, I don’t know which. I’m going to eat sweet after dinner, (this association was not made with problem) I’ve had some pudding, introduced in by a Winchester girl, but it surely has lemon in it, and I don’t like lemon, so I preserve trying on the sweet. Miss Moore asks if there may be the rest I need to say, however I by no means wrote to you earlier than, so you should excuse me. Good-by, Carrie.
Your little good friend, Georgie Hill
(Library of Congress)
The Sheridan Subject Hospital formally closed on January 4, 1865. Whether or not Moore departed Winchester earlier than or after that date is unclear. Proof signifies Moore was with Union forces in Richmond at warfare’s finish. 4 years of nursing wounded troopers in hospital and on the battlefield exacted a bodily toll on Moore. In 1888, affected by “extraordinarily poor well being, attributable to her military service,” the Federal Authorities awarded Moore a month-to-month pension of $50.
After the battle Moore, who married Jacob Bristor, a veteran of the twelfth West Virginia Infantry in 1867, dedicated herself to aiding the much less lucky at house and overseas. On the time of her dying in 1916 The Baltimore Solar reported she contributed “about $150,000 to the international and home missionary societies of the Presbyterian Church, most of those presents having been made within the type of property and floor rents in Baltimore.”
this text first appeared in civil warfare occasions journal
Jonathan A. Noyalas is director of Shenandoah College’s McCormick Civil Warfare Institute and the writer or editor of 15 books.