Not A Featherbed Doctor!

[NH Civil War Gal]

From the Personal Memoirs of John H. Brinton, Major and Surgeon U.S.V., 1861-1865


I have spoken of the odd character of many of the western doctors, who were now regimental surgeons. One of these, a Doctor, or let me say, Surgeon Henry Winter Davis (I think of the 18th Illinois Infantry), was a most impulsive, efficient, outspoken man. On the last day's fight (at Fort Donelson), I found him with a gun in his hand, firing away with great spirit. I rode up to him, and said, "Doctor, this is hardly the work for you to be doing, you ought to confine yourself to strictly professional work." He was kneeling on the ground at the time. He stopped his shooting, looked up at me with a queer expression, and said, "I'm all right, Doctor, I have done all the surgery of this Regiment, and have fired forty-five shots, by G-d." Then he added, "I am glad to see you here. I am glad you're not a feather-bed doctor,". And he went on with his belligerent pastime.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Kinda goes against the medical principle of "first do no harm." I could see him shooting back if he was being shot at, but this is different!

 

[Jim in Wisconsin]

I would say if there are enemy troops close enough to be firing in his direction, he is doing what a soldier is supposed to do. If there were wounded men nearby that needed his attention, I suppose he would have been doing his "doctoring".

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Kinda goes against the medical principle of "first do no harm." I could see him shooting back if he was being shot at, but this is different!

The old doctor reminds me of a statement I read from some Southern soldiers about the Western soldiers.

"These are Western boys and they can take a belly full of fighting! Not like those Eastern, lily-livered, soldiers"

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

" I am glad you're not a feather-bed doctor,".

Only a guess, but that may have been a sarcastic insult.

Feather beds had been an upscale furniture item for hundreds of years by the Civil War.
Feather beds were more comfortable and more expensive than a common straw or ... (in the South) moss filled beds.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

A brief search online suggests that CW surgeons were considered non-combatants and that is why they could be left behind enemy lines with wounded soldiers. As such, they expected to be released back to their own lines and not held as prisoners.

Most surgeons embraced their non-combatant role, but that clearly didn't keep some, North or South, from grabbing a weapon on occasion. It seems to me that being caught acting as a soldier would rightly result in that doctor being sent to a POW camp.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Also of interest perhaps:

Thread 'Could A Regimental Surgeon Take Tactical Command of A Regiment in Battle'

Oct 24, 2023

Sometime back @Stryker65 posted a thread titled "Were All Surgeons Majors?"

Were all surgeons majors? | Medical Care

Been reading the OR, as I do, and I became aware of the fact that surgeons were sometimes referred to as majors. I of course understand the fact that surgeons were given the rank of major, but I always wondered whether they were actually majors. To be more clear, I'm wondering if, during battle...

civilwartalk.com

As part of my response I made the statement that I knew of no examples where a surgeon took tactical command of a unit in combat. I've just discovered an officer who earned the nickname "The Fighting Surgeon" during the Mexican War.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/43058527

General David De Leon was born in South Carolina in
1822. He was the first Surgeon General of the Confederate
army. In the Mexican War he twice took...

• Sowbelly and Hardtack
• Replies: 8
• Forum: Medical Care

• 

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Recall reading about a couple of instances (at least) of Confederate regimental surgeons transferring to preferred fighting roles as line officers. The experience of armed combat must have got their blood boiling.