Date

7-22-2025

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Master of Arts in History - Thesis (MA)

Chair

Logan E. Thomas

Keywords

Civil War, Medicine, Trauma, Amputation, Surgeon, Firearms, Bullets, History, Ambulance

Disciplines

History

Abstract

The Civil War, in many ways, hangs in the balance between the modern and premodern, with some historians calling it the first modern war, and others calling it the last pre-modern war. This historical dilemma extends to battlefield trauma care, where the modern and the archaic exist hand in hand. While the Civil War did not represent the birth of modern trauma care, it is certainly where modern American trauma care was conceived. The advancements in the medical field during this time prepared the way for germ theory to truly develop trauma care into a modern medical science. The groundwork for modern trauma care can best be seen by observing the stages of care applied to the Union and Confederate soldier, from the moment he was wounded, to the moment he was deemed stable enough to return to duty or be transported to permanent medical facilities. This paper will use a variety of sources, including firsthand accounts, medical handbooks, as well as modern medical articles and textbooks.

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