Medical Care of American Pows During the War of 1812

Canadian Military History Volume 17 Issue 1 Article 5 2008 Medical Care of American POWs during the War of 1812 Gareth A. Newfield Canadian War Museum, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Newfield, Gareth A. "Medical Care of American POWs during the War of 1812." Canadian Military History 17, 1 (2008) This Canadian War Museum is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Newfield: Medical Care of POWs Medical Care of American POWs during the War of 1812 Gareth A. Newfield n 2005, a service in Halifax upkeep was difficult, rendering medical Icommemorated US soldiers and care often chaotic. British medical sailors who perished in Britain’s Melville officers none the less cared for captives Island prisoner-of-war camp during adequately and comparably to the way the War of 1812 and whose remains they assisted their own forces. now lie on Deadman’s Island, a nearby peninsula. The service culminated Organization nearly a decade of debate, in which local Processing the Sick and history enthusiasts, the Canadian and Wounded American media, and Canadian and US politicians rescued the property ew formal conventions dealt with the from developers. The media in particular had Ftreatment of prisoners of war during highlighted the prisoners’ struggles with disease the period. While it was common for combatant and death, often citing the sombre memoirs of nations to agree upon temporary conventions survivors.1 Curiously, Canadian investigators once hostilities commenced, generally it was relied largely upon American accounts and did quasi-chivalric sentiments, notions of Christian little research on efforts at amelioration from the conduct, and a sense of humanitarian obligation British perspective. that moderated treatment of prisoners, allowing, for example, parole for officers and sometimes for Coverage has emphasized British cruelty, enlisted personnel and care for sick and wounded citing accounts of internees such as that edited by soldiers. Therein, most nations had basic Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse (an American medical guidelines for medical treatment, but practice officer) and American deaths at the hands of depended very much on available resources and guards at Dartmoor Prison in England during a the host country’s attitudes. British military policy riot in April 1815,2 while ignoring more positive provided for such treatment, which in North elements, such as medical care. America was nominally similar to that elsewhere, but pragmatism and local circumstances shaped This article explores British medical care the structure of care both in combat and in for American prisoners of war in terms of internment. organization, delivery, treatments and results, and US observations on the matter. In fact, Most prisoners coming in touch with British British medical authorities addressed problems medical authorities had sustained combat wounds in the custody system and provided humane and that needed immediate attention. Generally, compassionate medical care. Army Medical Department or regimental doctors performed these duties on land, while Royal In the absence of international codes for the Navy and Provincial Marine medical officers did treatment of prisoners and substantial provision so afloat. Memoirs and letters from the conflict for handling thousands of prisoners of war, document British medics treating captured © Canadian Military History, Volume 17, Number 1, Winter 2008, pp.49-62. 49 Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2008 1 Newfield - Medical Care of US POWs.indd 49 14/02/2008 12:58:10 PM Canadian Military History, Vol. 17 [2008], Iss. 1, Art. 5 Courtesy Parks Canada “Visite des malades” by Eugène Lelièpvre A British ofﬁcer inspecting the sick in hospital, 1813. British and American ofﬁcers appointed as agents at internment facilities monitored the health of American prisoners and arranged for medical treatment. Americans. Assistant Surgeon William “Tiger” the only medical officer on the Island I had my Dunlop of the British 89th Regiment wrote about hands full for half an hour on their arrival.4 doing so at the siege of Fort Erie in 1814: Measures such as long-term hospitalization, After the action was over, and it was drawing re-dressing of wounds, and surgery following towards dusk, I rapidly traversed the ground, complications took place later. If casualties and finding only a few of the enemy, I ordered overwhelmed medical services, the British them to be carried to the hospital, but I preceded them to make preparations for their reception. could parole and repatriate enemy casualties When nearing the Camp, I found a party of the for treatment, as they did after the Battle of band of our Regiment carrying an American Queenston Heights.5 In January 1814, Assistant officer mortally wounded…I ordered them to lay Surgeon Alexander Ogilvie of the Royal Artillery him down, and set myself to dress his wound.3 advocated this for two officers captured at Fort Niagara: “Lt. Balch is in a very bad state of health Assistant Surgeon William Robertson of the 49th from the wound he received which is [illegible] did likewise at Isle aux Noix, after the defeat of and that he will lose the use of his arm in American gunboats on Lake Champlain in June consequence. I found Lieut. Baldridge confined to 1813: his bed with nervous fever and understood from the garrison surgeon that he has been confined There were ten wounded & one killed of the Americans only two of our men wounded being for several months previous, he still continues in a very bad state of health.”6 50 https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol17/iss1/5 2 Newfield - Medical Care of US POWs.indd 50 14/02/2008 12:58:11 PM Newfield: Medical Care of POWs If circumstances forbade such an exchange, built a prisoner-of-war camp at Melville Island authorities forwarded patients to detention in 1803 to house French prisoners captured in facilities at Quebec and at Halifax to complete North American waters, and the facility remained their convalescence and await their ultimate fate. operational in 1812. Captain Kempt (Royal When prisoners were interned, medical treatment Navy agent for prisoners at Quebec) wrote to Sir officially became the responsibility of the Royal George Prevost’s staff in June 1813: “Halifax is Navy; its Transport Board superintended delivery an old and well established depot where every of troops and materiel to British forces around necessary store has been sent from England, and the globe and also interned and maintained a medical officer appointed by the board.”10 prisoners, having in 1796 taken over the latter tasks from the Admiralty’s Sick and Hurt Board, In response to complaints about conditions which had sustained charges of neglecting at Melville Island, Lieutenant William Miller, prisoners. the Royal Navy’s prisoner agent at Halifax admonished prisoners by reminding them of the The Transport Board employed a naval availability of medical care: “There is a surgeon officer as agent for prisoners at each internment here for you if you are sick, and physic for you to facility, and he supervised their welfare and take if you are sick, and a hospital to go to into the administration. An American officer or diplomat bargain … and if you are not satisfied with this, was also appointed by either the Transport you may die and be d---d.”11 Although supplies Board or the American government (depending and infrastructure were apparently adequate, on circumstances) as the U.S. agent to liaise with British authorities and arrange medical treatment when necessary. The Transport Board’s policy regarding sick prisoners was as follows: “Sick prisoners have the option of going to the Hospitals at the regular [i.e. British military] depots for Medical or Surgical Treatment.”7 It also defined standards of medical care and emphasized that “Sick Prisoners in confinement are treated in every respect the same as Sick Seamen of the Royal Navy.”8 Archives of Ontario, S.17142 Although the general process of medical care for prisoners of war seemed straightforward, in British North America conditions made it very complex. A System in Crisis roblems within the prisoner-of-war system Pand medical departments caused confusion and inefficiency and hampered the efforts of British medical officers. West of Halifax, increasingly makeshift arrangements emerged for internment and long-term care. The key problem was control by the Transport Board, which concentrated on its supply duties.9 Most of British North America’s infrastructure for prisoners of war was in Halifax, the Royal Navy’s primary base on this continent. The navy had Assistant Surgeon William “Tiger” Dunlop, 89th Regiment. Dunlop treated wounded Americans following several engagements in Upper Canada. 51 Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2008 3 Newfield - Medical Care of US POWs.indd 51 14/02/2008 12:58:11 PM Canadian Military History, Vol. 17 [2008], Iss. 1, Art. 5 History Collection, Nova Scotia Museum “Melville Island from the North East” by J.E. Woolford, 1817. The prisoners’ hospital is in this view to the left of and partly obscured by the hill upon which the commandant’s quarters sits. rivalry between physicians occasionally caused Hospital Establishment can be formed by an difficulties. In 1814 Surgeon Rowlands (chief of order from home.”14 the naval hospital at the Halifax dockyard, whom some called a drunken bully) arranged for the Yet the army’s medical establishment could dismissal of the competent and well-respected do little to assist. In Lower Canada, it was short Surgeon Hume, who had served at Melville Island of medical staff. Writing from Isle aux Noix in for more than a decade.12 1813, Assistant Surgeon Robertson complained: “All winter I had charge of a General Hospital at Still, the Transport Board had failed to St Johns [St.

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