Surgeon in Blue: Jonathan Letterman, the Civil War Doctor Who Pioneered Battlefield Care

2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the deadliest battle ever fought on American soil. At Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, over the course of three days in July 1863, both sides combined tallied nearly 50,000 casualties. But bloodshed isn’t the focus of this stirring tale. Instead, McGaugh (Battlefield Angels) focuses on Civil War surgeon Jonathan Letterman’s radical efforts to staunch the bleeding at Gettysburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. Union commander George McClellan called Letterman “the man for the occasion,” and McGaugh’s engrossing narrative bears this out. The innovative doctor devised an unheard-of approach to battlefield care that stressed organization and accountability, immediate evacuation for the injured, a healthy diet for convalescing soldiers, hygiene, and sharpening the skills and leadership of the medical corps in the heat of battle. In just 18 months, Letterman revolutionized battlefield medical care to cope with a new age of mass-casualty combat, and the legacy of the so-called “Letterman System” continues to inform battlefield care. In addition to being an incisive portrait of the great doctor and leader, McGaugh’s history is a testament to the brave men to whom Letterman dedicated his life. 30 b&w photos. Agent: Scott Mendel, Mendel Media Group LLC. (July)