In Hospital and Camp: The Civil War through the Eyes of Its Doctors and Nurses

by Harold Elk Straubing (Editor)

Includes first-person accounts by Louisa May Alcott and Walt Whitman.

Genres: Civil War, History, American History, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1993

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can one rank/grade/score the letters and memories of people that all but a few were ever meant for publishing? These depictions are emotional and heartfelt.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the fact I really liked this I kept falling asleep in it. Good thing it wasn't in Braille...I'd have dots all over my face. I think what contributed to the snooze factor was the style of writing. It was written by participants in the Civil War & their use of language was quite floral & sometimes difficult to focus. This doesn't make it any less interesting. I was particularly taken by the case studies. As a nurse I found that very interesting. Overall it was an interesting read.

[Mintyworms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Library Review: Book
4/5

Book is a collection of first person accounts from nurses and doctors who have served in the civil war. I liked that there were perspectives from both sexes and that most were letters and thus less formally detailed and more emotionally charged. Some recounts drove home the atrocities of war. I am in awe of the ingenuity that surgeons possessed to help high trauma patient in the 1860s. Soldiers were often maimed with the minie ball and left on the field for days before transport— the transport itself being just as grueling. I was also surprised at the all the etiquette and chivalry on the field. A lot of men were surprised at the novel concept of “female nurses” borne from that era. There would also be truces or pauses during battles for soldiers on both sides to sleep and prepare for the resuming of battle the next day. It makes me curious to see who, when, and how they would execute this. There were also many other services risking their life at camps near battlegrounds (ie, post office, Telegraph, etc). Additionally, I was slightly baffled at the humanity both sides showed (caring for and having empathy for rebel troops, recognizing the honor of soldiers on either side irrespective of their issuing), as well as the overwhelming public support for their troops on either side. Lastly, I found it comical that one of the recounts mentioned a future where humanity grew more character and would avoid such brutal ways of conflict resolution. I feel like our current society is even less apt to recognize the humanity in those we deem as “other.”

[Jason R. Gross · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good book about the civil war and medicine. I like these chapters in the book most of all letters from a surgeon of the civil war by John g perry, thirteen months in the rebel army by William g. Stevenson, the best of all of them was United States sanitary commission memoirs by John a. Lidell , in hospital and camp by sophronia e. Bucklin, hospital sketches by Louisa May Alcott, reminiscence of an army nurse during the civil war by Adelaide W. Smith and specimen days by Walt Whitman. The only one I would not recommend to read is hospital transports by Frederick law olmstead. I wish the author would have give out more information about the people who wrote all these diary or journals about the civil war. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in civil war medicine. Thanks.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for history buffs and those who love nursing history.

[Sheryl Melvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting journal entries and letters. I did read it in brief periods, as it isn't sustainable to sit and read it for hours.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of 1st hand accounts of the civil war from the surgeons, nurses and other medical staff that supported the war. They offer a unique perspective that doesn't focus on military strategy or fighting, but rather on the physical and emotional damage of combat and what it was like to face the challenges the battles created. The excerpts are mostly from the Union side, with just a few insights from the Confederate lines. The chapters from Louisa May Alcott, Walt Whitman and Frederick Law Olmstead were an opportunity to see another side of these well known public figures.

[Emilie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent first person histories and stories of taking care of the sick and wounded during the US Civil War. Good research info about the period, as well as interesting reading. Must have a strong stomach for some of the descriptions. Medical treatment at that time was nothing like today. Infection and death were common, as well as were amputations to save lives over limbs.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very real accouont of conditions during the Civil War. I enjoyed hearing how they were treating wounds and reading the Physician's progress reports. All very interesting to this old nurse.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems there is a slight bit of bias towards the Federal viewpoint, but other than that I've found it to be a fascinating, enlightening read. Especially one particular surgeon's accounts of several individual cases he took on.