Gettysburg Surgeons: Facing a Common Enemy in the Civil War's Deadliest Battle

By: Barbara Franco

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Synopsis: In the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, a thousand surgeons faced an unprecedented medical catastrophe: 25,000 wounded soldiers needing immediate care with only primitive tools and their own determination to save lives. At Gettysburg's makeshift hospitals—set up in barns, churches, and blood-soaked fields—military and civilian surgeons from both North and South worked around the clock performing life-saving operations under fire. Drawing from a decade of meticulous research, historian Barbara Franco reveals how these courageous medical professionals revolutionized battlefield medicine and established principles still saving lives today. Through vivid accounts and previously untold stories, readers will discover: How surgeons improvised new techniques that became standard trauma procedures The harrowing reality of Civil War field hospitals during the three days of battle How lessons learned at Gettysburg transformed American military medicine The lasting impact on modern emergency and disaster response From the founding director of the Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum comes an unforgettable narrative of medicine, courage, and innovation that speaks to both history enthusiasts and medical professionals. This definitive account shows how the medical crisis at Gettysburg continues to influence how we treat mass casualties and train combat medics today.