Preparing to Take Vicksburg in 1863, General Ulysses S. Grant Reports to the American People: “No Army ever went into the field better provided with medical stores… than is furnished the Army now in front of Vicksburg.”

“I can assure you nothing has been left undone here to secure the health of the men”

 

This letter was formerly property of the President of MIT generations ago and has not been on the market in more than 50 years

The Civil War was fought in over 10,000 places and was the bloodiest war in the history of the United States. Two percent of the population at the time (approximately 620,000) died during the conflict. More Americans died in the Civil War than in all other wars combined. Actually, these numbers may be an underestimate of the death toll, given that much of the data regarding deaths of Confederate soldiers was destroyed when Richmond burned on April 2, 1865. More recent estimates based on comparative census data put the figure closer to 752,000. Countless other soldiers were left disabled or ill. Twice as many soldiers died of disease during the war than in combat. The war left about 1 in 10 able-bodied Union soldiers dead or incapacitated, versus 1 in 4 in the Confederate Army. This was a marked improvement compared with the Mexican War where there were 7 to 10 deaths from disease for every death in battle. It was not until World War II that weapons killed more Americans than disease.

Soldiers died from two general causes: battlefield injuries and disease. Contributing factors to combat-related deaths were inexperienced surgeons; the lack of a coordinated system to get the injured off the battlefield quickly; wound infections, since sterile technique was not yet recognized as important; and battlefield tactics that did not keep pace with advances in weaponry. Contributing factors to disease-related deaths included poor sanitation and overcrowded camps; the ignoring of sanitation by line officers; inadequate pre-enlistment screening of recruits; poor diet; lack of immunity to childhood diseases; and few specific treatments for disease.

This medical condition of the armies was not lost on the press of the day, nor on the citizenry. Medical care due to both battlefield injuries and disease was heavily criticized in the press throughout the war. It was stated that there were insufficient doctors, surgery was often done without anesthesia, many unnecessary amputations were done, and that for both the wounded and sick care was not state of the art for the times.

From mid-Oct. 1862, Grant and his army made several attempts to take Vicksburg, which was the main impediment to Union control of the entire Mississippi River, and thus to the splitting off of the western Confederacy. First, in preparation, he reorganized his forces into four corps, one under McPherson, and the others under generals John A. McClernand, William T. Sherman, and Stephen A. Hurlbut. Following failures in the first attempts, in the spring of 1863 he prepared to cross his troops from the west bank of the Mississippi River to a point south of Vicksburg and drive against the city from the south and east. On March 29, 1863, McClernand’s and McPherson’s men began working their way south at Milliken’s Bend and Lake Providence, northwest of Vicksburg. They crossed the river on April 30 and won a series of victories; then rather than head right for Vicksburg Grant surprised everyone and instead swung east to take Jackson, Mississippi. This cut off Confederate forces in Vicksburg from reinforcements and supplies. Grant now approached Vicksburg from the east and northeast, with McClernand’s and McPherson’s corps nearing the Vicksburg defenses by May 18. The next day Grant made the failed first assault on Vicksburg. The second assault, on May 22, was a disaster for Union forces, showed the strength of the miles of Confederate works arching east around the city, and convinced Grant that Confederate commander John Pemberton could only be defeated in a protracted siege. He settled in for the six-week siege. Cut off and with no hope of relief, Pemberton surrendered his stores and garrison of 31,500 to Grant on July 4, 1863.

Asst. Surgeon General R. C. Wood wrote Grant in early March 1863 about the efforts the Surgeon’s Department was making to aid the armies led by Grant in the Vicksburg Campaign. Grant responded with this important letter on the status of medical care in his forces. The letter was passed by Wood on to the Surgeon General William A. Hammond. Hammond in turn sent it to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, who authorized its publication. Hammond sent a copy of Grant’s letter to the media, specifically the New York Times, which published it on March 23, 1863. Thus did Grant’s report reach the American people as well as the Surgeon General’s Department.

Autograph letter signed, Head Quarters, Dept. of the Tenn., Before Vicksburg, March 6th, 1863, to Asst. Surgeon General R. C. Wood in St. Louis, Mo. “Dear Sir: Your letter showing the efforts you have been making to supply everything necessary pertaining to the Medical Department, in this Army, is received.

“I can assure you nothing has been left undone here to secure the health of the men. No Army ever went into the field better provided with medical stores and medical attendants than is furnished the Army now in front of Vicksburg. There was a deficiency in Volunteer Surgeons but now that deficiency is fully supplied. The hospital boats are supplied with their own surgeons, nurses, and every thing for the comfort of the sick.

“The Purveyors Department not only has every thing usually furnished the sick, but more than I ever dreamed was furnished an Army, more than the great majority of men could have at home. Then too, there is not that amount of sickness that persons would be led to believe from the statements in the public prints. I question whether the health of the St. Louis forces is better to-day than that of this command.

“On arrival here the men had been put up so long a time on steamers then camping on low ground and in the worst weather ever experienced there was, for a time, necessarily a great number of sick. Surgeon Lamb has been sick ever since he arrived here and entirely unfit to attend to any of his duties. The Dr. is not willing, or at least has never intimated a willingness, to give up. I have however found it necessary, for my own relief, to order him away. The duties would be sufficient for the Dr. if in good health. As he is he is entirely incapable of them, and his desire to perform his duties would prevent his recovery if he should be kept here. I have assigned Surgeon McMillan Asst. Act. Med. Director for the present, but leave the place for you to fill.

“McMillan is the Senior Surgeon in my Dept. but belongs to the Volunteer Service. He is well qualified for the position but Surgeon Sutherland of the regular service, is here unassigned, and holding a commission of the same date with Surg. Wirts who was assigned to the position of Medical Director over these same Volunteer Surgeons, may feel himself entitled to the position. I leave this assignment entirely to you. Either of these officers I believe to be well qualified for the position. I have no choice. All I want is some one qualified and willing to perform the duties and will willingly take either of those two or such other as you may designate.”

This is Grant’s report on the state of medical care in his army, and his defense of that care. It is likely unique, as we have never before seen anything like it.