The Halstead Stretcher

kyle.dalton

Private
Joined
Oct 3, 2019
Location
Frederick, MD
Here at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, I specialize in studying combat medical evacuation. In previous posts, I've examined odd and rarely used stretchers like the Tompkins and Sanitary Commission models, as well as the pre-war standard issue Satterlee. Today I'll be looking at the real workhorse of medical evacuation.

The medical and surgical history of the war of the rebellion (1861-65) (Volume 2, Part 3) page...jpg

The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion (1861-65), Volume 2, Part 3, page 924

By far the most successful stretcher model in use during the Civil War was the Halstead. Unfortunately, I have been unable to identify the namesake and presumed inventor of the greatest of all Civil War litter models. The authors of the Medical and Surgical History illustrate the success of this model by sheer numbers: “out of the litters (16,807) issued by the New York Purveying Depot twelve thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven (12,867) were of this pattern.” Almost all photographs depicting stretchers in sure during the war are of the Halstead variety.

Scenes from the Battle-Field at Gettysburg, PA. - Untitled variant of the Second Corps Hospita...png

"Scenes from the Battle-Field at Gettysburg, PA. - Untitled variant of the Second Corps Hospital," Frederick Gutekunst, 1863, Gettysburg College Special Collections.

Hugely successful, the Halstead was widely praised and remained the primary litter for the U.S. Army for decades after the end of the Civil War. Alfred Henry Buck, writing in his 1884 A Reference Handbook of the Medical Sciences, declared that “it is evident that this litter combines to a marked degree all the qualities essential in a hand-litter for field service.” Surgeon John Van R. Hoff was more measured in his praise in 1884, writing that “most of us appear to have been reasonably content with the Halstead.”

Unlike the Satterlee, the Halstead relied on hinged and permanently affixed cross pieces rather than an easily lost or broken yoke. The hinges were composed of metal bars beneath the bed of the stretcher, allowing it to be folded shut for easier transportation but strong enough to comfortably transport the wounded.

Albert Henry Buck, A Reference Handbook of the Medical Sciences, Vol 7, W Wood & Co 1894 page ...png

Albert Henry Buck, A Reference Handbook of the Medical Sciences, Vol 7, W. Wood & Co., 1894, page 224

While the metal hinges did provide some advantages over the Satterlee, it posed a danger to unwary bearers. Writing in 1887, Captain Valery Harvard, M.D. warned that hands were often “caught and mangled between the two joints.”

Detail from Fredericksburg, Virginia. Burial of Federal dead, May 19 or 20 1864, LoC.png

Detail from “Fredericksburg, Va. Burial of Union soldiers,” Timothy O'Sullivan, May 1864, Library of Congress

Another distinctive feature of the Halstead was the folding legs. The legs allowed stretchers to act as beds and could be easily set down and comfortably support the patient. These also had some drawbacks, as they do not appear to have stayed folded up while being carried, which may have contributed to snagging or breaking.

Detail from Grandfather York WICR 32037 Uncased, Image Courtesy of Wilson's Creek National Bat...png

Detail from “Grandfather York,” WICR 32037 Uncased, Image Courtesy of Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

While the authors of The Medical and Surgical History wrote that bolts were used to hold the legs and braces in place, the demands of mass production may have changed this. Certainly, subsequent versions were plagued by poor production value. Writing in 1895, Edward Samuel Farrow complained that wooden screws were used to affix both the hinged braces and legs, both of which could be loosened with use and fall out, “rendering the apparatus useless.” Whether or not this was true in the Civil War is unclear.

Wounded soldiers at hospital in Fredericksburg, Va., LoC.png

Detail from “Wounded soldiers at hospital in Fredericksburg, Va.,” Library of Congress

Despite these drawbacks, the Halstead was widely produced and used by the Union army and the most successful of all models developed over the course of the war.
 
I display a Halstead Stretcher with a Wheeling Ambulance at the Starkville Civil War Arsenal. Folding stretchers were a must for ambulance use. I believe the Halstead Stretcher was the best stretcher of the Civil War Period. Visit the museum online at StarkvilleCivilWarArsenal.com

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Now that is cool. Was this produced in house? We're looking to acquire reproduction stretchers for our programs here.
 
Now that is cool. Was this produced in house? We're looking to acquire reproduction stretchers for our programs here.
I'm glad that you can appreciate a reproduction of a Civil War Stretcher. It makes the drawings and photos of the Halstead come to life. Yes, it was made in house for the Starkville Civil War Arsenal by Yours Truly. I built the Halstead with the help of your own Terry Reimer of the National Civil War Medical Museum. She was very helpful to the project. Terry supplied photos and specifications. Good luck with your project of stretchers for the museum and please say hello to Terry for me.
 
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