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doctors at lincoln's bedside - loetar44 - 09-07-2014 02:24 PM
Overview of ALL medical doctors in attendance at the bedside of president Lincoln when he was dying. The identity of ALL the medical men at the bedside where he lay for nine hours before his death was difficult to determine, for the reason that “nearly every doctor then in the city of Washington” (according to Dr. C. S. Lamb, at that time a resident, but then not at home), was in the room at some time during the night. Dr. Leale. stated that many unknown to him were allowed to feel the pulse but none of them touched the wound.
Please be so kind to inform me if you have additions, corrections or deletions.
A: PHYSICIANS PRESENT IN THE STATE BOX AT FORD’S THEATRE
(1) Charles A(ugustus) Leale (March 26, 1842 – June 13, 1932); M.D., Bellevue Hospital Medical College, 1865; appointed Assistant Surgeon, U. S. Volunteers, April 8, 1865. The first physician to reach Lincoln and in charge until the arrival of Lincoln's family physician Dr. Stone. Leale remained with Lincoln until the president’s death. Restored AL’s airway, breathing, and circulation, to improve AL’s life chance and assisted carrying AL across the street to the Petersen House (held Lincoln’s head).
(2) Charles S(abin) Taft (Aug 1835 – Dec 18, 1900); M.D., surgeon in charge at the Signal Corps Camp of Instruction at Red Hill, Georgetown; Acting Assistant Surgeon, United States Army. The second physician to reach Lincoln (is often placed third because his personal account intimates so). He climbed on the stage and was assisted by members of the audience up to the box, which he entered by climbing over the rail.Taft was active in the artificial respiration measures of AL. Assisted carrying AL across the street to the Petersen House (held Lincoln’s right shoulder).
(3) Albert F(reeman) A(fricanus) King (Jan 18, 1841- Dec 13, 1914); M.D., Columbia Medical College, 1861; University of Pennsylvania, 1865; Acting Assistant Surgeon, United States Army. The third physician to reach Lincoln ((is often placed second); was active in the artificial respiration measures of AL. Observations of the pulse and respiration were noted down by Dr. King at AL’s bedside. Assisted carrying AL across the street to the Petersen House (held Lincoln’s left shoulder).
B: : PHYSICIANS PRESENT AT FORD’S THEATRE
(but doubtful if they were in the State Box)
(4) C(harles) D(avenport) Gatch (1841- Oct 27, 1870); M.D. , served through the war with the armies of General Rosecrans. The fourth physician to reach Lincoln' s box (following his own account the third). Was together with his brother Capt. Oliver Cross Gatch (in uniform) in the dress circle of Ford’s. According to Oliver’s own statements they were asked to the State Box, were Charles came to the conclusion that AL’s injury was fatal. According to Oliver he helped carry the president to the Petersen House, but this is doubtful, because this is not mentioned in any other accounts. The brothers Gatch were almost certainly also not present in the state box, since they are mentioned neither by Leale nor by Taft. Dr. Gatch certainly had no active role in treating president Lincoln. The Gatch brothers’ story (if true) ended when Lincoln was removed from Ford's Theatre.
(5) George B(rainard) Todd (Apr. 30, 1834 – Sep 20 1874); M. D. , served at the end of the war on the Monitor "Montauk” and was at Ford's Theater on the 14th of April, 1865. In a letter addressed to his brother he describes what happened that night and was given a note by an unknown general and told to go to the nearest telegraph office to inform the nation. Dr. Todd had no active role in treating president Lincoln.
(6) Samuel A. Sabin (Sep 20, 1830 – Apr 3, 1871); M.D.; medical division Michigan University, 1857, first surgeon of the Ninth New York Heavy Artillery (Aug 1862 – Jan 1865); practicing in Palmyra, N.Y.; was present in Ford’s and witnessed the assassination. He wrote a letter to his wife Florence the following day, describing what he saw in Ford's Theater: “….someone said, "The president is shot," and, thinking there would be no surgeon at hand I might be of service, I ran immediately to the president's box. When I got there, of course, I found everything in the utmost confusion, some calling for one thing, some for another. As soon as I saw the wound, I saw there was no hope, and another surgeon [Leale] had stated the same previously….I did not accompany the body across the street as I might have done, dreading to be called as a witness when there should be an investigation.”
C: PHYSICIANS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE PETERSEN HOUSE
(in addition to Leale, Taft and King)
BTW: it took ca. 20 to 30 minutes to carry AL from the state box to Petersen’s House.
(7) William M(orrow) Notson (Feb 1836 – Jun 23, 1882) ; M.D.; Jefferson Medical College, 1861. Medical Officer, Maj. Surg. 1876; U. S. Army, 1862-1882; Brev. Capt. 1863 for gallantry and meritorious service at Gettysburg; Dr. Notson left service after the battle of Fairfield and resided in Washington, D.C. “The 6th United States Cavalry in the Civil War” says: “He was one of the officers who attended the president from the theater across the street to Mr. Petersen’s house”. Lt. MacLermont of the 11th New York Cavalry recalled that Notson sent for brandy to "revive" AL. MacLermont pulled off AL’s boots and opened the back window for some fresh air. Dr. Norton ordered the room to be cleared of every one under the rank of major. During the night Dr. Notson treated also Seward and wounded members in Seward's chamber. After AL’s passing Dr. Notson attended the autopsy, but his participation was interrupted to again attend Seward.
(8) Charles H(enry) L. Liebermann (Sep 15, 1813 – March 27, 1886, came to the U.S. early in 1840); M.D., University of Berlin, 1838. Washington physician (practicing at Pennsylvania Ave.); professor of Surgery University of Georgetown 1849-1853 and 1857-1861, President of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia. Was (one of) the first physicians who arrived at the Petersen House. He removed a lock of hair from the area of Lincoln's head near the wound.
(9) Charles M(ason) Ford (Jun. 15, 1840 - Feb. 15, 1884); M.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1861. Arrived at Petersen’s House after Dr. Liebermann and before Dr. Stone. During the greater part of the night, the pulsations were counted by Dr. Ford and noted by Dr. King.
(10) Robert K(ing) Stone (Dec 11, 1822 – April 23, 1872); M.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1845. Family physician of the Lincolns (from their arrival in Washington in 1861) and in charge at AL’s death bed from the time of his arrival at the Petersen House (when Leale gave control over). He arrived according to Leale “about 20 minutes after we had placed him [AL] in bed in the House of Mr. Peterson" (according to Stone himself, he arrived at about 10:15 pm, but this can’t be true; Lieberman and Ford arrived earlier, possibly also Notson).
(11) Joseph K. Barnes (July 21, 1817 – April 5, 1883); M.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1838; 12th Surgeon General of the United States Army (1864–1882). Barnes arrived much later than Stone; he was first in attendance on Secretary Seward (until a few minutes after 11:00 pm). It’s unclear Barnes took charge over from Stone (discrepancies between Leale's two accounts as well as between the accounts of Taft and Leale).
(12) Charles H(enry) Crane (July 19, 1825 – October 10, 1883); M.D. ; Harvard, 1847, assistant to Dr. Barnes, medical inspector of prisoners-of-war (Crane was Surgeon General, U. S. Army, 1882-1883) and arrived with him; Col. Crane had charge of AL’s head "during a great part of the time”.
(13) Ezra (W.) Abbott (April 28, 1819 – March 21, 1884); M.D.; homeopathic physician of Concord, N.H. He made a detailed record, at generally five-minute intervals (from 11:00 pm to 7:20 am) of Lincoln's condition and some other events which took place during the last hours (not to be confused with the pulse and respiration table of Ford and King). He preserved a section of the sleeve from Lincoln’s coat, cut away in search of the fatal bullet wound. It was said that he was one of the men who carried the mortally wounded president from Ford’s Theatre.
(14) James Crowdhill Hall (1805 -1880 – in some accounts “Neal Hall” and J. C. Hall); M.D.; University of Pennsylvania, 1827; he was at AL’s deathbed for only a (very) short moment, but in his opinion AL’s true condition was that “the president was dead to all intents, although he might live three hours or perhaps longer".
(15) John F(rederick) May (May 19, 1812 – May 1, 1891); M.D., Columbian Medical College, 1834; Washington physician. Dr. May made a positive identification of the body of John Wilkes Booth, when a formal inquest was held aboard the U.S.S. Montauk, based upon the recognition of the scar made by his scalpel, when he removed two years earlier a fibroid tumor from the back of JWB’s neck. Reports say that he was a short moment at the bedside of AL. No further info is known.
(16) Lyman B(eecher) Todd (April 1832 – May 1902); M.D. , Jefferson Medical School, Philadelphia,1854. A (half) cousin (of Lexington, Ky.) and close friend of Mary Todd Lincoln. He was at the deathbed of President Lincoln, but there are no further details known.
(17) Ashbel Woodward (Jun. 26, 1804 - Dec. 20, 1885); M.D.; for many years president of Connecticut Medical Society; no further identification known. Immediately after the removal of Lincoln’s body (from Petersen’s House), Hermann Faber, a medical artist on duty at the Army Medical Museum, entered the room where the president had died and made a sketch, which he showed to Dr. Woodward who provided details of the position of those present at the time of Lincoln’s demise, so “a Dr. Woodward” was there. Drs. Woodward and Barnes approved the accuracy of Faber’s sketch, but was this Ashbel Woodward or Janvier Woodward, who, along with Dr. Edward Curtis, performed the autopsy on President Lincoln? Faber and Janvier Woodward were no strangers to each other …. However, there is no supporting evidence that Janvier Woodward was actually at AL’s bedside….
D: PHYSICIANS PRESENT AT LINCOLN’S AUTOPSY
(in addition to Barnes, Crane, Stone, Taft and Notson)
Nine men were present for the autopsy: Barnes, Crane, Stone, Taft, Notson, Gen. Rucker of the Army’s Quartermaster Dept., Lincoln’s friend Orville H. Browning and the doctors:
(18) J(oseph) Janvier Woodward (Oct 30, 1833 – Aug. 17, 1884); M.D.; University of Pennsylvania, 1853; Woodward performed -and wrote reports on- the autopsies of both Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth (he also attended to president Garfield after he was shot). Was one of the two doctors / pathologists who performed the autopsy, together with:
(19) Edward G(eorge) Curtis (Jun. 4, 1838 - Nov. 28, 1912); M.D.; College of Physicians and Surgeons,New York, 1864; Army Surgeon, 1863-1870. He was Woodward's assistant at the Army Medical Museum from 1864 to 1870. Aided Woodward at AL’s autopsy.
E. PHYSICIANS CERTAINLY NOT IN ATTENDANCE
(however still mentioned in some documentation)
(20) D(octor) Willard Bliss (Aug 18, 1825 – Feb 21, 1889); M.D.; Cleveland Medical College, 1849; commander of the Armory Square Hospital in 1865. From Dr. Charles A. Leale’s Report (1867) on the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: “I asked again to have the Surgeon General and Dr Stone sent for, also sent a special messenger for Surgeon D. W. Bliss then in command of Armory Square Hospital”. Dr. Bliss never attended Lincoln. Dr. Bliss was the M.D. who treated president James A. Garfield after his mortal wounding from a gunshot in July 1881 (now seen as a “mistreatment”).
(21) Anderson R(uffin) Abbott (Apr. 7, 1837 – Dec 29, 1913), M.D.; Toronto School of Medicine, 1861; first Canadian person of color to be licensed physician; participated in the CW as a civilian assistant surgeon (one of eight) in the Union army. Later, he acted as a civilian surgeon in several Washington, DC, hospitals that served Union forces. Became popular in Washington society, resulting in a “friendly relationship between him and the president”. Some claimed that he was at AL’s deathbed when he accompanied Elizabeth Keckley to the Petersen House. (true or untrue?) Anderson Abbott was never at AL’s bedside. People who say he was, have confused him with Dr. Ezra W. Abbott (see 13). Following Lincoln's assassination, Mary Todd Lincoln bestowed on Abbott the plaid shawl Lincoln wore to his first inauguration.
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - Jim Garrett - 09-07-2014 05:15 PM
Dr. Robert King Stone also served as the physician for Senator Jefferson Davis and family. He was known for having somewhat southern views. There is very little information about Dr. Stone. I could not find an obituary on him. Unusual for a man of his stature.
Dr. Charles Crane was from New York. His father served in a New York militia unit during the War of 1812 with Washington Irving. Charles Crane's father was Ichabod Crane.
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - Linda Anderson - 09-07-2014 05:47 PM
Ichabod Crane was, of course, the hapless school teacher in Washington Irving's story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." I was curious to see if Irving named his character after Crane and it seems that he did.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichabod_Crane_(Colonel)#Sleepy_Hollow
"In one of those odd twists of fate, Washington Irving and Ichabod B. Crane were both stationed at Fort Pike in Sackett Harbor during the War of 1812. At the time, Crane was a 27-year-old artillery captain in the Marines. He was far from the gangly schoolteacher Irving portrayed in his tale. Irving was an aide-de-camp to Gov. Daniel D. Tompkins of New York and in charge of overseeing Sackett Harbor's defenses against the British."
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/27/nyregion/soapbox-ichabod-crane-s-namesake-or-not.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%7B%221%22%3A%22RI%3A8%22%7D
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - L Verge - 09-07-2014 06:24 PM
Great minds think alike, Linda. I did the same thing when I read about Dr. Crane here. Inquiring minds want to know...
(09-07-2014 05:15 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote: Dr. Robert King Stone also served as the physician for Senator Jefferson Davis and family. He was known for having somewhat southern views. There is very little information about Dr. Stone. I could not find an obituary on him. Unusual for a man of his stature.
Dr. Charles Crane was from New York. His father served in a New York militia unit during the War of 1812 with Washington Irving. Charles Crane's father was Ichabod Crane.
Jim,
Regarding Dr. Stone, check here: http://lincolncottage.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/025_231.jpg
According to this source, Dr. Stone is buried in Rock Creek Church Cemetery near the Lincoln Cottage. He was first entombed in the Stone family mausoleum in Section A and then interred in a grave. There is a picture of the entrance to the mausoleum on this blog as well as a monument that lists Robert King Stone and Isabella Ritchie Stone - but, I don't think that was his wife's name, maybe his mother's?
Some of you may be familiar with the historian and Americana collector Raleigh DeGeer Amyx. As coincidence would have it, some of his collection is being auctioned off on September 17-18, 2014, in Boston. Dr. Stone's medical kit that he supposedly used with President Lincoln is among the items for sale. Details of auction are at RRAuction.com. Have fun...
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - Linda Anderson - 09-07-2014 07:19 PM
(09-07-2014 05:15 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote: Dr. Robert King Stone also served as the physician for Senator Jefferson Davis and family. He was known for having somewhat southern views. There is very little information about Dr. Stone. I could not find an obituary on him. Unusual for a man of his stature.
I found a death notice in the Dec 14, 1904 NYT for Margaret Ritchie Stone, widow of Robert King Stone, M.D. Her residence was 1345 F. St. Northwest, Washington, D.C.
The address for the Stone estate on the Application for Historic Landmark Designation is 1607 14th St. N. W. The Application says "Born 1822 in Washington, DC, Robert King Stone received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1845 and proceeded to inspect major hospitals in London, Paris, and Vienna, before starting his own medical practice in 1847. Dr. Stone served as President Abraham Lincoln’s family physician, attended the President after he was shot, and testified about Lincoln’s medical condition during the subsequent trial. By the time of Stone’s death from apoplexy on April 23, 1872, he had become one of the most prominent physicians in Washington, DC.iii His wife, Elizabeth J. Stone remained in residence at the house until her own death in 1892.iv
http://planning.dc.gov/DC/Planning/Planning%20Publication%20Files/OP/HP/Pending%20Landmarks/Westory%20Building.pdf
So are there two Robert King Stones, M.D.s, one married to Margaret Ritchie Stone and the other to Elizabeth J. Stone? Who is Isabella Ritchie Stone?
Laurie, regarding Ichabod Crane, the forum is a fascinating place because you never know what you will learn.
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - L Verge - 09-07-2014 07:42 PM
(09-07-2014 07:19 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:(09-07-2014 05:15 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote: Dr. Robert King Stone also served as the physician for Senator Jefferson Davis and family. He was known for having somewhat southern views. There is very little information about Dr. Stone. I could not find an obituary on him. Unusual for a man of his stature.
I found a death notice in the Dec 14, 1904 NYT for Margaret Ritchie Stone, widow of Robert King Stone, M.D. Her residence was 1345 F. St. Northwest, Washington, D.C.
The address on the for the Stone estate on the Application for Historic Landmark Designation is 1607 14th St. N. W. The Application says "Born 1822 in Washington, DC, Robert King Stone received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1845 and proceeded to inspect major hospitals in London, Paris, and Vienna, before starting his own medical practice in 1847. Dr. Stone served as President Abraham Lincoln’s family physician, attended the President after he was shot, and testified about Lincoln’s medical condition during the subsequent trial. By the time of Stone’s death from apoplexy on April 23, 1872, he had become one of the most prominent physicians in Washington, DC.iii His wife, Elizabeth J. Stone remained in residence at the house until her own death in 1892.iv
http://planning.dc.gov/DC/Planning/Planning%20Publication%20Files/OP/HP/Pending%20Landmarks/Westory%20Building.pdf
So are there two Robert King Stones, M.D.s, one married to Margaret Ritchie Stone and the other to Elizabeth J. Stone? Who is Isabella Ritchie Stone?
Laurie, regarding Ichabod Crane, the forum is a fascinating place because you never know what you will learn.
Could Isabella be a daughter? I also found reference to Mrs. Stone being in Richmond during the war and Dr. Stone requesting permission from Lincoln to have supplies sent to her via a representative. Another possible clue - Ritchie was a prominent Maryland name in the 19th century. Perhaps Mrs. Stone came from that nearby clan??
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - LincolnToddFan - 09-08-2014 12:30 AM
[Nine men were present for the autopsy: Barnes, Crane, Stone, Taft, Notson, Gen. Rucker of the Army’s Quartermaster Dept., Lincoln’s friend Orville H. Browning and the doctors]// quote
kees, that is an EXHAUSTIVE amount of research and typing...thanks! I know that there were military as well as civilian observers to AL's autopsy, but I am a little startled that Orville Browning agreed to observe. He and Lincoln were good friends going way back to the Springfield years. I don't know how Browning was able to sit and watch his friend the president be sawed open and mutilated like that!
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - RJNorton - 09-08-2014 04:20 AM
Kees, your research is amazing!! I compared your list to the list in the Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia. The encyclopedia includes a Dr. William Henry Ford. Have you ever come across that name in your research? You have a Charles Mason Ford in your list, so perhaps this is just a typo in the encyclopedia.
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - Eva Elisabeth - 09-08-2014 04:35 AM
I agree - amazing research, and very interesting!!! Thanks for sharing!
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - loetar44 - 09-08-2014 05:48 AM
(09-08-2014 04:20 AM)RJNorton Wrote: Kees, your research is amazing!! I compared your list to the list in the Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia. The encyclopedia includes a Dr. William Henry Ford. Have you ever come across that name in your research? You have a Charles Mason Ford in your list, so perhaps this is just a typo in the encyclopedia.
Roger, just as hammering one nail doesn’t make one a carpenter, so the old joke goes, neither does making one list qualify one as a scholar, so who am I to consider my list as the most complete and only correct list and who am I to doubt the findings of Steers. In my opinion Steers is the foremost scholar of the assassination, but I never came across a Dr. William Henry Ford, except in the Lincoln Lore #627, April 14, 1941, providing the following list:
[attachment=910]
In my opinion they confused him with Dr. Charles M. Ford, like Ezra W. Abbott was confused with Anderson R. Abbott. In the Lincoln Lore list you also see Dr. Ashbel Woodward, but I still think he could be mixed up with pathologist J. Janvier Woodward. Do you know what Steers is saying about the two Woodwards in his Encyclopedia? Was Ashbel indeed at AL's bedside? Does anyone else know?
Thank you LiToFa, Roger and Eva for your kind words! Very much appreciated.
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - RJNorton - 09-08-2014 06:02 AM
Kees, Dr. Steers' list only includes Joseph Janvier Woodward. I did find a Dr. William Henry Ford here but no mention on that page of his being at the Petersen House.
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - loetar44 - 09-08-2014 09:50 AM
(09-08-2014 06:02 AM)RJNorton Wrote: Kees, Dr. Steers' list only includes Joseph Janvier Woodward. I did find a Dr. William Henry Ford here but no mention on that page of his being at the Petersen House.
If this is "the" Dr. William Henry Ford, as I suspect he was probably not practicing in Washington, D.C. in April 1865, cause the bio says: "He studied in Europe in 1865'8, .... "
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - RJNorton - 09-08-2014 09:54 AM
(09-08-2014 09:50 AM)loetar44 Wrote:(09-08-2014 06:02 AM)RJNorton Wrote: Kees, Dr. Steers' list only includes Joseph Janvier Woodward. I did find a Dr. William Henry Ford here but no mention on that page of his being at the Petersen House.
If this is "the" Dr. William Henry Ford, as I suspect he was probably not practicing in Washington, D.C. in April 1865, cause the bio says: "He studied in Europe in 1865'8, .... "
Plus he is not listed in Reck's book as having been there. IMO his presence at the Petersen House is doubtful.
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - loetar44 - 09-08-2014 10:41 AM
(09-08-2014 09:54 AM)RJNorton Wrote:(09-08-2014 09:50 AM)loetar44 Wrote:(09-08-2014 06:02 AM)RJNorton Wrote: Kees, Dr. Steers' list only includes Joseph Janvier Woodward. I did find a Dr. William Henry Ford here but no mention on that page of his being at the Petersen House.
If this is "the" Dr. William Henry Ford, as I suspect he was probably not practicing in Washington, D.C. in April 1865, cause the bio says: "He studied in Europe in 1865'8, .... "
Plus he is not listed in Reck's book as having been there. IMO his presence at the Petersen House is doubtful.
Roger, is Ashbel Woodward listed in Reck's book? Just curious. My copy of Reck's book will arive Oct 15 ...... urchhhh ....
RE: doctors at lincoln's bedside - RJNorton - 09-08-2014 11:26 AM
Kees, there is no mention of Ashbel Woodward in Reck's book. Also, there is no mention of Joseph Janvier Woodward at the deathbed.
In the December 2003 edition of Fred Hatch's Journal of the Lincoln Assassination the author includes Dr. Ashbel Woodward (1804-1885) in the list of attending doctors. Fred writes that Dr. Ashbel Woodward "was born in Wellington, Connecticut, and graduated from Bowdoin College medical department in 1829. He received an honorary M.D. from Yale in 1854. Volunteering to serve in the war, he served in the 26th army corps."