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Azariah Elwood: Civil War Surgeon

The story of military medicine during the War Between the States was fascinating. Despite the fact that circumstances demanded a rapid acceleration in the development of new techniques, for the most part the treatment of soldiers was woefully inadequate. With elementary knowledge such as the nature of germs remaining to be unlocked, countless soldiers who survived their initial wound died due to infection.

Many highly qualified surgeons rallied to the Union cause. Like some clergy who enlisted or were commissioned in the ranks of the combatants, some physicians similarly signed up to carry a rifle. Azariah Saint-Clair Elwood enlisted on August 15, 1862 as a private in the Fortieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered into Company E the following month. One week later, on September 20, 1862, his medical abilities were recognized and he was promoted to Assistant Surgeon and transferred to the regimental staff.

Unfortunately, his military service would only last a year, as he would be discharged for a disability of his own on October 14, 1863. Nevertheless, he would proudly proclaim his veteran status as the Grand Army of the Republic business card below attests. In the photograph above, Elwood adorns his uniform with a GAR medal.

The photo of Doctor Elwood is part of a mystery. It was obtained in tandem with a unique document. A single sheet of paper, removed from a civil war era journal, lists thirty-two deceased and disabled soldiers. The period covered by the manuscript parallels Elwood's service, running from October 1, 1862 to August 15, 1863. The peculiar thing is that while Elwood served in the Fortieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, the document describes casualties of Company F in the Thirtieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Further research will be required to determine the precise relationship between the surgeon and the individuals whose names appear on this tragic sheet.


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