Quarterly publication of the national archives. Traces a publication of the Indiana Historical society and several Online Publications and blogs processes. She is working on a book currently on africanamerican civil war surgeons. Please join me in welcoming jill l. New mark. Hi and good evening and thank you for the nice introduction. I want to thank jake and the clara barton missing soldierss Office Museum for the invitation to come and touk talk but process about the subject about africanamericans that serve as nurses and surgeon during the civil war. The story of africanamerican medical personnel that serve during the civil war its a often neglected pastor Civil War History and theres been little written on the subject. Histories of simple war medicine often overlook the participation and contribution that is africanamericans made between 1861 and 1865. There are few personal accounts of black surgeons nurses and hospital workers that exist. And materials are often hidden among the thousands of civil war records that are contained in reposer tos throughout the country. In this presentation tonight im going to explore the service of africanamerican women and men serving as nurses and surgeons and focusing primarily on a single hospital in washington, d. C. That treated black soldiers and civilians during and after the war. What im going to do is give you a little introduction about the contraband camp and then talk a little bit about the urss and surgeons that serve there. On our parcel of swampy land in northwest washington, d. C. , there was a tented camp and hospital that once stood and it served thousands of escaped slave and black soldiers during the american civil war. It was known as contraband camp. And it contained one of the few hospitals that treated blacks in washington, d. C. And whose staff including the nurses and surgeons were largely africanamerican. There were over 40,000 escaped slaves who sought refuge and freedom in washington, d. C. During the war, especially after the passage of the d. C. Emancipation act in 1862 that freed all enslaved person in washington, d. C. As the union Army Advanced on southern strongholds, there were thousands of africanamericans making their way across union lines and they became known as contraband. This term was really used by the union army to describe fugitive slaves whose status in society at that time was unclear. And it was undefined. So the the increasing numbers of contraband that came into washington created a dilemma for the union army. How would any provide food shelter and medical care for the men and women and the children that came over into washington . In an effort to meet the challenge, the union army established a camp and hospital to serve them. It became a safe haven for the former slaves and also became a center of contraband relief efforts in washington, d. C. The history of contraband hospital is not really widely known. What does exist conveys the story and the history of the hospital but it rarely includes the personal observations of those who worked there. This presentation is going to try to explore the experiences of the nurses, surgeoning and the hospital staff of contraband hospital that are revealed in pension records, some personnel correspondence and other documents. Many voices of the men and women who served as nurses and surgeons would be lost without the records. And these voices help us gain a better understanding of the working and Living Conditions in the camp, the daily activities of hospital staff, and the hospital care that was provided to patients. Now, contraband camp was first known as camp barker and is sometimes referred to as camp barker. As former slaves began arriving in the Nations Capital in early 1862 general james wads worth ordered the men, women and children were to be temporarily housed in a place known as did you haves green row. A group of ten mts on the east side of the u. S. Capitol. As the summer approached, wadsworth transferred direct control of all the former slaves in washington to a man named refrpd dan forth b. Nichols. A methodist minister in charge of several organizations aiding the freed slaves. Out of the outbreak of small p. O. Box nichols rehe located the contraband residents to a group of abandoned bar acs in a sparsely populated area of northwest washington, d. C. And that was known as camp barker. Thises location was at piece of land thats bounded by rs 12th and 3th street northwest and considered a much more remote location than did you have greens row. It kept the group of contraband farther away from the general population of the city and it was nichols goal in moving them there to try to isolate them from the citys population in hopes that it could reduce the chances of a citywide small p. O. Box epidemic. At camp barker the army built onestory Frame Buildings and tented structures used as hospital wards and temporary housing and became known as contraband camp and hospital. Now the image at the left, that i identify as contraband camp, its sometimes identified as a abc school in alexandria, virginia. Although the location and activity of the people in the photograph you cant definitively prove what it is. Ive chosen to identify the image as contraband camp based on the recollections of a woman named marry dines, a resident of the camp in washington, d. C. And along with that the descriptions of the camp by residents. There is a book called a new lincoln. And in that book mary dines describes a visit by president lincoln to the camp where the residents prepared some hymning to sing to him. Now lincolns route to the soldiers home where the families spent summers and where mary dines serve as the family cook, it took him directly past the contraband camp. And marry dines claims in her recollections that she kept this photograph as a remembrance of that visit. So thats the reason why ive chosen to identify it as contraband camp. And now at the camp in addition to the hospital wards they had a stable, a come sear, a dead house, ice room, kitchen, laundry, dependencery and living quarters both for the hospital residents as well as the some of the people that worked at the camp. Maria bay area tolliver zribd in her pension disposition as it was enclosewood a high fence and had barracks around for the convalance and inside the bar action were tents used as camps used as hospitals. Maria page was another black nurse and she said it was all connected together under the same enclosure. And there was a guard of white soldiers around the whole place. The camp was protected by fencing. As well as a contingent of military officers. That was to provide a more security kpoun had compound for the residents and prevented slave owners from coming into the camp to confiscate those that they felt were former slaves and also protected against unauthorized access to government supplies. Now within the camp there were thousands of contraband that found refuge and got medical care. It wasnt uncommon to see 40 or 50 arrivals in a sanl day by the ep of 1863 the camp had processed over 15,000 individuals. The living quarters were very small mostly occupied by say, 12 to 14 people where they cooked, ate, slept and invariable contracted diseases and illnesses because of the close quarters and poor overcrowded conditions. When the residents became ill they were often moved to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital there was civilian patients there but any often shared wards with wounded black soldiers from the United States colors trops. These soldiers did not always have access to really adequate medical care within the africanamerican reg mts because of a lack of available and competent surgeons and limited medical splays. The staff of the contraband hospital really provided medical care and comfort to this often neglected group of soldiers. The hospital was equipped it had over 100 beds. Had at least two surgeons, several nurses, it had clerks, hospital stewards and may trons. Separate wards for women and men. And then there was a separate tented ward up in the lefthand side for those suffering sfr small pox. Many of the first arrivals contracted small pox in became an increasing problem for the hospital staff. Im going to interject, that drawing really is only illustration of what the camp looked like. And ill talk a bit about the reasons why we have this. And it has to do with bringing a water all they had was a well to get water. And they wanted to bring water in from the water system. And it required an illustration to show that. Thats the only reason we have this. The other interesting thing about it is when you look at the descriptions of the camp that were provided by nurse that is gave pension depositions it matches up to the illustration. Coronellia hancock was a 24yearold white woman from new jersey and served as a volunteer at the hospital and the camp from november 1863 until february 1864. And she wrote a lot of letters home. In a letter to a Family Member in january of that year, 1864 she described how the hospital treated all the africanamericans who were sick around washington. And remarked that small pox was raging there. Has raged here. William p. Powell junior was the africanamerican in charge at that time from late 1863 to 1864. And he gave testimony before the american freedmans Inquiry Commission which ill talk about later. He described how the eliot health of the people was not good appear there were many cases of small pox 10 and 12 sometimes and the maximum mum was five and six case as day. The small pox patients required treatment in quarters isolated from the General Hospital population because it was highly contagious. And so a group of tents was constructed in that separate area of the camp. To serve as a small pox ward. They did treat white patients that had small pox. But the white patients and the black patients were also segregated in the small pox area and the small pox hospital tents. Maria page an africanamerican nurse, she described these tented wards as large will treated in the hospital and isolated in the war, but with a segregated attempt. Although Patient Services were kept secret secker some of them cost over including those which were supplied by the same kitchen and the same cooks. Ill describe the camp. The conditions were very difficult they were challenging because of the environment, because of the limited personnel because of the increasing Patient Population and because of lack of supplies. Had used for making bricks, and the fact that it was crossed the plan with adequate supply of fresh water that created a breeding ground for illness. Theyre more susceptible to sicknesses like diarrhea and respiratory infection. They described it as a meyer. Sicknesses in a little. Is hospitals parties. They describe the campus constructed and located on low and sloppy ground. In a letter, the medical director of washington, he said we are present suffering very much at this hospital. Is a staff became ill there is fewer hospital workers able to work. This is one of several surgeon on the staff. Never worked so hard and so little rest. Marceau brooks called Health Scares who had everything to do. The influx an increased number of wounded black soldiers contributed to the increase in Patient Population of the hospital. They describe the condition and its effects on the workload. Women in our world would be put at one end and soldiers will be brought in and we had to take care of them. They waited on them day and night. Another contributing factor to the Living Condition as well as the high illness. Is a failure to distribute them. s action was in substandard conditions. The american Inquiry Commission that was impaneled by statin in order to conduct hearing on the conditions under which blacks lived and worked. He was asked about commissions of the residence and thats when he said the health of the people of that time were no good. Conditions were similar. Another doctor who is an assistant surgeon testified and said theres number of cases where people suffered. I consider it a great deal of sickness was produced by the circumstances. There are some efforts that were made to improve the conditions of the camp. Presented a proposal they wrote to the medical director describing the lack of water in the camp and the dried up well. He proposed a water pipe system that would draw water from the citys water main into the camp to replace this well which is the only source of water that was dried up most of the time. He said i was there for them most respectfully suggested. Is a square from the camp. A proposal was brought up, this is part of the proposal. The proposal was rejected based on the project. Is a newly organized camp that was being prepared in alexander virginia. Its very clear that the Living Conditions of the camp contributed to the poor health of the residence. This is the only a best option. Ill talks about some of the six staff. That included it. They represented a mix of both commission and military personnel. Combination of those people provided critical support. They were responsible for hospital administration. Other hospitals have neighbors. Most of the cooks were African American. The majority of those that were in position of authority such as head nurses and surgeons who are white. Theres not very many photographs that identify their there to represent other africanamericans that work for the army. Goes to treat black only patients. The appointment of alexander augusta. Use the first African American surgeon in charge. When he was appointed, it began in the makeup of the hospital staff with black taking over leadership positions. Points at the hospital they represented the first time that African Americans for the 30 ministries there primarily hired from among the healthier that is in the search surgeon in charge. These men and women took over for the departing white nurses. During the civil war surgeons provide medical care to nearly 400,000 sick and Wounded Soldiers. Hospitals on the battlefield during the war. Of the more than 12,000 surgeons who served the union army there has been 14 that i had an invite as African American. My research ive expanded to 14. The remaining are in contract surgeons. He was the first African American commissions of the union army. He went in at the major, and he was they were not serving long black surgeons in the field. All but one were to the military hospital. Seven of the 14 African American surgeons served for the war were assigned to contract camp between 1863 1965. Not all at the same time. The appointment of black surgeons to hospitals was based on race. All of the federal records that document the work assignments of the surgeons all indicate duty stations at facilities that treated africanamerican patients. There is no black surgeons assigned to white only hospitals. This is not true with nurses. They served at union and confederate houses. I throw this in to another presentation because there were some women that served as surgeons. They were very small in numbers, but they do serve during and after the civil war. Medical college of pennsylvania and philadelphia, including one africanamerican woman named rebecca. This image of the Medical College serves to represent achievement of becoming the first africanamerican woman in the United States to an american degree. After she graduated she practiced medicine for a short time before she moved to virginia. Thats where she attended to the medical needs of the freedmen there. Working with the freedmens bureau. She made note of her services and said i was at the agency to have access to a very large imaging. And a population of over 30,000. Her book is one of the first medical publications by an africanamerican woman. The talk about nursing. Most of the nurses had no formal training did you find care to soldiers. The dispensed medicine and repaired uniforms. They provided special meals. They worked very long hours with little to no pay. She was with the 33rd regiment. She worked alongside her husband who is a soldier in the regiment. She described her experience in the memoir. She says i gave my services willingly for four years and three months without receiving a dollar. I was glad to be allowed to look at the regiment to care for the sick and afflicted comrades. Africanamerican the many recognized or recorded as being a nurse. They really are listed as cooks rather than nurses, sometimes they werent even listed at all. Much of what we know about it, after the passage of the Army Nurses Pension act, their applications provide insight to the lives of experiences and nurses. With over 20 hospitals in washington, d. C. , the capital city they had the greatest bed capacity of any other city in the union. Contraband hospital pictures an ideal source of labor to the hospital and the hospital was a source of deployment. The same time the women could receive wages for their work. Work at the hospital provides them with a small income upon which these women and men can begin a life and freedom. A typical day for contraband nurse involved long hours both day and night tending to the needs of their patients. Will you help take care of them in every way that was needed. Generally theres two nurses assigned. They kept the words clean and they tended to the patients. They prepared the bandages. They would not only care for the sick, but they comforted the dying and they prepared bodies work was determined by gender. Was dictated at the time. At the contraband hospital imo nurses assigned to the command milner system millwork board. When large numbers of Wounded Soldiers came into the hospital the mind and you know theres were required to treat both women and men. Almost all the nurses were women with survived the element. As more than contracted they were assigned nursing duties, but its very unlikely that they treated female patients. Treated only male patients. The people nurses did treat both female and male patients. She had a very arduous journey. She arrived at the camp and she was sick. She was placed in the hospital under the care of another nurse named betsy. She nurse her back to health after she became healthy she was hired by the surgeon in charge. She described the head nurse the hospital ward and she said my husband took down smallpox and i was very. Were taken to the smallpox word. Hesitant knife were hired in the smallpox hospital. Nurses were very committed to their work and having being slaves, the surety bond with their patients they were dedicated to aiding them and providing them with care and comfort. John was an African American surgeon and he praised the work. He wrote a letter to his uncle and said this is the most honest waivers of mercy. Soldiers, it wasnt just the staff they recognize them. They do not fail to recognize the contributions nurses made. A lot of times what they did is they would write letters to newspapers and tell about their experiences. One soldier named john was with the United States culture he spoke about the services. Wrote a letter to the recorded that a woman. Many of our offices were wanted at the battle get administered to is a late filtering in their blood and the landing there she could be seen. The only woman present like an angel from above giving words of cheer. They had a lot of opportunity to go in with each other. To the each other as well as to their patients when they were ill. Betty lawson escaped her religion of plantation of 1862 and she made her way to washington to the contraband camp. She was hired by one of the white surgeons and she earned 10 a month. I would give medicine by doctrine give personal attention to the care of sick people. She became acquainted with many of the hospital nurses including a young girl. Who served in a smallpox world after she spent three months there is a patient. Page was a former slave who was a young child who had no family she escaped during the war. She arrived in washington and she was first put in the contraband camp. Since she was taken outside the camp by a white woman after contracting smallpox a year later the camp small parts ward. Became acquainted while she was nursing her. In her deposition she wanted to support the pension application. She described how she met page. She said i could stand but the guard between meals id. All cooked by the same cooked it to duty as the nurses to bring meals patients, and that you pointed maria page. A little bit different to see, but you can see the female wards and male wards over the kitchen is. To be able to come across each other during the time working. Was scarce. Continued their relation to testimony to the bond that formed shared experiences from the hospital before expanded it was in december 1863. The hospital youd to provide medical care to civilian. At least 1864 and moved several times from the location is 12th and 13th street to a plot of land that was on 14th street. Mentioned to the site which was Campbell Army hospital. Boundary street at that time are now florida avenue. Onset moved there it wasnt under the control of the army as friedmans hospital and became the abandoned lands. With its campbell hospital is a better water supply. Had up to 600 and capacity. Hospital continue to serve in the medical facility in African American unity after the war. Eventually moved to Howard University when 1868 it became the Teaching Hospital for the medical department there. Though the war was over, the were continued because they remained in the hospital after the war ended. Medical care was still needed by the thousands who sought refuge in washington. Many of those who served in the contraband, they continued their hospital work and others thought in the hospital. The hospital continued the next 100 years. In 1961, president kennedy signed a bill that would officially transfer the hospital. In march 1975 they moved into new facilities and they officially became known as Howard University. They endured during civil war. Not only because of the needs of the community, but because of the women who dedicated themselves to the hospitals survival. To be articulated by this quote. That quote is most of all is a larger commitment to those american enslaved and congressionally freed. Thank you. Are there any questions . The Pension System with me just say this. Africanamericans that apply for Pension Service did a number. That is always get their pension. Part of it was that they had to prove that theyre going to file a pension application. The official records were said with erica. They would go and they would apply and get the other fellow nurses. A lot of the depositions are from other africanamericans, and the credibility of African Americans by the Pension Bureau was not always great. They can provide deposition. Theres three women that worked he said i dont even know who they are. Didnt pay any attention to me, because to me they werent important. Have to say that is the largest confederate enrichment. It had 7000 patients. Most of the nurses that served to a lot of the nurses served for africanamericans. A lot of them were men. And a large majority were still enslaved. Their detailed to work there. In the letter he said without these nurses, or without these africanamericans that were working at the hospital could not survive. Clearly they were essential to the function and the ability of the hospitals to continue to do what they did. But didnt feel whats interesting is there was a few africanamericans that worked. Clearly the surgeon in charge new. If they werent working there, they wouldnt have survived. I have done a little bit of research, they seem to take all of the cases for these nurses. He was very successful in getting them a pension. They might have gotten 10 a month. The fact that they came from their whole life, that to come across and walk from virginia or maryland to wash dc. Going to the hospital to become in the camp. Them to fight for a pension. 10 a month is a lot of money at that time. There was some of the lawyer was doing that wasnt above the lord. Youre able to take a fee, he claimed he was getting a gift of five dollars or 10. Eventually was disbarred. Because of that. When these women worked pensions a told a little bit of that story, because they needed to tell how they got there to justify why they deserved a pension. They would say it would give the plantation they worked on. Their africanamerican soldiers that were still fighting. This would be georgia, south carolina, florida. They could make their way. For the society of north, there are very wellestablished. They provide funding. A lot of times what happened is africanamerican are coming into the cross union, a lot of the men there traveling around, i think a lot of the time they just follow the union troops and they tried to help provide them with things. I think there was some camps and other places, but i cant give you any specifics. The question about African Americans. She was in a contraband release funds contributed to the contraband camp. The gave money towards that. There was some talked about the nurses and i talked about male nurses there is an image of a man who was a nurse. His family, his name is charles, so robert was abolitionist. Supported all causes they were very outspoken. Charles his cousin has a diary thats been published. She actually went south to south carolina. And did a small amount of nursing and taught there. She was associated with the 54th regiment. I think there were fun friends. It might surprise you that they did get formal education to all of them. Alexander got education in canada. This is the first of the american to graduate from college. There is a college in iowa is there is another that got his at the university of liverpool. Is a whole other talk that i can give. They can make a better do this. It wasnt focused on actual medical things. Unlike it is now. Medical education at the time when these men were getting the medical education we were a little bit different. Could get a medical education by apprenticeship. Generally the middle school be attended required them to have served as an apprentice before they got accepted. A lot of them had apprenticeship in regard to medical was all education. What happened was operated hospital couldnt get any doctor would get a degree, is in i do know that for a commission in 1863 before he was appointed for the hospital. He did make the rounds from a lot of the hospitals in dc. I think theres a lot of things i could say about is because he was a major he reads it was little controversial and he met with a lot of opposition violence. Was he the First American to receive a commission as a little bit. A little more research is giving the Lieutenant Colonel given the highestranking africanamerican during civil war. Officially you have anything . Obviously in the government recognized him. He couldnt get the commission. Might anything that said hey, at least and had an enormous amount for the fact that he had a commission. In his will he left a certain amount of money per stained glass window to be put in statins on her. You can still see it. There is a legend on 35th regiment was one surgeon named john degrasse, he was the only africanamerican doctor to serve with his regiment which is the 35th regiment. Theres one of the Commanding Officers named reed, lieutenant reed. While this is all going on, everyone believed that reed was having some africanamerican ancestry but was never definitively identified like he was doing. Was the Lieutenant Colonel also. And augustine would have been the two highestranking African Americans served during the civil war. Been working at the freeman hospital. . Yes with me but her story is alexandra boston was tossed. Is going to attend to a Court Martial who gave testimony. Charles was a senator from massachusetts. Heard about this brought up before congress this issue to try to defabricate. Happened is africanamericans. To stand up front with the driver. And they couldnt fit in the cover part. It was raining and muddy, and she refused him as the guy kicked them off. Yet to walk there. Had to write a testimony of why he was late. What happened is, eventually they did pass legislation. Had a similar experience. She said she knew what her laser and she was getting off. She was way past station because of that. She also i think she did get thrown off. Thank you very much for coming, i appreciate it. I welcome all of you here to the museum. How many of you are visiting for the first time tonight . The proportion is shrinking which means getting the word out there. The offer for those regulars here i know i will Say Something about how you can tell the story without the poor but