Surgeon William W. Gaither - 26th and 28th North Carolina.

CSA Today

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Honored Fallen Comrade
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Location
Laurinburg NC
22324_857275017693506_6034083890112842246_n.jpg


"Assistant Surgeon William W. Gaither. This officer who most faithfully and acceptably served with the regiment [26th North Carolina] until December, 1864, when he was promoted to be Surgeon of the Twenty-eighth North Carolina Regiment, graduated from the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, in the class of 1860. Enlisted as a private in the 'Hibriten Mountaineers,' which became the afterwards famous Company F, in the Twenty-sixth Regiment. At first, serving as Hospital Steward, he was soon commissioned Assistant Surgeon, assigned to the regiment and put in charge of the hospital at Carolina City, below New Bern.

At Gettysburg, Dr. Gaither was all night getting the wounded from the field of the first day's fight and worked with them all the next day and night. On the afternoon of the third day, went to the regiment in line of battle. Under date of 5 September, 1900, Dr. Gaither writes: 'I was on the field, saw the futile charge on the Cemetery wall, and the recoil. I got only three of the slightly wounded. When we got to Hagerstown, I went to sleep and slept for two entire days, so utterly exhausted I was."

Assistant Surgeon George C. Underwood - 26th North Carolina.

Photo:
 
Another "Dr. Meade," from "Gone With the Wind"...Those surgeons were up there with the bravest, most praiseworthy of all men in the war. Their invaluable service should be honored to a much greater extent, I believe. Some North, some South, in their minds, often, was not which side they were on---just saving lives. I salute them.
 
Assistant Surgeon Gaither also attended Davidson College in North Carolina, matriculating in 1855. There were at least 18 other Confederates on the battlefield of Gettysburg who were graduates of Jefferson Medical College, and half of them were surgeons. Those in Gaither's graduating class of 1860 at Gettysburg included Surgeons Judson Butts (31 GA) and Thomas C. Hill (5 AL); also Ellington J. Morgan, a lieutenant serving in Company E, 20th Georgia, who was slightly wounded.
 
I can't imagine the horrors the Dr must of seen. Although in this day & age we think of there method's as crude these doctors saved thousands of lives amputating the limbs of the injured. I think the doctors of the war are un-sung heroes.
 
View attachment 66637

"Assistant Surgeon William W. Gaither. This officer who most faithfully and acceptably served with the regiment [26th North Carolina] until December, 1864, when he was promoted to be Surgeon of the Twenty-eighth North Carolina Regiment, graduated from the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, in the class of 1860.

Assistant Surgeon George C. Underwood - 26th NC

My ancestor's cousin, Saunders Fulton of the 21st NC was also a graduate of Jefferson Medical College but was a line officer. More than a quarter of Co. G, 21 NC was made up of his cousins and inlaws. Do you have any info on the med. school and how trips were made back and forth from NC?
I am trying to get some idea of how easy interstate travel was in that period and how likely they traveled by roads or rail.
Thanks
G
 
Assistant Surgeon Gaither also attended Davidson College in North Carolina, matriculating in 1855. There were at least 18 other Confederates on the battlefield of Gettysburg who were graduates of Jefferson Medical College...
Do you have a good reference for more information about the medical college? We had a CW connection to a Dr. Saunders Fulton of the 21st NC, also a Jefferson Med. College graduate. Any help appreciated.
 
Back
Top