Caring for Veterans of the Civil War

mike1w

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Oct 1, 2019
Location
Both sides of the Delaware River.
Hello,
I was wondering how the need to properly help care for disabled veterans of the war helped to push forward the development of modern medicine. I am a caregiver, though not for a military veteran. I'm just wondering how the postwar era medicine helped lead to today's caregiving, both in medical facilities and for at home services? If anyone can provide examples, I would appreciate it.
 
Hello,
I was wondering how the need to properly help care for disabled veterans of the war helped to push forward the development of modern medicine. I am a caregiver, though not for a military veteran. I'm just wondering how the postwar era medicine helped lead to today's caregiving, both in medical facilities and for at home services? If anyone can provide examples, I would appreciate it.

Well, a Confederate soldier named James Hanger who lost a leg fashioned a reasonably functional artificial leg and founded a company to produce them, which last I heard was still in operation.
 
Last edited:
Well, a Confederate soldier named James Hanger who lost a leg fashioned a reasonable functional artificial leg and founded a company to produce them, which last I heard was still in operation.
During a trip with my wife, where we followed the Confederate Army of the Northwest path of retreat from the area of Grafton all the way south and southeast, eventually to Monterey, VA, we came across a placard in Philippi, near the covered bridge that crosses the Tygart Valley River. This placard described exactly what Carronade posted, concerning James Hanger, his status as one of the first amputee's of the Civil War, and his eventual venture into the prosthetic business. There is a small blurb about James Hanger on the wiki page for the Battle of Philippi.
 
From what I've read there were huge gaps in the proper care of disabled vets . Many in cities were forced into begging and lived on the fringes . There was no social security at the time . Those with families fared better , but proper care of old wounds was still an issue .I recall the story of a vet whose wound had to be opened and drained several times a week and this went on for decades. The overwhelming numbers of disabled vets stressed charitable institutions and families as well , so I don't believe there was much in home service outside of families or friends or possibly local churches or charities . .
 
During a trip with my wife, where we followed the Confederate Army of the Northwest path of retreat from the area of Grafton all the way south and southeast, eventually to Monterey, VA, we came across a placard in Philippi, near the covered bridge that crosses the Tygart Valley River. This placard described exactly what Carronade posted, concerning James Hanger, his status as one of the first amputee's of the Civil War, and his eventual venture into the prosthetic business. There is a small blurb about James Hanger on the wiki page for the Battle of Philippi.
Welcome, enjoy.
 
In 1866, Congress established the first National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, in Togus, Maine. This was the first of 12 such facilities across the country, combining both residential and hospital care:
  • Eastern Branch, Togus,Maine, 1866-1934
  • Central Branch, Dayton,Ohio, 1867-1935
  • Northwestern Branch, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1867-1934
  • Southern Branch, Hampton, Virginia, 1871-1933
  • Western Branch, Leavenworth, Kansas, 1885-1934
  • Pacific Branch, Sawtelle, California,1888-1933
  • Marion Branch, Marion, Indiana, 1890-1931
  • Roseburg Branch, Roseburg, Oregon, 1894-1932
  • Danville Branch, Danville, Illinois, 1898-1934
  • Mountain Branch, Johnson City, Tennessee, 1903-1932
  • Battle Mountain Sanitarium, Hot Springs, South Dakota,1907-1934
  • Bath Branch, Bath, New York,1876-1934
Besides the twelve National Homes, there were many State and Municipal Homes for Disabled Veterans. The Wikipedia "Old Soldiers Home" article lists many of them. In the South, state and local Old Soldiers Homes catered to Confederate veterans.
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See: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/national-home-for-disabled-volunteer-soldiers-togus-maine.129384/#post-1435163

On the whole, however, private care, often haphazard, was the usual case. There was, in fact, considerable opposition to government involvement in veteran care. It was looked upon as a "government handout" ... and that included opposition to pensions.
 
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