Hospitals of Henry Heth's Division

Tom Elmore

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On July 4, the less seriously wounded of Maj. Gen. Heth's division who could stand the journey back home were placed in the capacious (and infamous) wagons that had been captured by J. E. B. Stuart in Maryland. Some were left along the way because they could no longer endure the constant jolting, and others became prisoners when Federal cavalry raided their wagon train and were taken off to hospitals in Hagerstown and Frederick, Maryland.

But several hundred wounded from the division were left behind. Surgeon Benjamin F. Ward, 11th Mississippi, the surgeon-in-charge of Davis’ Brigade, and most likely the senior surgeon of the division after the Confederate retreat, reported 693 wounded, which the Federal authorities used to apportion rations and medical supplies. This number may include those occupying hospitals extending along the Chambersburg Pike at some distance from Gettysburg, as well as along the Fairfield Road, as far as the village of Fairfield.

Perhaps about half of the division’s wounded were concentrated in one location, the Samuel Lohr farm, which was one of the major Third Corps hospitals along the Chambersburg Pike. The farm remained in operation as a hospital until the end of August, since Samuel Lohr regained possession on September 1. His son served in the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry. The farm was located about a quarter mile northwest of Marsh Creek, on the south side of the pike. The division's wounded filled the house, barn and out-buildings. Fire partially claimed the log house around 1982, and it was demolished by 1992. The original barn burned in 1947. The spring house behind the house was still standing as of 1992. At least 37 burials from all four brigades of the division were recorded here, however, members of the 11th Mississippi were buried in a separate location on the property - the 11th was not engaged on July 1, but took part in the July 3 assault against Cemetery Ridge.

Field hospitals were established much closer to the front on July 1, and in particular along Willoughby Run. Surgeon Legrand James Wilson of the 42nd Mississippi established his field hospital under some trees north of the Chambersburg Pike and along the Run, and ordered the litter corps personnel to carry the wounded to that location. However, when Davis' brigade was driven back late in the morning, Dr. Wilson's field hospital was now vulnerable and he had to move his wounded back to the division hospital - probably the Lohr farm.

Some men of Davis' brigade found temporary refuge at the James J. Wills (William Job) place, north of the unfinished railroad bed. Others from the division spent a few hours at the Edward McPherson farm, a little further south, where they shared space with wounded Federals of the First Corps, until ambulances carried them further to the rear.

Field hospitals of the brigades of Archer, Brockenbrough, and Pettigrew's brigade were likely established close to Willoughby Run, including behind the woods where hundreds of the 26th North Carolina fell while battling the Iron Brigade, and/or further back in the woods on Herr's Ridge where the brigades had formed up for the assault. A number of dead (and perhaps some wounded) made it to the Frederick Herr residence, which is south of the tavern on Herr's Ridge. The same goes for the George B. Stover, Charles B. Polly and David Wisler residences, just to the west on or near the Chambersburg Pike. A hospital for Davis' brigade occupied the John Horting (George Arnold) farm on the Fairfield Road, near where it crosses the Run.

The division wounded also wound up in dwellings further west, as far as, or even beyond, Cashtown. For instance, the home, premises and office of Dr. William C. Stem, a local physician who lived in Cashtown, became a Confederate hospital. Dr. Stem treated Gen. Heth after he was wounded on the afternoon of the first day. Heth and his staff had pitched their tents on Dr. Stem's premises on June 29. The good doctor and his wife, Eliza, did all in their power to make their unexpected guests comfortable.

A handful of men were mistakenly taken to other division hospitals, like the John Edward Plank farm.

On July 3, when the division was moved forward to Seminary Ridge in preparation for the assault on the center of the Union line, field hospitals were established close by. Assistant Surgeon Joseph J. Holt of the 2nd Mississippi set up only 200 yards away, probably at the Emanuel Pitzer farm. There he treated casualties from the afternoon artillery duel, and some of the initial wounded from the charge.

However, the great bulk of the division's wounded fell just in front of the Federal lines. Once the charge was over, they were gathered up and nearly all were transported to the Union Second Corps hospital established at the Jacob Schwartz farm, which sprawled over 300 acres, although the wounded still extended onto adjacent farms like that of George Bushman. Nearly 500 men wearing blue and gray died here over the next few weeks, including at least 45 from Heth's division. A few of the latter wound up at other hospitals in the vicinity, including the George Spangler farm (south of Power's Hill), and the Peter Conover farm. The survivors were taken to Camp Letterman once it was established northeast of town, where their quality of care vastly improved, but alas in too many cases it was still not enough, considering the additional burials of Heth's men that occurred there.
 
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Where can I find further information on this topic; Union Second Corps hospital established at the Jacob Schwartz farm. Searching for the names of the surgeons and the names of the Generals connected to the Union Second Corps hospital. From my research, I believe this was the unit Charlotte E. McKay served under as a Union nurse.
 
Where can I find further information on this topic; Union Second Corps hospital established at the Jacob Schwartz farm. Searching for the names of the surgeons and the names of the Generals connected to the Union Second Corps hospital. From my research, I believe this was the unit Charlotte E. McKay served under as a Union nurse.
I believe Michael Dreese wrote a book about the Second Corps Hospital at Gettysburg some time ago. David.
 
You can't do better than Tom, too, asking for direction? There's also a book by Arabella Wilson, on the 126th New York, where she gets into the hospital a bit. Will dig up the link. Different nurses who wrote post war had sections on the hospital- not to mention Gettysburg civilians. Sometimes tough to find, there seems to be quite a lot out there.
 
Where can I find further information on this topic; Union Second Corps hospital established at the Jacob Schwartz farm. Searching for the names of the surgeons and the names of the Generals connected to the Union Second Corps hospital. From my research, I believe this was the unit Charlotte E. McKay served under as a Union nurse.

The Jacob Schwartz farm proper was the site of the Union Second Corps hospital, where 2,300 Federals and nearly 1,000 Confederates were cared for, including many from Heth’s division who fell in the July 3 charge. The other corps hospitals were also close at hand and there was some mixing between them.

It appears generals and colonels were more likely to be taken to smaller hospitals or private residences, like Brig. Gen. Zook.

Some surgeons were left behind, but most departed with the army. Here are a few who stayed from the Second Corps:
-Surgeon Justin Dwinelle, Jr., 106 PA, medical officer in charge of Second Corps hospitals.
-Assistant Surgeon William Child, 5 NH, remained for one month.
-Surgeon Charles Squire Wood, 66 NY, chief operator of 1st Division, through at least July 20.
-Assistant Surgeon William W. Sharpe, 140 PA, remained for 16 days.
-Surgeon Isaac Scott, 7 W VA, medical director of 3rd Division, through at least July 13.
-Surgeon Henry M. McAbee, 8 (4?) OH, chief surgeon of 3rd Division, worked for a time at the Catherine Guinn farm.
-Assistant Surgeon James D. Benton, 111 NY, assisted Dr. McAbee, left for his regiment on July 29.
 
Great post. Was the Cashtown Inn used as a field hospital by Heth's men? I have read that Dr Stem's Cashtown home was used as a hospital for Pender's men as well.

I am aware of an order that came down to other commands on the morning of July 4 to send their less seriously wounded and sick to Cashtown, where they would join the long train of ambulances and empty wagons that had been assembled in the vicinity. Some of those who were unable to travel were left behind in and around Cashtown, as attested by a few deaths recorded here representing several Confederate divisions, and even some men of the 6th U.S. Cavalry wound up near here (casualties from its fight).
 
I don't want to hijack the thread- the Christian Commission was detailed there, arriving July 10th. Rats, sorry, forget the writer's name from the top of my head. His account of Gettysburg and the Union Second Corp Hospital is both unvarnished and wonderful.

4 days 2nd corp hosp.JPG


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Rubbing elbows with men who came to be, laughably, ' enemies ', was a topic

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This story is somewhere in another publication, picked up at the time and illustrated.

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There is more- did not wish to clutter up the thread. Posting for a purpose, that Gettysburg became a giant place devoted to what healing could be mustered at the time. Conditions were unspeakable through no one's fault who was there. I've read one or two accounts where a snitty nurse became well, snitty about caring for Confederates but tend to disbelieve them. Written years post war, they lack credibility given the myriad accounts, written at the time, July through November, 1863. Not sure hostility towards any wounded man would have been tolerated.
 
Tom,
I needed to read what you posted a few times to absorb the information! Huzzah.
Quite possibly, you have confirmed that Charlotte was at the Jacob Schwartz farm with the second corp hospital. I am humbled by your knowledge and grateful!
side note, I am looking forward to visiting George Spangler farm this summer. I am definitively adding Jacob Schwartz farm to the visit.
-Charlotte
 
Tom,
I needed to read what you posted a few times to absorb the information! Huzzah.
Quite possibly, you have confirmed that Charlotte was at the Jacob Schwartz farm with the second corp hospital. I am humbled by your knowledge and grateful!
side note, I am looking forward to visiting George Spangler farm this summer. I am definitively adding Jacob Schwartz farm to the visit.
-Charlotte

Greg Coco wrote in 1988 that the Schwartz estate was relatively intact, but the original house had been replaced since the battle, and at that time the barn was in bad shape and was not expected to last many more years. But I see that it was still there as of 2010. Suggest you contact the Park to see if a specialized tour can be arranged with a Licensed Battlefield Guide.
 
Tom
You mentioned that the Joseph Davis division hospital was probably established on the Emmanuel Pitzer farm July 3rd. I am curious if this would have been the original location of Jeremiah Gage's grave. I know Dr. Holt treated him and noted that he had expired at the hospital location. Do you have any idea or knowledge if the burials there were disturbed in the 1872 removals to Southern cities?

I have enjoyed all your posts and this one especially as the 11th Mississippi was formed in my part of the state and I have had the opportunity to carefully examine and read Gage's last letter home. It was a very moving moment holding his last letter written under great duress.
Regards
David
 
In 1913, former Private Hugh Q. Bridges of Company A, 11th Mississippi described his college mate Jeremiah "Jere" Gage's wounding during the artillery duel preceding the charge on July 3. He saw Gage taken off by the litter bearers to the field hospital "about 200 yards to the south of us, where it was that Dr. Holt saw him and attended to him." Bridges identified one of the litter bearers as their mess mate Jim Dailey [Private James H. Dailey of Company A, 11th Mississippi]. Bridges himself wound up at the field hospital that night, and learned the details from Dailey, including that Gage had died soon after arriving at the field hospital, and that Dailey had himself buried Gage.

Assistant Surgeon Joseph J. Holt of the 2nd Mississippi would normally be posted very close to the front in a field hospital, which, from Bridges description, was most likely at the Emanuel Pitzer farm. The implication is that Gage was buried near the field hospital, but it is also possible that his body was taken to the brigade hospital further to the rear for burial, and I mention this because Greg Coco's Gettysburg's Confederate Dead states that Jeremiah Gage was buried on John Horting's farm. His remains were supposedly taken to Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery in 1873 as an unknown. It's a rather vague closure. For all we know, Gage's remains might still be on the battlefield.

Hugh Q. Bridges attended the University of Mississippi from 1858-1861. Jeremiah Saunders Gage graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1860 with an A.B. (Bachelor of Arts) degree.
 
Tom
Thank you very much for the information.
Regards
David
 
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