Union Field Hospital

wilber6150

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Retired Moderator
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Apr 1, 2009
Location
deep in the Mohawk Valley of Central New York
fieldhos1-X3.jpg

Title: Savage Station, Virginia. Union field hospital after the battle of June 27
<LI sizset="3" sizcache="0">Creator(s): Gibson, James F., b. 1828, photographer Date Created/Published: 1862 June.
Medium: 1 negative : glass, stereograph, wet collodion ; 4 x 10 in.
Summary: Photo shows a makeshift field hospital with wounded soldiers sitting and lying on the ground while some receive care. Includes the straw-hatted Sixteenth New York Infantry who fought at Gaines' Mill on June 27. Most were captured when Confederates overtook the area during the battle of Savage's Station on June 29. (Source: Bob Zeller, Civil War in Depth, v. 1, p. 34)
Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-cwpb-00202 (digital file from original neg.)

Call Number: LC-B815- 491 [P&P] LOT 4172-A (corresponding print)
 
Photo 2-- Wounded man to lieutenant "Yes its still in there! I DONT need yer finger in there with it!"
Thanks Wilber for posting this one. I always wanted to get it enlarged.
 
Oooohh, another good one, Wilber! Thank you! :smile:

Man, I just can't help wondering how many of those poor guys died later from post-op or post-battle infections.... Just looking at the surgeon poking his germy finger into an already-filthy wound is both really compelling and really gross! I like to think that at least the fellow in the straw hat and the guy with the wounded leg made it. It's like, you get a really good, up-close personal look at these folks, and they just become so real and alive and vital. I love that you do this for us. Thank you! :smile:
 
The men with the straw hats belonged to the 16th New York. The colonel's wife had straw hats made for the entire regiment. The wounded would have come from the battle of Gaines Mill.

R

Rpkennedy, thank you! :smile: The photos mean so much more with each bit of info you all contribute.
 
And if you check out the caption, doesn't sound so positive for that guy, Zylphy. Being wounded and a captive unfortunately were two of three strikes against survival. I'm guessing that dirty finger might've been strike three. :frown:

Wilber, can you enlarge the guy with the thousand-yard stare to their left? He's sitting up....
 
And if you check out the caption, doesn't sound so positive for that guy, Zylphy. Being wounded and a captive unfortunately were two of three strikes against survival. I'm guessing that dirty finger might've been strike three. :frown:

Wilber, can you enlarge the guy with the thousand-yard stare to their left? He's sitting up....

Yes I can, but now I'm sharing the computer with small ones who have discovered the joy of Disney Jr :rolleyes:, so I will have to try later. There are so many things to enlarge in this picture, its fasinating....
 
And if you check out the caption, doesn't sound so positive for that guy, Zylphy. Being wounded and a captive unfortunately were two of three strikes against survival. I'm guessing that dirty finger might've been strike three. :frown:
....

Oh, man.... I didn't think about the prisoner aspect. I'm going to guess that by the time most soldiers had seen a few battles, they pretty much knew what would happen if they were wounded (let alone captured by the enemy), even if they initially survived their injuries.
 
I think I'm right that the guy facing us in #15 is USCT possibly? Wonder what happened to him if he was captured.....were there a lot of Colored troops captured after Gaines' Mill?
 
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