A Medical Department

The Confederate Army Medical Department was created February 26^th 1861 by the provisional government.

The Confederacy moved faster than the Union in establishing a medical corps.  The Confederate Medical Department was created within the structure of the army on February 26^th 1861.  Confederate President Jefferson Davis appointed David C DeLeon as the Surgeon General.  There was an error in the military regulation, which omitted the section for creating medical officers.  Many of the physicians who enlisted in the service did so as privates and were used as regimental surgeons.

DeLeon had a staff of 25, and they created the armies medical standards.  They developed field service shortly after the Battle of First Manassas.  The early field hospitals couldn’t handle the amount of wounded, and many had to be sent to southern cities for care.  Davis replaced Deleon with Samuel Preston Moore, who had more experience in medical administration.  He started by reviewing and replacing none qualified surgeons.  In August 1861 the Confederacy began building their own hospitals, and by 1862 they were providing regiments with medical supplies including surgical instruments and medicines.

If you’re interested in reading more about the Confederate Medical Department this is a good web site.