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GENEALOGY NOTES

I am stIll In the

LAND LIVINGofthe

Te Medical Case of Civil War Veteran Edson D. Bemis

By Rebecca K. Sharp and Nancy L. Wing

On February 5, 1865, Cpl. Edson D. Bemis o Company K, 12th Regiment,Massachusetts Inantry received a traumatic head wound rom a conoidal musketball during the Battle o Hatchers Run, Virginia. Surgeon Albert Vanderveer reported on

Bemiss condition upon his arrival at the feld hospital:

[B]rain matter was oozing rom the wound. There was a considerable hemorrhage,

but not rom any important vessel . . . the right side was paralyzed and there was total

insensibility. [Ater Surgeon Vanderveer removed the musket ball on February 8,]

[t]he patients condition at once improved. He told the surgeon his name, and seemed

conscious o all that was going on about him. . . . [During the next] ten days, [Bemiswas limited to] answering direct questions, but indisposed to continue a conversation.1

Ater his release rom the hospital, Bemis continued to recover at his home in

Massachusetts. Prior to the head wound, Bemis had sustained several other injuries.

On July 13, 1865, he was discharged rom the Army, and the Army Medical

Museum photographed his nearly healed wounds.

Te Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion

This detailed case study is rom the multivolumeMedical and Surgical History of the War of

the Rebellion (MSHWR), published in the late 19th century. The MSHWR was begun by

Union Surgeon General William Hammond, who wished to publish an extensive work onmilitary medicine during the Civil War. The initial steps began in 1862 with the creation

Background:Hatchers Run, Virginia, site o a battle on February 57, 1865, in a Harpers Weeklydrawing showing

Armstrongs Mills and the Rebel Works. Union orces sought to cut Gen. Robert E. Lees supply route to

Petersburg.

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h Army Mdical Muum, day Nainal Muum Halh

and Mdicin. Muum a baind rcrd, cllcd pcimn,

and phgraphd injurd ldir. Ari wr hird kch wund

and pcimn. TMSHWRwa bad n a variy urc uch

a hpial rgir, phyician rpr, capurd and urrndrdCndra rcrd, and Unin and Cndra pnin rcrd.

Alhugh hMSHWRcu n Unin mdicin, i al includ

inrmain abu Cndra mdicin. Ti publihd wrk cnain

graph, abl, map, kch, and cpi phgraph. pic includ

md r ranpring h wundd uch a ambulanc, hpial hip,

and hpial rain; dcripin unaniary cndiin wihin camp

and hpial; and ramn dia and injuri. Individual ar

mnind hrughu. A larg prcnag

pain wr ldir, including prinr

war and mmbr h Unid Sa Clrd

rp (USC). On ccain, nur, lcalridn, Arican Amrican cnraband, rvan,

and pain rad in rdmn hpial appar

in h MSHWR. Sm ldir ar mnind

brify, and hr hav daild ca udi.

T vlum prvid an vrall n hw

mdicin advancd during h war. Whhr yu

ar rarching Civil War mdicin r an ancr

wh wa ill r injurd during miliary rvic, h

MSHWRhuld b par yur rarch.

I h ldir urvivd h war, h

MSHWR may includ an upda abu hvran cndiin. T MSHWR cnain

hi xcrp rm Edn Bmi 1870 lr

h dir h urgical vlum: I am

ill in h land h living. My halh i vry

gd cnidring wha I hav pad hrugh

a Hachr Run. My had ach m

h im. I am marrid and hav n child, a lil girl brn la

Chrima. My mmry i acd, and I cann har a wll a

br I wa wundd.2 Alhugh hMSHWRca udy nd

in 1870, rcrd rval mr abu Edn Bmi li during and

ar hi miliary rvic.Fr yur rarch b a cmpl a pibl, yu huld cnul h

MSHWRa wll a rcrd hld by h Nainal Archiv and Rcrd

Adminirain and h Nainal Muum Halh and Mdicin. Al-

hugh pnin may rr a MSHWRca udy, yu huld ill

chck hMSHWRindx in h abnc uch a rrnc. Fr vlun-

r Unin rvic, NARA hld a variy rcrd including cmpild

miliary rvic rcrd, cardd mdical l, and pnin. T rc-

rd may prvid inrmain abu injuri, illn, hpializain,

Edson Bemis and his war wounds. The National Museum

o Health and Medicines Otis Historical Archives

holds the original photograph. The MSHWR includes a

lithograph print o this photograph.

urgri, and dah. Fr Cndra, NARA ha CMSR and nava

rcrd. Bcau Cndra vran ld r pnin in hir a

ridnc, yu huld chck wih h apprpria a archiv. I h

MSHWRrr pcimn r phgraph, h Nainal Muum

Halh and Mdicin may hav addiinal dcumnain.

Veteran Edson Bemis

Bmi pnin l cni hr nvlp ha prvid gnalgica

inrmain a wll a dail abu hi ruggl wih phyical and mna

halh unil hi dah in 1900. Edn Bmi, h n Jph Bmi

and By Cl Bmi, wa brn in Nrh Chr, Maachu. On

January 6, 1869, h marrid Jnni A. Auin (m pnin dcumn

rr hr a Jan r Jan Amlia). T cupl

had hr childrn: Jnni Eliza, brn Dcmb

25, 1869; Edn Auin, brn January 10, 1875

and May Bll Bmi, brn April 23, 1877.3

Bmi pnin l cnain numru

adavi and lr ha dcrib hi

driraing cndiin. Fur yar a

praing n Bmi, Dr. Vandrvr wr:

I aw him again in Fb 1869 a Albany

NY, whn h appard mwha bl,

aid h had had a w cnvulin h

prviu ummr and culd n rmain

lng in h h un r bar bnding

vr much. T wund wa wll hald

ha pulaing brain culd b nicd inanding m lil dianc rm him. 4

William L. Lmi, Bmi rm

mplyr, vrid ha Bmi wrkd a

hi cal yard r 15 yar and dcribd hi

cndiin:

Ta during h im ldir wrkd r aan h urd a im

rm [h c h had wund] . . . , had pain in hi had and

dizzin and mim wuld b unabl prrm hi labr bu

having a wi and amily uppr; ldir l n im nly whn

abluly bligd d : Ta abu w yar ag ldir had ahck paralyi . . . h ha bn a wrck, unabl prrm any

manual labr and i a prn parly dmnd unabl d r

dr himl, un b l aln rquiring h cnan aid and

andanc hi wi r anhr prn, and hi cndiin i

gradually grwing wr. 5

Dr. J. K. Man, n Bmi amily phyician, rm Suld

Cnncicu, brvd ha Bmi

Prologue 59I am still in the land of the living

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dizzy pll incrad n him rm yar yar, &pind unmiakably hi gra injury h brain. A

lngh, in 1890 h had a vr Paralyic Shcklying

uncnciu r vral hurrm h c which

h ha nvr rcvrd n having dn a day wrk

inc. Tugh bu 55 yar ld h walk lik a man

80!n bing abl dr himl nr i up hi h-

ring. In all h lil dui vry day li h rquir

cnan andanc & aianc. . . . Al hi mmry,

igh, & haring ar graly impaird; & wihu my

ging urhr in dail, yu cann bu inr, & july

, ha h i bu a wrck hi rmr l.6

In 1896, Mr. E. D. Bmi n a lr h cmmiinr

pnin dailing hr rl a hi primary car akr r

narly 30 yar:

I am hi andan. My daughr i wih m and ai

m bu i I wr n abl car r him h wuld hav

hav a mal andan. . . . I hav ai him whn

h ak hi bah a h cann u h l hand bu vry

lil. . . . Whn hi bwl rubl

him hi hlpln bh in brain

and bdy mak my dui hardr!

W prpar hi d a abl a

w wuld r a child, and whn

h lamp ar lighd and w hav

r i i n a hav him lng

aln. Tr ar im whn h

nd an andan in h nigh. . . .

I knw hi ca i n ha i hard

rach in h im givn h vran a h xamining

bard r h m riu rubl i in h had. 7

L han a yar lar, a pcial xaminr r h Pnin

Oc viid Suld, Harrd Cuny, Cnncicu,

vriy Bmi currn mdical cndiin. H inrviwd

Bmi, hi wi, and hr ridn h wn. Jan

Bmi dcribd hw h ran h huhld:

I ak charg pnin mny, I dn ru him

wih any mny, h ign h vuchr. . . . S ar

h ha n bn a all ugly I hav n n u

having a cnrvar appind vr him cur

i may cm ha m day.

8

By April 1900, Edn Bmi mnal a had dclind

much ha h culd n lngr rmain a hi hm. Dr.

Lwi L. Bryan and Dr. Walr E. Harvy xamind Bmi

and drmind ha h huld b iniuinalizd. Dr.

Bryan brvd ha Bmi blivd

h wa hiry yar ld: . . . did n knw h prn yar

mnh r day h wk: . . . ha n bn abl rad

Left: An examining

physician annotated

this anatomical

drawing to show

Edson Bemiss

injuries. This

drawing was part o

his March 10, 1886,

Application orIncrease o Pension.

Above:Edson

Bemiss pensionfle recorded his

wounds, diagnoses,

and physicians

comments.

60 Prologue Spring 2011

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inc h wa paralyzd: . . . cann undrand wha h ri

rad, and h cann ll why: ha h civil war i ill

ging n: ha nc in a whil h dg in h rm. 9

On April 7 an rdr cmmimn wa cmpld

admi Bmi h Wbr Inan Hpial in

Wrcr Cuny, Maachu.10

A h nd h mnh, hi ir, Clia N. Bmi, k

Bmi hr arm in Nrh Brkld, Wrcr Cuny,

Maachu. Hr dpiin indica ha h wa mly

bdriddn. H had vral alling pll and hck ha l

him xrmly wak. Clia Bmi mphaizd ha Bmi

wi kp m hi pnin paymn and k n inr

a all in brhr car. Jnni Bmi dpiin, hwvr,

indica ha h had a raind rlainhip wih hr ir-in-

law. Jnni Bmi rd hlp wih Bmi car, bu my

prnc xcid him and Mr. [Clia] Bmi hugh h

culd car r him br wihu m. T la im ha Jnni

Bmi aw hr huband wa ward h nd Augu 1900

bcau Clia Bmi wuld n allw hr in h hu.11

In h nal hur hi li, Bmi l cnciun and

hn did n Nvmbr 9, 1900. T dah rcrd hw

h cau dah a Crbral Dgnrain, h rul

Gun Sh wund during Civil War. H wa burid in

Suld, Cnncicu. Jnni Bmi cninud rciv hi

pnin unil hr dah n January 20, 1917.12

Conclusion

T ca udy Edn Bmi i n xampl h many

und in hMSHWR. TMSHWRmay prvid inrmain

ha i n und in h rcrd uch a dail abu h ldir

mdical cndiin and xcrp lr n h dir.

NARA rcrd, including pnin and cardd mdical l,

and Nainal Muum Halh and Mdicin rcrd uch

a phgraph, may prvid addiinal dail abu h ldir

and hi mdical hiry. I yur ancr urvivd an illn r

injury, rcrd can rval nging halh prblm and hir

impac n h vran and hi immdia amily.

Availability of Documentation Relating to Civil War Medicine

T ix-vlumMSHWRwa publihd bwn 1870 and 1888

I wa rprind and indxd in h 1990 a Te Medical and

Surgical History of the Civil War. T Nainal Archiv library in

Wahingn, D.C., ha hMSHWRand h indx. T Naina

Library Mdicin and h Nainal Muum Halh and

Mdicin hav bh diin. Fdral Dpiry Librari (FDL

and m hirical cii may hav cpi hi publicain lca h nar dpiry library, vii www.gpoaccess.gov/

libraries.html. T vlum ar al availabl digially a www

archive.org(arch r Mdical and Surgical Hiry h War

h Rbllin).

For additional information about military research, see: rv

K. Plan, cmp. Military Service Records at the Nationa

Archives(Rrnc Inrmain Papr 109), Wahingn

D.C.: Nainal Archiv and Rcrd Adminirain

rvid 2009. Ti publicain i availabl nlin a www

archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/index.html.

Prologue 6I am still in the land of the living

1 U.S. Surgn-Gnral Oc, TMedical and Surgical Historyof the War of the Rebellion, 18611865, Surgical Vl. II, p. I, p. 162(Wahingn, D.C.: Gvrnmn Prining Oc, 18701888).

2 Ibid.3 Dah rcrd cricain, Nv. 24, 1900; Cricain

marriag rcrd, Sp. 15, 1900; and Burau Pninquinnair, Jun 4, 1898; Edn D. Bmi Pnin Fil(Widw Crica 528.308); Ca Fil Apprvd Pnin

Applicain (Civil War and Lar Widw Crica); Civil War and Lar Pnin Fil, 18611942; Rcrd Rlaing Pnin and Buny-Land Claim, 17731942; Rcrd h Dparmn Vran Aair, Rcrd Grup (RG) 15;Nainal Archiv Building (NAB), Wahingn, DC.

5 Gnral adavi, Jan. 22, 1892, ibid.6

Lr h Cmmiinr Pnin, Dc. 13, 1895, ibid.7 Lr h Cmmiinr Pnin, Dc. 30, 1896, ibid.8 Jan A. Bmi Dpiin, Oc. 21, 1897, Bmi pnin,

ibid.9 Mdical Crica, Apr. 7, 1900, ibid.10 Ordr Cmmimn, Apr. 7, 1900, ibid.11 Dpiin Clia N. Bmi, Nv. 25, 1901, and Jnni

A. Bmi, July 2, 1901; Mr. Fairbank, Spcial Examinr r hPnin Oc, h Cmmiinr Pnin, July 2, 1901,ibid. Bmi pnin l n ha Clia Bmi marrid anindividual wih h am la nam. Fr addiinal inrmain, h Spmbr 10, 1900, dpiin Edn Auin Bmi.

12 Fairbank Cmmiinr Pnin, July 2, 1901;Cmmnwalh Maachu cricain dah, Dc. 10,1901; dah rcrd cricain, Nv. 24, 1900; and May BllBmi h Cmmiinr Pnin, May 23, 1920, ibid.

Notes

Authors

Rebecca K. Sharp i an archiv pciali in

h Archiv I Rarch Suppr Branch h

Nainal Archiv and Rcrd Adminirain

Wahingn, D.C. Sh pcializ in dral rcrd

gnalgical inr.

Nancy L. Wing i a librarian and gnalgy

pciali in h Archiv Library Inrmain

Cnr h Nainal Archiv and Rcrd

Adminirain, Wahingn, D.C.

To learn more about Uing miliary rcrd in h Nainal Archiv

r amily hiry rarch, g www.archives.

gov/research/military/genealogy.html.

T Civil War pnin applicain prc, g www.

archives.gov/publications/prologue/2010/spring/.

Ohr Gnalgy N aur in Prologue, g www.

archives.gov/publications/prologue/genealogy-notes.html.