Blog Post: “A sadder if not a wiser man”: Transcribing the diary of a Civil War surgeon

Grade Range: 8-12
Resource Type(s): Reference Materials
Duration: 5 minutes
Date Posted: 9/5/2013

In this post, readers will explore the writings of an assistant surgeon in the 150th Pennsylvania infantry during the Civil War, M.A. Henderson.  Although Henderson did not see much action and describes little of his medical duties, his diary is a resource for understanding the Civil War through the pen of an ordinary American. Written by Greg Waters, an intern in the Paper Conservation Lab, this post is published on the Museum's "O Say Can You See?" blog.