Main description:

Of the 192 Union military hospitals during the Civil War, 19 circulated self-published newspapers. Editorial policies ranged from defanging copperhead Democrats to providing a record of soldiers' experiences. The horrors of wound infection and amputation were reported in the words of surgeons, medical students, nurses and patients. Those who experienced the war wrote about it in simple narrative, providing insight into wartime health care and a broader understanding of their sacrifices.

Convalescent life was painful and terrifying. Surviving fever or bed-ridden for months with festering wounds, disabled veterans wondered who would respond to their needs. Who would hire them? Who would marry them? Relationships with sweethearts, wives and mothers, blacks, Irish and Confederates were frequent subjects. This book covers the founding and development of nine hospital newspapers, each explored by subject matter: patriotism, politics, religion, satire, romance and marriage, battlefield experience and treatment of prisoners of war.