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APPENDIX GHOSPITALS SERVINGWASHINGTON'S ARMY
In the period covered by Chapter 4, a large numberof hospitals served General Washington's army. Among those notdiscussed in the text are the following:1
Buckingham Meeting House, Pennsylvania.On 15 November 1777, General Washington ordered the sick of his army tobe sent here, but on 18 November the government of the state of Pennsylvaniaapparently ordered that no more sick be sent to that town. As of 24 November,the Buckingham unit contained 259 patients, 10 of these being wounded andanother 10convalescent. This unit was among those closed after the British occupationof Philadelphia.
French Creek, Pennsylvania. The hospitalhere was established in the winter of 1777-78 in the Lutheran Zion andGermanReformed churches as well as in the parsonage they shared a few miles northof Yellow Springs. Ill will was stirred up by thearbitrary manner in which the buildings were requisitioned, but when hearrived at nearby Yellow Springs, Dr. Bodo Otto wasable to smooth the matter over. The facility was still in operation inthe spring of 1778, and the various components, one ofwhich held more than 60 patients and another almost 100, were describedat that time as "clean" and "airy."2
Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This facilityseems to have been established sometime in the fall of 1777 and was thefinaldestination of Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne's wounded after the Paoli engagement.On 11 October 1777, the unit held 59patients. It was apparently suffering the effects of overcrowding in lateJanuary and by early February was said to be caring foras many as 400 to 500 patients. On 26 April 1778, Brig. Gen. Lachlan McIntoshreported that 203 patients were in thehospital there, 98 had died or deserted, and 340 had been discharged since1 January 1778. He added to his report the factthat among the latter there may have been some of the patients sent toLancaster from Lititz.3
Limerick, Pennsylvania. A letter of Dr.Benjamin Rush to John Adams of 13 October 1777 mentions a hospital locatedhere,26 miles from Philadelphia, on the road to Reading.4
Manheim, Pennsylvania. A Manheim churchwas apparently used as a hospital and at least some medical supplies werestored in the town until March, when Shippen ordered them to be moved toYellow Springs. Shippen reported 62 patients inthis hospital on 24 November 1777, of whom 17 were sick, 5 wounded, and40 convalescent.5
North Wales, Pennsylvania. Mention is madein at least one contemporary account of a hospital established in a Quakermeeting house on the North Wales road. Shippen reported on 24 November1777 that there were in this unit 100 sick and 59convalescents.6
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. William ShainlineMiddleton, in his article "Medicine at Valley Forge," mentionsa hospitallocated in a German Reformed church near Phoenixville in the spring of1778.7
Plumstead (Plumsteadville), Pennsylvania.A report dated 10 December 1777 lists a hospital here which admitted 40patients at the end of November, of whom by 10 December 2 had died and10 had been discharged, leaving 28 remaining. On19 December 1777, the patients remaining here were removed by General Washington'sorders, escorted by a surgeon, toLititz.8
Red Lion (Red Lyon, Lionville), Pennsylvania.The Uwchlan Quaker Meeting House here was taken over by force to beused as a hospital in the winter of 1778. A hospital was still in existenceat Red Lion in June 1778 and was sheltering 127patients as of 14 June 1778.9
Reamstown (Rheimstown), Pennsylvania. Thisunit was opened in December 1777 and closed on 17 March 1778. From 21 Januaryto 17 March, 19 Reamstown patients either died or deserted.10
Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. This unitmust have been established at essentially the same time as those at Ephrataand theother towns in the same general area. General McIntosh's report on Schaefferstowncovers the period 1 January 1778 to 19April 1778 and lists 76 patients remaining as of the latter date, 7 havingdied or deserted in the period and 103 returned toduty.11
Warwick (Warrick), Pennsylvania. At least
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some of the patients at this hospital were locatedin a Lutheran church, but General McIntosh's report of 26 April speaksof"Three Churches, Warwick." The unit was closed 7 April 1778 andits remaining two patients went to Manheim. Of the mencared for here, 41 were reported dead or deserted, 142 returned to camp.12
York(town), Pennsylvania. Although in lateMarch the hospital here was reported as sheltering few patients, GeneralMcIntosh reported 23 still in this facility as of 27 April 1778 and thejournal of the Rev. Dr. James Sproat implies that thisfacility was still open on 9 June 1778.13
Black River, New Jersey. A hospital existedhere for at least part of the spring and summer of 1777. In June, GeneralWashington urged the replacement of the male nurses here by women, althoughthere is no record of whether this was actuallydone.14
Mendham, New Jersey. A hospital existedhere in a barn and a church near General Washington's army at Morristownfor atleast several months of the winter and spring of 1778. As in the case ofBlack River, New Jersey, General Washington wishedthe male nurses here to be replaced by women.15
Red Bank, New Jersey. Dr. Benjamin Rushwas assigned the task of opening a hospital here to care for the woundedof theDelaware River forts in November 1777. It is unlikely, however, that hewas able to progress far with his task, because FortMifflin, across the river from Fort Mercer, was abandoned by the Americansthe night of 15-16 November and Fort Mercerfive days later.16
