Contributed by Maine Historical Society
Description
Charles H. Lewis who was soon to leave the Washington, D.C., area and move to South Manchester, Ct., wrote to Benjamin H. Hinds at the Maine Agency Sanitary Commission in Washington to report on the death of Samuel Huff of Co. E of the 17th Maine Regiment.
Huff died at Sickles Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia. Lewis charged the death could have been avoided with better medical care. He wrote that the circumstances of Huff's death would "not reflect much credit on the person in charge of this hospital."
He wrote that the doctor had not examined Huff in a week and never gave him more than one personal examination. In addition, it appears that requests for Huff to get a furlough to go home for treatment were ignored or denied.
Samuel Huff Jr. was 31 when he enlisted as a private in Co. E of the 17th Maine on August 18, 1862. He died on Oct. 14, 1864.
Transcription
About This Item
- Title: Letter on poor hospital care, Virginia, 1864
- Creator: Charles H. Lewis
- Creation Date: 1864-10-14
- Subject Date: 1864-10-14
-
Locations:
- Alexandria, VA
- South Manchester, Hartford County, CT
- Media: Ink on paper
- Dimensions: 20.4 cm x 12.6 cm
- Local Code: Coll. 1533, Box 2/1
- Collection: Maine Agency Sanitary Commission records
- Object Type: Text
Cross Reference Searches
Standardized Subject Headings
- Health care facilities--Virginia--Alexandria
- Health care personnel--Virginia--Alexandria
- Health care--Virginia--Alexandria
- Lewis, Charles H.--Correspondence
- Maine Agency Sanitary Commission
- Maine--Civil War, 1861-1865
- Military hospitals--Virginia--Alexandria
- Military leaves and furloughs
- Military medicine
- Soldiers--Maine
- United States Sanitary Commission
- United States--Civil War, 1861-1865
- United States. Army. Maine Infantry Regiment, 17th (1861-1865). Company E
People
For more information about this item, contact:
Maine Historical Society485 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
Website
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