In June 1862 a local physician named Horace M. Pinkard received a commission as an army surgeon and was ordered to set up a hospital in Palmyra, Virginia. Of the Confederate General Hospitals, this hospital, which was covered in a previous post, had very little information available about it until recently. This post will cover new information discovered in Fold3 from the National Archives which includes: details of the hospital complex itself; correspondence between Dr. Pinkard and Richmond which ultimately leads to his removal as Surgeon in Charge; and the appointment of Dr. Percival Leverett as his replacement during July and August of 1863. Dr. Leverett was reassigned to Petersburg in August. To date I cannot find evidence of a replacement for him. The map of the Hospital complex was drawn as part of an inspection report by Dr. Alexander Semmes.

Labels
1- Surgeon’s Office and Dispensary
2- Court House, Ward A
3- Clerk’s office
4- Methodist Church, Ward B
5- Baggage Room
6- Store Room
7- Privies
8- Ward C
9- Ward D
10- Attendants quarters
11- Ward E
12- Ward F
13- Ward G Brick Hotel
14- Surgeon’s Residence
15- Columbia Road
16- Charlottesville Road
17- Bridge over Rivanna
18- Kitchen and well in yard
19- Bakery
20- Frame (?) store

Report of the inspection of the Palmyra General Hospital by Alexander Jenkins Semmes MD on February 27, 1863. This report contains a lot of valuable information regarding the buildings that make up the hospital, its staff and the particulars of the inspection. The first two pages provide the details of the buildings in the hospital complex.

Page 1- The hospital was made up of 13 buildings. The Court House is building #2 in the map. It was unoccupied on the day of the inspection and had a capacity for 15 patients. The building was 2 stories, made of brick, and was being used rent free. It was judged to be well ventilated, and in good condition. Building #8, owned by A. Shepherd (? Abram Shepherd Jr. who is buried at Mountain View), was a framed 2-story hotel with a basement. It had been in use as a hospital since March of 1862. It had 4 rooms that were in use for sick wards with a capacity on the first floor for 16 beds and on the second for 14 beds. In the basement was a dining room and there was an attached kitchen and bake house.

Page 2- The Methodist Church, building #4 on the map, was 40 x 35 feet and was being cleaned on the day of the inspection. It was occupied by the government rent free. Building #13 was a 2-story brick hotel owned by James Wright (? James Lewis Wright of Palmyra). It had 8 rooms, a capacity for 42 beds, was ready for occupancy by patients, and was judged to be in good condition. The hotel had been contracted for use by Dr. Pinkard at a cost of $18.25 per month. The Framed Store, building #20, had a capacity for 10 beds, rented for $4 per month and was unoccupied. Building #9, #10, #11 and #12 were one story frame houses owned by a Dr. Shepherd. Buildings #9 and #10 were furnished and rented for $2 per month. Building #9 had a capacity for 10 patients but was unoccupied. Building #10 had three double beds and was used by hospital attendants. Buildings #11 and 12 had a capacity for 12 patients each, were unoccupied and rented for $3 per month. Building #1 was a one-story brick building that was in use as the surgeon’s office and dispensary. The paper work was judged to be in good order and the building in good condition but not equal to those in the best military hospitals in Richmond.

Page 3- This page is important because it identifies the key staff that are working at the hospital. They will be covered in more detail in the next post. The Chief Surgeon was Horace M. Pinkard appointed on July 1, 1862. He is covered in detail in the previous post on the hospital. There were three stewards, 7 nurses, 3 cooks and 6 laundresses. Two of the stewards were appointed by the Secretary of War, which was unusual. Cyrus Dogget (Doggett), M.D., was appointed by the Secretary of War on June 14, 1862. He served multiple roles including clerk and occasionally Acting Assistant Surgeon. Collen C. Seay was appointed October 14, 1862. He was a private citizen at the time of his appointment. William H. Shepherd, M.D., was appointed on December 4, 1862, and was acting as an apothecary. On February 21, 1863, the hospital had a census of 41 patients. Thirteen more patients were in private homes, which the reviewer felt was excessive given the open beds in the complex. The requisitioning paperwork was in good order.

Page 4- The reminder of the inspection focuses on the hospital itself and patient care. It was recommended that a card should be placed on each bed that identifies the patient by name, company, regiment, date of admission and diagnosis. It was observed that the patients were visited daily by the surgeon or his assistant and were satisfied with their treatment. The sheets and pillows were changed weekly or when a new patient was assigned to the bed.

Page 5- There was a great deficiency of sheets, pillow cases and towels despite their being requisitioned. The straw in the bed sacks was changed every three months but needed to be changed monthly or at least every 6-8 weeks. The physical plant was clean, the kitchen and bakery in good condition, and plenty of vegetables were available for the patients.

Page 6- There were no bath rooms available for the patients and the men should have had more than just a towel and wash basin. The water was from a well. There were no regularly constructed latrines or privies and the soldiers were using the woods. Latrines were in the process of construction and are shown on the map. The inspector emphasized the importance of submitting weekly and monthly reports to Richmond on time. The supply of medications were adequate with one exception (tincture ferri chloride). The inspector audited the use of stimulants (liquor and wine).

Page 7- The supply expenses for January were $900. There was only one permanent guard for the facility, a sergeant.

Page 8- A chaplain had not been assigned to the facility, and it was ministered by local volunteers.

Page 9- There were 7 nurses at the hospital five of which were Black. There were 6 laundresses, 1 was Black. The inspector felt the hospital was capable of caring for 200 patients. He concluded that the staff had all discharged their duties appropriately.

Dr. Pinkard’s Correspondence

Dated December 18, 1862- Dr. Pinkard Responds to Surgeon General Moore that his date of appointment was June 27, 1862.

Dated December 6, 1862, to the Medical Director in Richmond (Dr. E.S. Gaillard). Dr. Pinkard states that he has not yet appeared before a medical examining board.

Dated July 16, 1863, to Surgeon General Moore. Dr. Pinkard states that on June 22, 1862, he was authorized to open and take charge of a hospital in Palmyra. On May 20, 1863, he was invited to appear before the Army Medical Board. He did so and was reported unfavorably. On the 14th day of June he was relieved of duty by Surgeon Lererett. He did not know that he was required to submit an official letter of resignation and did so with the letter below.

November 7, 1864- Dr. Pinkard is now back in the Confederate medical service working in Richmond. He is reassigned from Jackson Hospital (assigned there August 29, 1864) to Stuart Hospital. He was working as an Assistant Surgeon.

Dated March 31, 1865. Dr. Pinkard is now writing from Jackson Hospital in the 8th Division. In this letter he thanks Surgeon General Moore for the invitation to appear before the Army Medical Board for potential promotion.

Dated April 12, 1865. A letter written by the Surgeon in Charge of Jackson Hospital relieving him from duty and ordering him to report to the Surgeon in Charge of the 6th Division. By this time Pinkard was a prisoner of war. This order was written by a Union officer (volumes 376 and 547 NARA). I can’t read the signature.

He is captured at Jackson Hospital as a prisoner of war on April 3rd, 1865, and paroled on May 5th.

Salary Invoices– Dr. Pinkard

Invoices for Salary- Surgeon in Charge Palmyra earning $162 per month

There is a note in the remarks section below on the far right that Dr. Pinkard’s resignation was accepted on June 14, 1863.

Dr. Pinkard is now an Assistant Surgeon at Stuart General Hospital in Richmond. There is a note in the remarks section that he was appointed August 5, 1864. His salary is $110 per month. During the period from August 3-29, 1864, he is at Jackson Hospital in Richmond.

He was ordered to Stuart Hospital on November 7, 1864.

Requisitions for supplies while Dr. Pinkard was at Palmyra

Frederick Percival Leverett, M.D.– Surgeon in Charge, Palmyra General Hospital, from June 4th or 9th to August 12th or 19th, 1863.

Frederick Leverett was born on August 10, 1831, in South Carolina, the son of Frederick Percival and Matilda Gorham Leverett. He attended Harvard University graduating in 1852 with a degree in medicine. Dr. Leverett was appointed as a Surgeon, with the rank of Major, in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States of America on April 17, 1862, effective from February 17th. He was assigned to: the 9th SC Volunteer Infantry from February 7th to April 17th, 1862; the 11th SC Volunteer Infantry from April 17, 1862, to July 31, 1862; duty in Richmond from August 18, 1862; duty at General Hospital #12 in Richmond from May 20, to June 9, 1863; duty at the General Hospital in Palmyra, Virginia, from June 9 to August 19, 1863; duty at the General Hospital at Petersburg from July to August 19, 1863; detailed as a member of a Medical Examination Board at Richmond, from August 19 to 26, 1863; duty with the Conscription Bureau in Virginia to September 23, 1863; duty with the Palmetto Sharpshooters Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, from September 23, 1863, to April 10, 1864; and duty with the 5th Texas Volunteer Infantry Regiment from April 10, 1864. He was admitted to the Receiving and Wayside Hospital (General Hospital #9) in Richmond on June 13th, 1864, suffering from chronic dysentery and emaciation. After a furlough for forty-days from June 23, 1864, in Columbia, South Carolina, he died on July 23, 1864, in Richmond. Dr. Lecerett is buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond (Section X, grave 98). A cenotaph, is present in St. Helena’s Episcopal Churchyard, Beaufort, SC.

The document below reveals his last day in Palmyra was August 19, 1863.