Confederate Wounded Prisoners Hospitalized after the Battle of Gettysburg

lelliott19

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The article, entitled "Wounded Confederate Prisoners," originally published in The Sentinel and reprinted in the Richmond Enquirer, includes lists of Confederate soldiers hospitalized at various Union hospitals in and around Gettysburg.

Charts by the author, utilizing data published in the Richmond Enquirer., August 14, 1863, page 3. Names are included in the order in which they appear in the newspaper. Spelling, unit, and other errors/omissions are retained from the original. Although the exact date the list was compiled is unknown, some entries reference condition as of July 29 and 30, 1863.

The first section I have compiled is the longest list and is entitled:
"Wounded Confederates in College Building at Gettysburg."
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<end of list under heading "Wounded Confederates in College Building at Gettysburg">
 
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The article, entitled "Wounded Confederate Prisoners," originally published in The Sentinel and reprinted in the Richmond Enquirer, includes lists of Confederate soldiers hospitalized at various Union hospitals in and around Gettysburg.

Charts by the author, utilizing data published in the Richmond Enquirer., August 14, 1863, page 3. Names are included in the order in which they appear in the newspaper. Spelling, unit, and other errors/omissions are retained from the original. Although the exact date the list was compiled is unknown, some entries reference condition as of July 29 and 30, 1863.

The first section I have compiled is the longest list and is entitled:
"Wounded Confederates in College Building at Gettysburg."
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View attachment 309179
<end of list under heading "Wounded Confederates in College Building at Gettysburg">
Interesting list! I see George S Patton's great uncle is listed as Walter instead of Waller Tazewell Patton. Of course Ted Turner did a little less then an Emmy winning performance as Patton during the Pickett's Charge scene in "Gettysburg".
 
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Interesting list! I see George S Patton's great uncle is listed as Walter instead of Waller Tazewell Patton. Of course Ted Turner did a little less then Emmy winning performance as Patton during the Pickett's Charge scene in "Gettysburg".
Thanks for catching that. I went back and checked and his name is indeed listed as "Walter" in the newspaper accounting. I was so busy trying to transcribe accurately that I didn't even catch that it was Patton's uncle. Interesting that his carotid artery was tied. I imagine that he bled out from the wound in his jaw and it must have been done in a desperate attempt to save his life? I'm surprised he lived 4 1/2 days without blood flow to the left side of his brain? It could have been the left external carotid? So it wouldn't have necessarily prevented all the blood flow to his brain?
 
This section, entitled "Wounded Confederates at Mercersburg, Pa." contains only the information transcribed below - no details of wounds or condition. Once again, names are included in the order in which they appear in the newspaper. Spelling, unit, and other errors/omissions are retained from the original.
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Richmond Enquirer., August 14, 1863, page 3.
@Coonewah Creek @22ndGa these lists might be of interest to you since they include members of your regiments.
 
The first list has 2 listed as "not wounded". I guess we can only contemplate what that means … were wounded but now fully recovered? … PTSD? Confederate medical staff?
Probably left behind to care for the wounded. Maybe nurses? Or ambulance corps? Or maybe just "drew the lucky straw" and won the honor of being left behind to be captured, fair and square?
 
One account by a Christian Commission agent speaks of a arriving in Gettysburg and seeing Confederates, walking wounded, out in the streets without guards or even being noticed. Another account from one of the groups who came to nurse ( the women from Lancaster? ) told of Confederate women arriving to help nurse their wounded although several arrivals were caught bringing civilian clothing for them to aid an escape.

I'm always interested in the Confederate wounded treated at Gettysburg- despite a few pieces of written snark in newspapers it sounds as if women arriving to nurse were a little smitten by seeing Union and Confederate men in the same wards, swapping stories or just passing time together. Must have been an awfully interesting interlude in a war where we spent so much effort trying to kill each other.
 
The article, entitled "Wounded Confederate Prisoners," originally published in The Sentinel and reprinted in the Richmond Enquirer, includes lists of Confederate soldiers hospitalized at various Union hospitals in and around Gettysburg.

Charts by the author, utilizing data published in the Richmond Enquirer., August 14, 1863, page 3. Names are included in the order in which they appear in the newspaper. Spelling, unit, and other errors/omissions are retained from the original. Although the exact date the list was compiled is unknown, some entries reference condition as of July 29 and 30, 1863.

The first section I have compiled is the longest list and is entitled:
"Wounded Confederates in College Building at Gettysburg."
View attachment 309175
View attachment 309176
View attachment 309179
<end of list under heading "Wounded Confederates in College Building at Gettysburg">
I am always interested in these lists and searching for my relative from the 5th Texas who was left behind and shown on Union records to have died 16 July.
 
This section, entitled "Wounded Confederates at Hagerstown, Md." contains only the information transcribed below - no other details of wounds or condition. Once again, names are included in the order in which they appear in the newspaper; spelling, unit, and other errors/omissions are retained from the original.
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Richmond Enquirer., August 14, 1863, page 3.
 
Great idea to record these. The (Pennsylvania) College Hospital at Gettysburg reportedly held up to 600-700 Confederates at one time, so the above list of 52 names is only a small fraction of the overall number. Lt. A. J. Peeler, by the way, belonged to the 5th Florida. Quite a few Floridians were evidently sent there.

The Confederates who wound up at Mercersburg were directed there (for the most part) by Federal cavalry following their attack on the wagon train of wounded near Greencastle, Pennsylvania on July 5. See also: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/wa...rom-federal-cavalry-attacks-on-july-5.157452/
 
Lt. A. J. Peeler, by the way, belonged to the 5th Florida. Quite a few Floridians were evidently sent there.
Thanks Tom. It was left blank in the newspaper article. Do you know if Lt Peeler was from Tallahassee FL? Was he detailed as a nurse? Somehow, I figured it was just Privates that were selected to be left behind to care for the wounded? Or was Peeler left back with Captain R N Gardner of Tallahassee? Do you know what regiment was Capt Gardner's?
 
Don't put too much faith in the accuracy of these lists. Lt. A. J. Peeler, who served as an aide to Col. Lang and is shown above as not wounded, sustained a gunshot wound to his scalp. He was admitted to Camp Letterman on July 27 and sent on to the West Building's hospital in Baltimore. He was exchanged from Johnson's Island, Ohio in March 1865. Peeler had been a lawyer in Tallahassee.

Captain Richmond N. Gardner led Company K, 5th Florida.
 
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