- Joined
- Jan 16, 2015
Between June 15 and 18, two weeks before a shot was fired at Gettysburg, it is estimated that upwards of a thousand men died or were permanently disabled in the armies of Meade and Lee, due to a common enemy – sunstroke. Several times that number were temporarily put out of action from heat exhaustion, and we know that not all of them recovered in time to participate in the battle.
The following accounts describe the nature of that struggle, with sufficient data to make rough estimates of overall losses (with the help of June 30 strength numbers from Busey and Martin’s Regimental Strengths and Losses).
Temperature and humidity data between June 15 and 18 may be unavailable, but a hint was provided by Almeron W. Stillwell of the 5th Wisconsin, who reported a temperature of 112 degrees on June 16. How he obtained this information is unclear, but the reading was probably taken in direct sun, which is reportedly 10-15 degrees hotter than the shade, where modern readings are taken. It suggests afternoon highs for this period hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but of course the soldiers were not marching in the shade. On the contrary, the major macadamized roads in that region reflected heat. Besides, we cannot determine heat index effects that certainly made it feel considerably hotter. In view of the many soldiers who were stricken during this period, the heat index must have reached the “extreme danger” category. None of this was well understood by armies of that era; in fact, commanders exacerbated the situation by forced marches when they precluded stops to refill empty canteens.
June 15
Crossed the Rapidan, very hot and dusty. Many men fainted down by the roadside. (Diary of William J. Garrett, Company I, 3rd Georgia)
Oppressively hot, many of the men fainted and fell by the wayside, while many others were prostrated by sunstroke to rise no more. (Papers of Thomas Claybrook Elder, Quartermaster of Col. David Lang’s Florida brigade)
Lt. Blanchard and others sun struck - Collier and Bovier of Co. C. Only 7 enlisted men with company when halted. Lost with above men 4 guns and full equipment, 240 cartridges. (Diary of N. S. Baker, 86th New York)
18 men died from the effects of the heat. (Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 91)
The men were so tired in the afternoon from the fatigue, for the sun poured down upon us with intense heat that they lay down along the road by dozens, many men were sunstruck. I was never so tired before as that afternoon. (June 17 letter of William Remmel, 121 NY)
Resumed our march, come to Dumfries, very tired. Most of the regiment fell out, many were sun stroke. (Diary of Henry H. Chaffee, 4 VT)
15 men died in Geary’s division alone of fatigue and sunstroke. (Itinerary of the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, ed. and comp. by Lawrence Wilson) [15 out of 4,397 equates to 0.34%]
Toward Manassas Junction. Very hot all day, a good many of infantry sun stroke. Some died, said to be 11 in one regiment. (Diary of H. A. Hartman, Battery H, 1st Ohio Artillery)
June 16
Towards night I got overheated and fainted … [by the] side of the road, so that yesterday I was so weak that I had to ride in an ambulance, and I think that I shall ride today. It is so awful hot that a lot get sun-struck every day. (June 18 letter from George H. Patch, 19 MA)
Stannard’s Vermont brigade lost 7 from sunstroke. (Letter of Private Royal D. King, D/14 VT) [7 out of 3,396 equates to 0.21%)
Very dry and tedious and terrible. Coats, blankets, knapsacks are dropped by the wayside and many of the boys having to succumb to the warm embrace of Old Saul are falling with sun stroke. (Diary of Almeron W. Stillwell, E/5 WI)
Nearly 60 men have fallen out from sun-stroke today out of the 3rd Division. (C.A.G., 10 MA) [58 out of roughly 5,737 equates to 1.01%]
June 17
To Stephensburg, day was oppressively hot and a large number of men fell exhausted from the heat. (Diary of Chaplain Francis M. Kennedy, 28 NC)
We were marched so hard we all very nearly gave out. Six or seven of our division died from over-heat. (Letter of Robert J. Montgomery, Company I, 12th South Carolina, Pender’s division) [6.5 out of roughly 7,120 equates to 0.09%]
Captain Adolphus W. Gill of I Company fell from sunstroke, and it is reported that several have died from the effects of that march. The day afterward, ambulances were sent out to pick up the men thus affected. (14th Brooklyn, Soldier Correspondence to New York Mercury)
Quite a number of men fell down sun struck, also some officers. I came near being sun struck. … Lt. Col. Gleason died on the march, buried him at 6:30 p.m., died from extreme sunstroke I guess … Welleaux (sp?) says 25 men dropped dead on the march. (Diary of Capt. George Lockley, A/1 MICH)
Heat was excessive and water very scarce … it was reported that 27 men died from sunstroke during the day … in our division. (Musket and Sword, by Edwin C. Bennett, 22 MASS) [27 out of 4,556 equates to 0.59%]
June 18
Men fell by scores and several died in the road from exhaustion. (Diary of Chaplain Francis M. Kennedy, 28 NC)
Thursday, the hottest day I ever felt. I think there was 27 men in the division dropped dead in the road. (B. F. Hammond, Company D, 1st South Carolina Rifles (Orr’s), Pender’s division) [27 out of roughly 7,114 equates to 0.39%. Adding to the previous day’s loss comes out to 0.46%]
Other comments:
June 22, hard marching last 10 days, 70 died from sunstroke in our [First] corps. (Civil War Letters of Charles Barber, Private, 104th New York, Livingston County Historical Museum, Geneseo, New York) [70 out of 14,417 equates to 0.49%]
J. W. Spaulding of the 19th Maine was compelled for the first time to leave the ranks owing to the extreme heat and clouds of dust, and lay down under a bush. That night, a comrade, chum and messmate [named] Dave, came back for Spaulding and coaxed him into camp. (Second Reunion of the Nineteenth Maine Regiment Association, p. 10)
The weather was hot beyond endurance … We moved out early in the morning and continued a rapid march with but few minutes rest during the entire day … 800 fell in the ranks [Second Corps?] from exhaustion and the excessive heat of the sun; 100 of these never recovered. (Daniel Bond, 1st Minnesota, Civil War Manuscripts at the Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois) [100 out of 13,613 equates to 0.73%]
Tally:
Figuring one-half of one percent for permanent losses due to heat stroke in both armies, for the period June 15-18, yields:
Died or permanently disabled in the Army of the Potomac (USA): 566
Died or permanently disabled in the Army of Northern Virginia (CSA): 402
The battle claimed at least 7,786 lives, on which enough has been written to fill a library. Sunstroke, on the other hand, took perhaps a thousand lives during the campaign, and is rarely mentioned.
See also, https://civilwartalk.com/threads/heat-casualties-–-the-other-opponent-at-gettysburg.151581/#post-1925970
The following accounts describe the nature of that struggle, with sufficient data to make rough estimates of overall losses (with the help of June 30 strength numbers from Busey and Martin’s Regimental Strengths and Losses).
Temperature and humidity data between June 15 and 18 may be unavailable, but a hint was provided by Almeron W. Stillwell of the 5th Wisconsin, who reported a temperature of 112 degrees on June 16. How he obtained this information is unclear, but the reading was probably taken in direct sun, which is reportedly 10-15 degrees hotter than the shade, where modern readings are taken. It suggests afternoon highs for this period hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but of course the soldiers were not marching in the shade. On the contrary, the major macadamized roads in that region reflected heat. Besides, we cannot determine heat index effects that certainly made it feel considerably hotter. In view of the many soldiers who were stricken during this period, the heat index must have reached the “extreme danger” category. None of this was well understood by armies of that era; in fact, commanders exacerbated the situation by forced marches when they precluded stops to refill empty canteens.
June 15
Crossed the Rapidan, very hot and dusty. Many men fainted down by the roadside. (Diary of William J. Garrett, Company I, 3rd Georgia)
Oppressively hot, many of the men fainted and fell by the wayside, while many others were prostrated by sunstroke to rise no more. (Papers of Thomas Claybrook Elder, Quartermaster of Col. David Lang’s Florida brigade)
Lt. Blanchard and others sun struck - Collier and Bovier of Co. C. Only 7 enlisted men with company when halted. Lost with above men 4 guns and full equipment, 240 cartridges. (Diary of N. S. Baker, 86th New York)
18 men died from the effects of the heat. (Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 91)
The men were so tired in the afternoon from the fatigue, for the sun poured down upon us with intense heat that they lay down along the road by dozens, many men were sunstruck. I was never so tired before as that afternoon. (June 17 letter of William Remmel, 121 NY)
Resumed our march, come to Dumfries, very tired. Most of the regiment fell out, many were sun stroke. (Diary of Henry H. Chaffee, 4 VT)
15 men died in Geary’s division alone of fatigue and sunstroke. (Itinerary of the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, ed. and comp. by Lawrence Wilson) [15 out of 4,397 equates to 0.34%]
Toward Manassas Junction. Very hot all day, a good many of infantry sun stroke. Some died, said to be 11 in one regiment. (Diary of H. A. Hartman, Battery H, 1st Ohio Artillery)
June 16
Towards night I got overheated and fainted … [by the] side of the road, so that yesterday I was so weak that I had to ride in an ambulance, and I think that I shall ride today. It is so awful hot that a lot get sun-struck every day. (June 18 letter from George H. Patch, 19 MA)
Stannard’s Vermont brigade lost 7 from sunstroke. (Letter of Private Royal D. King, D/14 VT) [7 out of 3,396 equates to 0.21%)
Very dry and tedious and terrible. Coats, blankets, knapsacks are dropped by the wayside and many of the boys having to succumb to the warm embrace of Old Saul are falling with sun stroke. (Diary of Almeron W. Stillwell, E/5 WI)
Nearly 60 men have fallen out from sun-stroke today out of the 3rd Division. (C.A.G., 10 MA) [58 out of roughly 5,737 equates to 1.01%]
June 17
To Stephensburg, day was oppressively hot and a large number of men fell exhausted from the heat. (Diary of Chaplain Francis M. Kennedy, 28 NC)
We were marched so hard we all very nearly gave out. Six or seven of our division died from over-heat. (Letter of Robert J. Montgomery, Company I, 12th South Carolina, Pender’s division) [6.5 out of roughly 7,120 equates to 0.09%]
Captain Adolphus W. Gill of I Company fell from sunstroke, and it is reported that several have died from the effects of that march. The day afterward, ambulances were sent out to pick up the men thus affected. (14th Brooklyn, Soldier Correspondence to New York Mercury)
Quite a number of men fell down sun struck, also some officers. I came near being sun struck. … Lt. Col. Gleason died on the march, buried him at 6:30 p.m., died from extreme sunstroke I guess … Welleaux (sp?) says 25 men dropped dead on the march. (Diary of Capt. George Lockley, A/1 MICH)
Heat was excessive and water very scarce … it was reported that 27 men died from sunstroke during the day … in our division. (Musket and Sword, by Edwin C. Bennett, 22 MASS) [27 out of 4,556 equates to 0.59%]
June 18
Men fell by scores and several died in the road from exhaustion. (Diary of Chaplain Francis M. Kennedy, 28 NC)
Thursday, the hottest day I ever felt. I think there was 27 men in the division dropped dead in the road. (B. F. Hammond, Company D, 1st South Carolina Rifles (Orr’s), Pender’s division) [27 out of roughly 7,114 equates to 0.39%. Adding to the previous day’s loss comes out to 0.46%]
Other comments:
June 22, hard marching last 10 days, 70 died from sunstroke in our [First] corps. (Civil War Letters of Charles Barber, Private, 104th New York, Livingston County Historical Museum, Geneseo, New York) [70 out of 14,417 equates to 0.49%]
J. W. Spaulding of the 19th Maine was compelled for the first time to leave the ranks owing to the extreme heat and clouds of dust, and lay down under a bush. That night, a comrade, chum and messmate [named] Dave, came back for Spaulding and coaxed him into camp. (Second Reunion of the Nineteenth Maine Regiment Association, p. 10)
The weather was hot beyond endurance … We moved out early in the morning and continued a rapid march with but few minutes rest during the entire day … 800 fell in the ranks [Second Corps?] from exhaustion and the excessive heat of the sun; 100 of these never recovered. (Daniel Bond, 1st Minnesota, Civil War Manuscripts at the Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois) [100 out of 13,613 equates to 0.73%]
Tally:
Figuring one-half of one percent for permanent losses due to heat stroke in both armies, for the period June 15-18, yields:
Died or permanently disabled in the Army of the Potomac (USA): 566
Died or permanently disabled in the Army of Northern Virginia (CSA): 402
The battle claimed at least 7,786 lives, on which enough has been written to fill a library. Sunstroke, on the other hand, took perhaps a thousand lives during the campaign, and is rarely mentioned.
See also, https://civilwartalk.com/threads/heat-casualties-–-the-other-opponent-at-gettysburg.151581/#post-1925970