Abraham Lincoln

     On Monday, the staff of the NMCWM was fortunate to be allowed the afternoon off to view the movie Lincoln.  It was a field trip of sorts! 

 

Here is the staff in front of the theater. A big thank you goes out to George, Tom, and Katie for staying behind to keep the museum open while the rest of us saw the movie!

 

     I’d heard a lot of good reviews about the movie, so I was eager to finally see it.  Though I thought there were a couple of instances that showed a definite Hollywood interpretation, I did enjoy it overall.  There were even some short scenes that touched on Civil War medicine, which justified our trip!  I think my biggest disappointment was the fact that the severed leg of General Sickles in its display case was shown briefly in one scene, but was not identified.  What a great opportunity they missed in not mentioning that story!

     Since there is so much interest in Abraham Lincoln at the moment, I thought I’d share a few of the Lincoln artifacts in the museum’s collection that are not currently on display.

 

 



Here is a Certificate of Commission for Dr. Elias J. Marsh, which bears the signature of President Abraham Lincoln, and is dated August 10, 1861.



 

     A letter in our collection that was written by Civil War nurse, Clarissa Jones, on April 15^th, 1865 about Lincoln’s assassination reads:  “I am unfit to write or even think.  I am utterly prostrated in mind by the awful news of last evening—I am just starting out to try to get a paper to send to you with this, fearing I may not succeed I will mention the terrible calamity of which the paper gives a better def.

     The Pres. was last night shot while in the Theatre and died this A.M. at 7.  Sec. Seward was stabbed while in bed, and his son mortally stabbed by the same man—he has since died—reports to the effect that Grant also was assassinated….but it has not been confirmed—“  It shows the shock and grief many people felt at the news of his assassination, as well as some of the rumors which circulated.

 

 

One of our more interesting Lincoln items is a replica of a plaster life mask made by Leonard Volk in 1860.

 

     A life mask is made by applying plaster to a person’s face and letting it dry.  Petroleum jelly or oil is put on the subject’s face first, but there can still be some hair pulled out when the mask is removed.  Mr. Lincoln is said to have commented that the process of removing the hardened plaster cast from his face was, “anything but agreeable!”  He was reportedly pleased with the final product though.  He had another life mask done about five years later, and it is interesting to compare the two masks.  The presidency and the war appear to have aged him much more than five years.  You can see a short video about the two life masks here. 

 

 

Here is a cast of Lincoln’s hand which was done at the same time. The object he is clutching is a broom handle, and the hand next to the cast gives some perspective for the size of his hands!

 

     Though these casts are interesting to study, I think I’d prefer to simply have a picture taken!

  

Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

Embalming in the Civil War

     Last month it was time to change the display again in the Command Building at Ft. Detrick.  I received the request to feature a product or process that changed or developed during the Civil War.  I had a few options, but since the display was going to be installed just before Halloween, it seemed appropriate to highlight embalming!

     Although the practice of embalming dates back to ancient Egypt, the procedure was not widely practiced in the United States until the Civil War.  Since so many soldiers died far from their homes and their families usually wanted them buried at home, there was a need to preserve their bodies for the journey. 

     Another factor in making embalming known to the general public was the death of Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth.  Col. Ellsworth was a friend of President Lincoln, and was also the first officer to be a military casualty of the Civil War.  On May 24, 1861, he was shot while removing a Confederate flag from the roof of a hotel in Virginia.  Dr. Thomas Holmes, who is known as the father of modern embalming and who had recently opened an embalming office in Washington D.C., offered his services for free.  No doubt he saw an opportunity to acquaint the public with his craft!  Col. Ellsworth’s body was embalmed and displayed to the public at his funeral, and people were impressed with his “lifelike” look.  After the President’s assassination, Mrs. Lincoln even requested the same procedure for him.

 

 

A Harper’s Weekly newspaper from June 15, 1861 depicts the killing of Colonel Ellsworth.

 

 

     Embalmers of the time used a variety of different solutions for embalming.  It was common to find various combinations of arsenic, creosote, mercury, turpentine, and alcohol in these solutions.  Though effective for embalming, these solutions could be hazardous to the embalmers.  They can also still be hazardous to the curators and collection managers who handle some of the embalming artifacts!

 

 

This is an embalming kit which contains an embalming pump and the assorted needles, connectors, valves, and handles which were used with it. Embalming was performed by pumping embalming fluid into an artery, usually in the area of the thigh or armpit.

 

 

The doctors in this photo are demonstrating embalming to two Union officers, with what appears to be some of their work displayed on either side. There is some question whether those are really soldiers posing as embalmed bodies for the photo though! The setup pictured was probably typical of that found near a battlefield or field hospital.

 

And here is Dr. Richard Burr, an embalming surgeon who worked here in Frederick, shown embalming a soldier recovered from the battlefield. You can see the embalming pump in his right hand, and the tubing attached to it above the chest of the soldier’s body. Embalming tables were not usually available in the field, so here he is using a door placed over two large barrels.

 

     As the Civil War progressed, the demand for embalming services increased, and more people saw the opportunity to make some money by becoming embalmers.  Embalming fees varied and usually were based on the soldier’s rank, or the supposed ability of his family to pay.  Some embalmers would hang around the camps and promote their services – which was not great for morale!  Others would search the battlefields for the highest ranking dead officers, hoping to make money by contacting their family and offering their services.  Some sources claim that our Dr. Burr was not the most honest embalmer.  He seems to be fairly well known for price gouging as well as for reselling the same grave markers for locally buried soldiers.  There are even some stories which claim he robbed dead and dying soldiers as he searched the battlefields.  He was not the only one, by any means.  It was enough of a problem that in March 1865 the War Department issued General Order Number 39, "Order Concerning Embalmers."  This order required, “…all who embalm or remove bodies of deceased officers or soldiers to obtain a special license...”  It also set the prices which embalmers could charge.  Unfortunately, this order came late enough in the war that it had very little effect.

 

 

A closer look at General Orders No. 39, the Order Concerning Embalmers.

 

Here is the embalming display at Ft. Detrick, before the lid was put on. On display are a photo of Colonel Ellsworth, an embalming pump and attachments, the two embalming photos which I’ve included here in my post, an advertisement for an embalmer, and General Orders No. 39. If you have the occasion to be in the Command Building, please stop by and take a look!

Artifact photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.