John Wesley Powell and the wounds of war

Date

2022-10-03

Authors

Zander, Cecily Nelson

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Emerging Civil War

Abstract

In the hundreds of pages Major John Wesley Powell wrote about his postbellum career as an explorer of the American West, he seldom mentioned the injury he sustained at the battle of Shiloh. During the fighting at Pittsburgh Landing in April 1862, Powell was hit by a bullet in his right forearm. The wound required the arm to be amputated below the elbow, leaving the 28-year-old Powell with an affliction that caused him excruciating pain for the remainder of his life. He lived to be 68.

Description

Keywords

Amputation, Binding a nations wounds, Civil War medicine, Elizabeth Bacon Custer, Emma Dean Powell, John Wesley Powell, Union veterans

Citation

This is the published version of a blog post that is available at https://emergingcivilwar.com/2022/10/03/john-wesley-powell-and-the-wounds-of-war/. Recommended citation: Zander, C. N. (2022, October 3). John Wesley Powell and the wounds of war. Emerging Civil War. This item has been deposited in accordance with publisher copyright and licensing terms and with the author’s permission.

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