JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
" US Christian Commission ", painted signs identify their hospital at Gettysburg, a ' snip ' taken from a larger, LoC photograph
Boy are there endless treasures in Hathi Trust. History's players, long frozen on yellowed pages are all there and continue their loops through the war - taking us with them. Tech meets Time, really. Like the best, giant, first interactive bio ever, War's ugliest and War's unlikely, graceful faces await.
Medical care during the war? Noticed, reading Bull Run accounts it was like someone decided to hold a war but forgot to bring bandaids. By 1863 this crazy deficiency had not been addressed Each great battle found governments wildly unprepared. Citizens wasted little time complaining. There was no time. A groundswell of compassion for wounded men resulted in massive organizations capable of nursing, feeding, clothing, housing, comforting and frequently burying. The Christian Commission was one of them, their motive? God told them. So in July, 1863, The Christian Commission, God forgivably in tow, went to Gettysburg, Adams County, PA.
Who They Were
What They Saw
Meade's HQ, described above, where men lay dying among horse carcasses
Separate incidents affected relief workers profoundly. One related here got to me, too- so tracked him down. Mrs. Susan G. Miller steps from Time towards all of us.
Susan's Husband, Col. Hugh ( Reid ) Miller, 42nd Mississippi. Susan and her son, George made the long journey home; Col Miller is laid to rest at home.
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Miller&GSiman=1&GScty=80080&GRid=19043566&
This search for relatives did not go unnoticed. You would have to imagine what lay behind this finite order as time went on.
The army did send nurses and some help but being the army was impeded by direction from Washington- hence this need for the Christian and Sanitary Commissions, ladies and church and state organizations and single boxes arriving from homes.
25 to 30 Confederate hospitals! Did we know that? No reason to doubt the author- he was there.
And here it is, both on site and viewed from below, in the town
Scattering of white up on the hill overlooking Gettysburg is the General Hospital
These awful stories of men allowed to remain unburied at Gettysburg are numerous. The town was simply overwhelmed and , through the war, it does not seem as if the government was ever prepared to deal with high casualties- or low.
Too large and long a story not to continue.