Stonewall Thoughts- Did Thomas Jackson have a chance of survival?

Liam C

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Mar 31, 2013
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So there are numerous discussions about what if General Jackson was at Gettysburg, but I have a different discussion.

After his friendly fire incident, does anyone believe Stonewall had a chance of survival?

Me, I think chances were extremely slim. Based on what was available at the time I think it would be a miracle if Jackson pulled through
 
Actually, he had a pretty good chance of survival. Death from amputation was dependent on how far away from the torso it was (closer = higher death rate) and how long before the amputation was performed. Amputation of the arm within 48 hours of injury had a mortality rate of about 14%. Now then, some of the survivors would have died later of infection or other complications but even if that was 50% then close to half of all arm amputees would have survived.

Here's a ref:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4790547/table/T4/

p.s. - just watched the video and have to point out that it is inaccurate as to how amputation was performed. They did not saw through muscle and tissue as stated and shown. There were special curved knives that were used to cut the tissue and a saw was then used to cut the bone.
 
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So there are numerous discussions about what if General Jackson was at Gettysburg, but I have a different discussion.

After his friendly fire incident, does anyone believe Stonewall had a chance of survival?

Me, I think chances were extremely slim. Based on what was available at the time I think it would be a miracle if Jackson pulled through

Sure he had a chance of survival.

His biggest injury was that he was shot in the arm and only way that he would have had no chance of survival is that if he lost so much blood that it caused his death.

However, he made it, survived the amputation, and was reported to be doing pretty well after.

The problem was he developed complications.

An infection set in (pneumonia) which lead to his death 8 days later.

Thus, if he didn't get pneumonia, he would not have died.
 
He was already sick when he was wounded. Wearing his full uniform, and a raincoat, complaining about being cold. Men were suffering from heat exhaustion on the flank march. A week on his back and whatever infection progresses to pneumonia perhaps even without the weakened state from the amputation. It wasn't losing the arm that did Stonewall in; he was simply too compromised to survive recovery.
 
Let's assume he did survive........ Would he even been able to participate in the Gettysburg Campaign? I mean, from a major amputation to the moving of Lee's army mid-June, this would have only given him 45 days top to recover. I do not see that happening in that time frame.

If pneumonia had not set in, I think he would have survived.
 
Let's assume he did survive........ Would he even been able to participate in the Gettysburg Campaign? I mean, from a major amputation to the moving of Lee's army mid-June, this would have only given him 45 days top to recover. I do not see that happening in that time frame.

If pneumonia had not set in, I think he would have survived.

I totally agree. His wounds were serious and I believe the period of convalescence would
have been at least three months meaning Jackson would not have been available at Gettysburg.
Getting the balance of his body adjusted again for everyday tasks like walking would have
taken some time too minus an arm.
 
I think if they had not told him he would die, he might have survived. Sometimes the dying rally just before they finish dying, and maybe that was what Stonewall was doing but it seemed he might have pulled through. But...then he was told he would die and he accepted it, which was totally in keeping with his beliefs of God's will.

P S
By the way, those scratches in the video were a LOT worse on Jackson's real face! Little Sorrel ran through trees and bushes where squirrels couldn't go!
 
Let's assume he did survive........ Would he even been able to participate in the Gettysburg Campaign? I mean, from a major amputation to the moving of Lee's army mid-June, this would have only given him 45 days top to recover. I do not see that happening in that time frame.

If pneumonia had not set in, I think he would have survived.


No way
 
He would've had a better chance if they had not dropped him on the litter. Some believe that contributed to the illness that set in after amputation.

That's probably what gave the pneumonia its opportunity. He was dropped twice and both times it was from shoulder height - not a gentle roll off the stretcher by any means! The doctor thought there was bruising of the lungs and a cracked rib as well. And, I suppose he could have used a transfusion - he really lost a lot of blood. A P Hill wrapped a tourniquet around his arm and saved him from bleeding to death on the spot, but he'd already lost a lot. In fact, there was so much blood on Hill they thought he'd been bad hit, too!

I don't know though. I think he was making a real rally, not a final one - he was full of fight and wanted to live, that's for sure. Had the new baby and everything. I've always felt good he at least got to see her before he died.
 
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