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Civil War Vaccinations?

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  • #1

    Civil War Vaccinations?

    Gents-

    Didn't find this topic in the search area so here goes...

    While doing some genealogical research I came across a list of Civil War pensioners for Greenwood County, Kansas dated 1884. Anyway while scanning the list of veterans and the reason for them being on the pension roll I came across something I have not seen before.

    A soldier(veteran) was listed as having an "injury to left arm from vaccine" $ 18.00

    Could this be taken to mean this soldier was given a vaccination during the war? Did the armies vaccinate the soldiers during the Civil War and if so against what?

    As a another matter of interest of the 50 or so veterans on the list only two had higher pensions than this man. They both had g.s.w. and amputations and their pension was at $ 24.00.
    Last edited by Cumpston1862; 04-24-2013, 12:00 PM. Reason: being redundant...again!
    Louis Zenti

    Pvt. Albert R. Cumpston (Company B, 12th Illinois Vol. Inf.-W.I.A. February 15, 1862)
    Pvt. William H. Cumpston (Company B, 12th Illinois Vol. Inf.-K.I.A. February 15, 1862 Ft. Donelson)
    Pvt. Simon Sams (Co. C, 18th Iowa Inf.-K.I.A. January 8, 1863 Springfield, MO)
    Pvt. Elisha Cox (Co. C, 26th North Carolina Inf.-W.I.A. July 3, 1863 Gettysburg)

    "...in the hottest of the fight, some of the rebs yelled out...them must be Iowa boys". Charles O. Musser 29th Iowa Infantry
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  • #2
    Re: Civil War Vaccinations?

    Vaccinations for smallpox were common in both armies during the war.
    Bill Backus

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    • #3
      Re: Civil War Vaccinations?

      And I've a copy of a letter where the soldier is sending his scabs so the children can be vaccinated.
      Terre Hood Biederman
      Yassir, I used to be Mrs. Lawson. I still run period dyepots, knit stuff, and cause trouble.
      sigpic
      Wearing Grossly Out of Fashion Clothing Since 1958.

      ADVENTURE CALLS. Can you hear it? Come ON.

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      • #4
        Re: Civil War Vaccinations?

        I have been looking into this more the last 24 hours and Mr. Backus is correct. Small Pox was very often treated by both sides during the war. The Confederate Army made a huge effort to vaccinate its soldiers after the Battle of Sharpsburg when many of its men developed small pox at that time. From what I have found thus far it appears to have been done more on a as needed basis rather than a blanket effort from what I have seen.

        And the usual method of vaccination was taking the scabs of a person already in the later stages of small pox and cutting the skin of a healthy person open to insert them. A soldier wanting to immunize has children against small pox would be inclined to send his scabs home to his children as Mrs. Lawson mentioned. A very interesting tidbit...Thank you Madam!

        The method of cutting the skin to insert a scab especially in the conditions in which it was done brings to mind all sorts of potential for problems. Further reading on the matter revealed many soldiers dying from being vaccinated and or getting horrible infections. The soldier I came across on the pension record was obviously one that suffered from this method and had severe adverse affects.
        Louis Zenti

        Pvt. Albert R. Cumpston (Company B, 12th Illinois Vol. Inf.-W.I.A. February 15, 1862)
        Pvt. William H. Cumpston (Company B, 12th Illinois Vol. Inf.-K.I.A. February 15, 1862 Ft. Donelson)
        Pvt. Simon Sams (Co. C, 18th Iowa Inf.-K.I.A. January 8, 1863 Springfield, MO)
        Pvt. Elisha Cox (Co. C, 26th North Carolina Inf.-W.I.A. July 3, 1863 Gettysburg)

        "...in the hottest of the fight, some of the rebs yelled out...them must be Iowa boys". Charles O. Musser 29th Iowa Infantry

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Civil War Vaccinations?

          If you would like the agonizing details on how this was done (including soldiers accidentally "vaccinating" against smallpox using "great-pox" scabs (aka stage I syphilis chancres) please consult

          Death Is In The Breeze: Disease During the American Civil War, by Dr. Bonnie Brice Dowart, M.D. NMCWM Press, Frederick, MD, 2009. pp. 136-138. ISBN 0-9712233-6-X.

          You will read read the history of smallpox prophylaxis from 1731 to 1865 in three pages, in plain English.

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