The Surgeon's Battle: How Medicine Won the Vicksburg Campaign and Changed the Civil War

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Lindsay Rae Smith Privette

The Surgeon's Battle

How Medicine Won the Vicksburg Campaign and Changed the Civil War

Lindsay Rae Smith Privette

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English

The University of North Carolina Press
02 September 2025

History of the Americas; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; Military history; Illness & addiction: social aspects

Series: Civil War America

Between May

and May 22,

8 3, Union soldiers marched nearly 2

miles through the hot, humid countryside to assault and capture the fortified city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Upon its arrival, the army laid siege to the city for a grueling forty-seven days. Disease and combat casualties threatened to undermine the army's fighting strength, leaving medical officers to grapple with the battlefield conditions necessary to sustain soldiers' bodies. Medical innovations were vital to the Union victory. When Vicksburg fell on July 4, triumph would have been fleeting if not for the US Army Medical Department and its personnel.

By centering soldiers' health and medical care in the Union army's fight to take Vicksburg, Lindsay Rae Smith Privette offers a fresh perspective on the environmental threats, logistical challenges, and interpersonal conflicts that shaped the campaign and siege. In doing so, Privette shines new light on the development of the army's medical systems as officers learned to adapt to their circumstances and prove themselves responsible stewards of soldiers' bodies.

By: Lindsay Rae Smith Privette
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Country of Publication: United States [Currently unable to ship to USA: see Shipping Info]
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 25mm, Spine: 155mm
ISBN: 9781469690278
ISBN 10: 1469690276
Series: Civil War America
Pages: 232
Publication Date: 02 September 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Lindsay Rae Smith Privette is associate professor of history at Anderson University.

Reviews for The Surgeon's Battle: How Medicine Won the Vicksburg Campaign and Changed the Civil War

""This excellent book integrates medical history with environmental history, soldier studies, and military history. . . . Based on a wide range of military correspondence, surgeons' reports, and other records, this concise book will fascinate and educate readers interested in the U.S. Civil War and medical history.""--Library Journal, STARRED review