Dorothea Dix and the Hospital at Gettysburg, Two ALsS, Plus

Lot 107

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6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States

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American History Live Salesroom Auction

By Cowan's Auctions

Jun 12, 2015 - Jun 13, 2015

Set Reminder 2015-06-12 10:00:00 2015-06-13 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American History Live Salesroom Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-history-live-salesroom-auction-663 Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

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Lot Description

Dorthea Dix (1802-1887), lifelong advocate of the poor and mentally and physically disabled, served as Superintendent of Army Nurses during the Civil War. Lot of 2 ALsS plus related photographs and documents.

First is 1.5pp, 5 x 8 in., dated Sept. 23 (1863), addressed to Mrs. Horner (wife of Dr. Robert Horner, of Gettysburg, see previous lot), asking when the General Hospital (aka Camp Letterman) will be closed due to cold weather, sending regards to Dr. Horner, and discussing travel documents and the need for passage to Washington.

Second ALS is 1p, 7.25 x 9.25 in., dated at Washington, Sept. 30, 1863, one week after the previous letter, answering Mrs. Horner's inquiry about how her husband should go about securing a more permanent contract as a surgeon with the US Army, and asks Mrs. Horner to look in on Camp Letterman and "Let me know what is amiss." She also asks, "What of the Rebels? Is the mortality great?" Also included are six ca 1880s photographs of Dr. Horner and his wife Mary, plus a Adams County, PA, certificate regarding Mary Horner's will.

In 1861, Secretary of War Simon Cameron named Dorothea to superintend the women nurses assigned to the US Army. Dix (without pay) organized an Army Nursing Corps with over 3,000 nurses. As evidenced in these leters her rented home in Washington DC was always open to needy nurses and soldiers.

Dix struggled hard to establish women's role in Civil War medicine, but she was often frustrated by military bureaucracy. Dix alludes to this struggle in her 23 September letter. In anger over the apparent dismissal of a Mrs. Peningham from the Gettysburg General Hospital ( likely one of Dix's nurse recruits), Dix includes a classic statement in her letter that echoes the same frustration with bureaucracy that she herself battled in Washington. Dix wrote: POOR IS THE SPIRIT OF THEM WHO HAVE THEM MORE POWER THAN HUMANITY AND DISCRETION.

Dix's exacting standards caused constant friction. Finally in October 1863 [just after Dix wrote these two letters], Secretary of War Edwin Stanton retained her position but stripped her of most authority & responsibility. Dix was heartbroken but still served with magnanimity till after the end of the war. For the rest of her life, she always de-emphasized her Civil War service and accomplishment.

Full transcriptions:

Sept 23rd [1863]
My Dear Mrs Horner,

I hope Mrs Peningham is with you. I am sure her discharge is hastily decided -- and very sure not deserved -- POOR IS THE SPIRIT OF THEM WHO HAVE THEM MORE POWER THAN HUMANITY AND DISCRETION.
I thank you for your interesting letter -- and regret I cannot answer it in kind -- I am very busy.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHEN THE GENL HOSPITAL WILL BE CLOSED? I should think the cold weather would hasten the removal of Patients.

My kind regards to your husband
Yrs. Truly
D. L. DIX
Mrs. Peningham must get her certificate & papers for transportation in Gettysburg of
Dr. Chamberlain --
if the Provost Marshall and Quarter Master do not but sign them they are good to
Washington.
She must come to my house.

Washington, Sept. 30th 1863
My Dear good Mrs. Horner,
Mrs. Peningham arrived last night -- and brought me your message. All physicians wishing Contracts must themselves make application to the Surgeon Genl in Washington, must be examined by the Board of Examiners here and are then assigned places which I trust they cannot select.
I wish heartily the soldiers might have the benefit of Dr. Horner's care and his due attentions if he please. I trust he can readily get a Contract but he will have to do it himself, it would injure his cause to have it asked for him. I do not doubt he would succeed.
DO LOOK IN AT THE CAMP --learn if things are doing well -- LET ME KNOW WHAT IS AMISS.
How soon will they break up?
WHAT OF THE REBELS?
IS THE MORTALITY GREAT?

Make my kind regards to yr husband.
Yrs & ec.
D. L. DIX

Condition

Very good.
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