Civil War Exhibits

Two exhibits on the Civil War will be on displayed in the Medical College Library until the end of January. The first exhibit is an traveling display called Life and Limb: the Toll of the American Civil War. This exhibition was developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

An accompanying exhibit curated by associate archivist, Elizabeth Shepard focuses on civil war veterans of New York Hospital and Cornell University Medical College. The New York Hospital was actively involved with the treatment of civil war soldiers. They had an contract with both the state militia and U.S. Army Department of Medicine to accept civil war wounded and sick soldiers. About 3,000 soldiers were treated during the war at the hospital which was then on Broadway between Duane and Worth Streets. In addition, Elizabeth has identified 25 attending and house surgeons who participated in the war as members of the U.S. Sanitary Commission or as surgeons with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, or New York State regiments. One house surgeon was a Confederate.

Cornell University Medical College had four Civil War veterans that have been identified. Dr. Witthaus served on local Union Defense Committee but did not serve in the war itself. Founding chairman of Surgery, Lewis Stimson was a young soldier during the war. The college main benefactor, Col Oliver Payne served with regiments from Illinosis and Ohio. Finally founding Dean William Polk served with the Confederate in Tennessee and Kentucky.

Our featured blog series this year will be the Civil War veterans. Return here for additional features on other Civil War veterans from New York Hospital and Cornell University Medical College.