![]() Hammond during his stint as Surgeon General. Over time, 23 more buildings would be added to the facility including ridge ventilated wards, an innovation introduced by Dr. Some patients continued to be treated in facilities in Cumberland, but the hospital at Clarysville became the main location for treating sick and wounded soldiers in the area for the duration of the war. West’s practice was established in Belmont, Ohio. West could have been a civilian doctor who worked under contract rather than being a physician enlisted in the military. West was appointed to the Clarysville U.S. Surgeon General just a month later, was “revolted and shocked” at the “deplorable” conditions there.Īcting Assistant Surgeon S. His report on the conditions in Cumberland had no positives. For the second day of operation, it was not a bad report. Proper diets for patients were not adhered to and bedding was deficient. The apothecary was intelligent the cooking tolerable with good bread. He described the nurses and orderlies as inexperienced and the ward master uneducated, but energetic. The location also had an abundance of fresh water. Hammond describes Clarysville as being at a high elevation which brought cooler temperatures. Fresh air and cleanliness were also conditions that were considered necessary for convalescence. The parameter for the smallest allowable space per patient was 1200 cubic feet at that time. He describes six original buildings that were already overfilled with patients. Sanitary Commission provides significant detail about the the facilities and the qualities that made the site ideal. Hammond, under orders from General William Rosencrans to inspect the hospital at Cumberland, toured and reviewed the new set up at Clarysville. Patients were moved from Cumberland to Clarysville on March 6, 1862. Note the two story Clarysville Inn in the center of the image. A large inn at the site became the nucleus of the hospital and the other buildings on the property were quickly converted into wards.Ī picture postcard rendition of the Clarysville General Hospital near Cumberland, Maryland in 1864. Renters agreed to leave the property and owners signed it over for use as a military hospital. Suckley examined the area and found it very suitable for a hospital. Suckley that Clarysville located just eight miles away might be the perfect location for a hospital, describing it as a “delightful valley” with “the finest spring water, a large wagon tavern, several houses and three large barns not used for years.” Dr. Townshend, while in town visiting her husband, suggested to Dr. Townshend, a civilian doctor, was working under contract for the Army. Please note, at that time in the military, doctors were referred to as surgeons even when no surgery was performed. Suckley, Surgeon in charge of the patients in Cumberland. Mary Townsend, wife of local doctor Morris Townsend, it was she that suggested Clarysville as a potential site for hospital to military physician Dr. By March 1862, about 1200 patients were lodged in Cumberland. The heat and humidity made conditions in the summer of 1861 even worse. An Ideal Locationĭespite the ease of travel to the area, unsanitary conditions, exhausted facilities, and insufficient supplies made proper medical care nearly impossible in Cumberland. Cumberland was already known as a transportation center because it was situated along the National Road as well as the C&O canal. The area was not in the midst of any large battlefields but was located central enough to fighting that sick and wounded could be easily transported there after treatment at a field hospital. ![]() Both military and local physicians attended to their care. As early as June 1861, patient soldiers had been taken to Cumberland and were placed in hotels, warehouses, and engine houses. ![]() Located in Allegany County in western Maryland, the hospital developed out of the need for suitable accommodations for sick and wounded soldiers who were being treated in make shift facilities in nearby Cumberland. In the 1920s, an advertisement for the Inn boasted a room, bath, and chicken dinner all for $1.50.Ĭlarysville Hospital was established on Maand was in operation until September 30, 1865. ![]() A postcard showing the Clarysville Inn ca. ![]()
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