We were on our way to Gettysburg and thought Harpers Ferry would be a great place to start our Civil War history tour.
Harpers Ferry KOA
This was one of the least scenic campgrounds we stayed at. There were no trees or bushes between the pads. Well, there were a couple, but they cut them down while we were there. We arrived on a Thursday and the park was only 1/4 full. By Friday night, it was completely full. Wifi was good, but became nonexistent once the park filled up. Water pressure and pedestal power were great. There was a kid playing with a large remote control car in the RV park and Jake was going nuts watching the car. He couldn’t figure out what it was but wanted so badly to chase it. The best thing about this KOA is that the National Park is next door.
Frederick, Maryland
We crossed through 3 states in less than two minutes (West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland) and crossed two rivers (The Potomac and The Shenandoah). There was a UPS store in Frederick, MD to mail one of Michael’s Nikon lens for repair and a chance to do some shopping. Chestnut trees were in bloom. We had a very nice lunch overlooking a river.
National Museum of Civil War Medicine
This is a painting of the first operation under ether. A small tumor was removed from the patients jaw.
By the time of the Civil War in 1861, ether and chloroform had already been used for general anesthesia. Chloroform was non-flammable and ether was highly flammable. Both agents caused severe nausea and were hard on the liver. During the Civil War, these inhalation anesthetics became indispensable and were used in over 95% of the surgeries, most of which were amputations.
Unfortunately, there was a fine line between being anesthetized and death.
Three out of four operations were amputations.
The mortality rate was higher or lower depending on the location of the amputation. The amputation mortality rate doubled after 48 hours following the injury because of infection. Therefore, better to amputate earlier than later. Unfortunately, antibiotics, blood transfusions, sterile operating room, electrocautery, wound care, and surgical technique that we know today were not available at hospitals let alone on the battle field. Therefore, amputation was the best treatment. If a soldier sustained trauma or a gunshot to the abdomen or chest, they would give morphine, water, and observe. Unfortunately, one could only hope for the best.
Its interesting in that of the 620,000 soldiers who died in the Civil War, two thirds of them died from disease, not battle. Diseases such as typhoid, malaria, diarrhea/dysentery, pneumonia, diabetes, cholecystitis, appendicitis, and erysipelas. Even though there were age restrictions and a brief physical performed on new recruits (over 300 women enlisted without anyone knowing they weren’t men), many soldiers brought sexually transmitted disease, poor dentition, and other health issues with them. One of the benefits of the Civil War were advancements in medicine. Ambulances and triage were created, hospital wards improved, prosthetics advanced, and there were significant advances in surgical techniques.
It was always difficult to determine what to do with the dead. If the family wanted the corpse, then embalming would be done, and billed to the family.
The fluid was usually injected through an artery and could consist of arsenic, bichloide of mercury, zinc chloride, creosote, turpentine, and a red dye to give a more natural coloration.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
The Harpers Ferry National Historical Park lies within West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. Many of the buildings have been restored. It was fun to walk the streets and read about Harpers Ferry History.
It was a thriving industrial community. The town changed hands eight times during the Civil War. The War and many floods took its toll and the town did not recover.
Harpers Ferry has a population of about 300. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is headquartered here. We saw a number of people with fully loaded packs and hiking boots. St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church is high on the hillside with stunning views of the valley. There are places to stay, a couple of boutiques, and a few places to eat.
John Brown
He was called an abolitionist who believed in the violent overthrow of slavery. He led his small group of men to take over the Armory/Arsenal in Harpers Ferry on October 16, 1859 with the intent to use the supplies for his army. They captured men at the Armory, cut the telegraph wires, but decided to let a train leave the town. Brown was hoping to lead a slave revolt, instead, the locals trapped them in the Armory building. The crew from the train promptly informed the military. General Robert E. Lee arrived 2 days later and captured John Brown. He was tried, convicted, and hanged. Many believe the event hastened the inevitability of the Civil War.
Thomas Jefferson
He passed through Harpers Ferry in 1783. He viewed the Potomac river from a large rock and described the site as “perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature”. We had to see for ourselves. He would have passed out if he’d seen the Grand Canyon!
