Hancock Wound?

[johan_steele]

I recall reading a note from Grant that stated that he believed Hancock the best Commander in the AoP and recomending him for a higher Command but his medical condition didn't allow it. Do any of you recall such a document?

[cwreader]

After much suffering with his wound Hancock eventually found a doctor who was able to give him some relief. As I recall, the doctor had Hancock sit on a chair on a table in order to recreate his position as he was seated on his horse at the time of the Gettysburg wound. This enabled the doctor to probe on a more accurate trajectory for more of the fragments which were still in the wound.

Also, the boil that eventually killed him was on the back of his neck.

I believe I got this information from "Hancock at Gettysburg and Beyond" by A.M. Gambone - published by Butternut and Blue Press - Army of the Potomac Series or from the Glenn Tucker book. This is from my memory though- can't find any notes to corroborate.

The Gambone book goes into excrutiatingly wonderful detail about the Hancock/Oliver O. Howard controversy regarding who was in charge of the field that afternoon of the first day.

[william42]

Wasn't it Dan Sickles who lost his leg at Gettysburg? Or took a really bad wound that caused it to be amputated shortly afterward. And I think he used to visit it at a museum on occasion. I recall reading about him being carried off the Gettysburg battlefield on a stretcher while smoking a cigar, trying to appear that the wound was no big deal, so as not to demoralize his men. I always thought that was pretty cool that he did that. It must've hurt like hell.

Terry

[samgrant]

In your 3rd to last paragraph, something seems out of whack: "The controversy between General Hancock and General Grant continued for about two months; but finally terminated in General Hancock's asking to be relieved from his command in January, 1806." Since Hancock wasn't born till 1824, this must have been one mystical controversy!

By the way, at Grant's death in 1885, Hancock organized the funeral rites and led the funeral procession (which was 8 miles long!)
Adam Badeau, formerly of Grant's staff and later cofidant and biographer paid tribute to Hancockin a newspaper interview: "With ... nobility he bore his part in the great funeral over his ancient chief and comrade. The majestic character of those rites that attracted the attention of the world was greatly due to the tender care and chivalrous punctilio of him who thought the dead chieftan had wounded him. These two soldiers have fought their last fight and ended every difference. Each at the last was full of soldierly and brotherly generousity to the other."

[samgrant]

On Sickles leg .... From Stephen Sears 'Gettysburg': "An officer in the Second Corps ...expressed the sense of relief common within the Potomac Army's officer corps: 'The loss of his leg is a great gain to us, whatever it may be to him.' "

[FSPowers]

william42

Sickles got hit by an artillery shell.

I believe the leg is on display at the Armed Forces Medical Museum in Washington D.C.

[samgrant]

It may have been the 'treatment' for the boil, rather than the boil itself, that put him away:

"Hancock was .... given hypodermic injections of brandy, whisky, ether and carbonate of amonia, separately and combined, for the purpose as the newspapers naively explained, of "restoring the sufferer's health.""

- from 'Hancock the Superb' by GlennTucker

[samgrant]

"after Jubal Early had been driven back from his thrust toward Washington, he (Grant) recommended a unification of four scattered departments, the Susquehanna, Middle, West Virginia and Washington. Writing Lincoln from City Point July 25, 1864, Grant suggested that Meade be placed in command of this unified military division and added: "In this case I would suggest General Hancock for command of the Army of the Patomac, and General Gibbon for command of the Second Corps.""

Eventually, Grant instead sent Sheridan to the Valley where he crushed Early.

When Sheridan was ordered back to Petersburg , "Grant directed that Hancock take command of what had been desiginated as the Middle Department, with headquarters at Winchester, Virginia."

Hancock arrived at Winchester on Feb. 26. The only major opposition there was Mosby and his Rangers. Soon after Lee's surrender, Mosby disbanded his command.

Quotes from 'Hancock the Superb' by Glenn Tucker

[lrd89]

Originally Posted by samgrant

It may have been the 'treatment' for the boil, rather than the boil itself, that put him away:

"Hancock was .... given hypodermic injections of brandy, whisky, ether and carbonate of amonia, separately and combined, for the purpose as the newspapers naively explained, of "restoring the sufferer's health.""

- from 'Hancock the Superb' by GlennTucker

Um, yep, that would put somebody away.

[maryingettysburg]

Hey Mrtacitus,
Since you hail from Orange County, NY, i guess that makes you an Orange Blossom.