Gangrene and Glory (review)

Abstract

The Civil War was a defining moment in the history of the United States. The war established that the nation would not be a collection of individual states but rather these United States. The cost was high. For its time and place, the Civil War was comparable in duration, destruction, and casualties to the world wars of the 20th century. With a population of 21,000,000, the North suffered about 630,000 casualties, of whom 360,000 died. For the South, with a population of 9,000,000 (only 5,500,000 white), comparable figures were 483,000 and 258,000. In any conflict of this scope, medical services are a critical even if relatively little discussed aspect of the conflict. Frank R. Freemon's Gangrene and Glory is an attempt to document the medical services in both the Union and Confederate armies. The "coffee table" format of the book, with ample illustrations, could increase its general interest.