September 22, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/22/2011
War-date Confederate surgeon's Autograph Letter Signed by Dr. Casper C. Henkel, 37th Virginia Infantry part of Stonewall Jackson's Division in the Army of Northern Virginia, 6pp. octavo, Old Camp near Gordonsville, Virginia, August 14, 1862, with cover addressed to Dr. Samuel G. Henkel, Newmarket, Virginia, in part: "...a number of conscripts and a number of delinquents are coming in from our town and neighborhood, quite a number of them visit me applying for certificates of disability & etc. It is very unpleasant to decide the cases. I go as far as justice to the service & myself will allow and no further. Let the consequences be what they may. I do not suppose any surgeon of the army has had as much of this unpleasant duty to perform as I have had...I operated a number of times on the thigh, leg & upper extremities on Saturday, Sunday & Monday. Adj. General Pendleton of Gen. Talifero's staff was one of the cases I operated upon. Dr. Taliaferro, Pendleton & Daily were all present - all went off very smoothly. The hemorrhage was arrested prompted & perfectly. I did not think he lost 3 ounces of arterial blood. He is a man of rather neurolymphatic temperament, had had diarrhea for some time though not at present. He is very cheerful now & is apparently doing well. He was carried 8 miles on a litter, 10 hours after the operation. I do hope and pray that he may recover. He is a man of great worth & is of one of the best families in this country. I believe he is related to the Coleman family. We use chloroform (pure) in every case and I have not seen the least alarm manifested by any one from its use. It very rarely produces vomiting as ether often does. I almost invariably give the patient a dose of brandy or whisky before administering the chloroform & discontinue the use of the anesthic as soon as the bone is sawn off. Legating the vessels & putting in the sutures arouse the patient. As soon as you can get him to swallow, give a little arom. spts. or brandy & plenty of fresh air. The cold water treatment is much abused in the treatment of gun shot wounds. The clothing, bedding & everything becomes thoroughly saturated, the patient is chilled...Our cases were hurried off to the rear in very rough conveyance...and no doubt will greatly increase the mortality...My list of wounded shows a loss of 91 men, 16 killed ( 10 of them wounded some where in the cavity of the abdomen) 75 wounded. Col. Williams recd contusion of the chest will be well soon....I saw very little of the fight was at the hospital half mile in the rear. I was quite near a man who had his thigh shot in pieces & had the grape & canister to fly quite near me....There is great deficiency in conveyances for bearing off the wounded. I have exposed myself to the fire of the enemy oftner than I intend doing again..." More. Fine condition.
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