Bullets and Bandages: The Aid Stations and Field Hospitals at Gettysburg

by James Gindlesperger

At Gettysburg, PA, during three days of July 1863, 160,000 men fought one of the most fierce and storied battles of the US Civil War. Nearly one in three of those men ended up a casualty of that battle, and when the two armies departed a few days later, 21,000 wounded remained. This book is the story of how those soldiers were cared for in a town of 2,500 people. Historian and author of several other guides to Gettysburg, James Gindlesperger provides a context for the medical and organizational constraints of the era and then provides details about the aid stations and field hospitals created in the aftermath of the battle. Filled with historical and contemporary photos, as well as stories about the soldiers and their healers, this book is a detailed guide for visitors to the site as well as others interested in American Civil War history.

Genres: Civil War

353 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2020

About the author

James and Suzanne Gindlesperger are members of the Friends of Gettysburg Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Civil War Preservation Trust. Suzanne is a cofounder of Pennwriters, a professional organization for published and aspiring authors. James is the author of three previous Civil War books. The couple lives in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Diane Depew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacked a lot of critical documentation/footnotes. Most image captions were a repeat, word for word, of adjacent narrative text. Narrative included a lot of author supposition of could have, might have beens, maybes, etc.

[Regina E Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

It was interesting to find out just how many places were turned into field hospitals. Truly a town working together to help so many wounded and dying soldiers from both sides and the Doctors who treated them!