Health and Medicine at MSU Archives & Historical Collections: Medical Care

Israel G. Atkins papers (c00228), 1862-1865

• 2 folders
• Israel Atkins enlisted in the 23rd Michigan Infantry in 1862 at age 16. He spent much of 1862 and 1863 ill in army hospitals, trying to get a discharge. His health later improved, and he was able to join his regiment in the western campaigns.
• This collection consists of Civil War letters from Israel G. Atkins to his parents in Perry, Michigan. The letters chronicle his experiences in army hospitals, in camp, and battles, including the siege of Atlanta.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1358

Henry A. Goodale recollection (c00565), undated

• 1 folder
• "From Murfreesboro to Chickamauga and Libby Prison" is a photocopy of a document which was made from an original dictation for Dr. Harry Goodale's experience as a surgeon in the Civil War. Goodale served in the 21st Michigan Infantry. The events he described occurred between June 24, 1863 and November 24, 1863. The account tells of his experience in the battles of Murfreesboro and Chickamauga; how he helped wounded soldiers on and off the battlefield; and his time as a prisoner in and release from Libby Prison.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1696

Hall and Wilcox families papers (00001), 1795-1911

• .66 cu. ft., 9 vols.
• This collection contains letters, legal documents, account books, bank books, school exercises and journals of the Hall and Wilcox families. Documents originate in Canaan and Columbia Counties of New York; Connecticut; Ohio; Wisconsin; Michigan; and various western locations. Materials deal primarily with personal matters, agriculture, health, social life, and the westward movement. There are several letters concerning Civil War conditions on the front and in hospitals, one which comments on land speculation in Michigan, and one with a personal view of the Colorado Gold Rush. Also included is a printed circular of the Franklin County (Kansas) Immigration Society, including a map showing railroad connections.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/778

James S. Hannum manuscript (c00561), 2004

• 1 folder
• Manuscript entitled "Michigan Bridget: Discovering the Truth Behind the Legend" by James S. Hannum. The manuscript is about Bridget Deavers, a camp follower with the First Michigan Cavalry who acted as a field nurse for the troops. The manuscript investigates her origins, the role she played in the war, and what she did after the war. The manuscript primarily focuses on the years 1862-1867. Also included in the manuscript is a bibliography.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1692

Augustus Holmes papers (c00108), 1862-1865

• 1 folder
• This collection consists of Civil War letters written by Augustus Holmes of the 6th Michigan Cavalry. Holmes describes his experiences on guard duty, on scouts and raids into Virginia, and in army hospitals. There are frequent references to his brother Edwin and stepbrothers Frank and Alvah Marsh, also in the army. Augustus Holmes enlisted in the 6th Michigan Cavalry in 1862. He spent several months on guard duty in Washington, D.C., before his regiment saw active service. Holmes was wounded in the battle of the Wilderness in May 1864, and the wound kept him in army hospitals for the remainder of the war.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1305

Edwin Holmes papers (c00109), 1862-1864

• 1 folder
• Edwin Holmes served with the 10th Michigan Infantry during the Civil War. He was stationed primarily in Tennessee.
• This collection contains Edwin Holmes' Civil War letters to family and friends. They are primarily concerned with his health and with family matters. There are frequent references to his brother Augustus and stepbrother Alvah Marsh. Also included are several letters from his stepbrother Frank Marsh, describing his work in an army hospital in Detroit.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1306

Alvah Marsh papers (c00110), 1862-1864

• 1 folder
• Alvah Marsh served with the 7th Michigan Infantry, primarily in Virginia. He was wounded in November 1863, and spent the following months in various army hospitals, first as a patient and later as a nurse. He apparently received a medical discharge in 1864.
• This collection consists of Civil War letters from Alvah Marsh describing his experiences, especially in army hospitals. He refers frequently to his brother, Frank, and stepbrothers, Augustus and Edwin Holmes, who were also serving in the army.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1307

Marsh family papers (c00047), 1833-1887

• 7 folders
• A soldier in the 8th Michigan Infantry during the Civil War, Benjamin Marsh served in the eastern and western theaters. He fought in the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg and Vicksburg, as well as in skirmishes in Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
• This collection contains the Civil War letters of Benjamin F. Marsh to his family in Fentonville, Michigan, while serving in the 8th Michigan Infantry. The letters describe Marsh's army experiences on the march, in camp, in battle, on provost duty, and in army hospitals as both nurse and patient. Also included are letters (1872-1887) between Marsh and his wife, largely concerned with family matters, written while he was engaged in various railroad building and repair projects in the Flint-Detroit area of Michigan.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1244

Mildred C. Nelson papers (c00390), 1914-1979

• 8 items
• Mildred Nelson (Nee Nuechterlein), a 1915 graduate of the University of Michigan, taught high school German in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She died in 1980.
• This collection contains six letters and two examination booklets of Mildred C. Nelson. The letters provide insight into the concerns and problems faced by the elderly in the 1970s: illness, injury, mobility, finances, and social interaction. The examination books synopsize and analyze two unidentified German literary works.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1524

Scofield family papers (c00134), 1853-1920

• 5 folders
• This collection consists primarily of correspondence relating to Grace Scofield Bridger and her husband Lewis Bridger, dealing with family matters. It includes letters from other members of the Scofield family, many of whom lived in Ingham County, Michigan. These include the Civil War letters of Guy Scofield, Grace's brother, who served with Company H of the 23rd Michigan Infantry. His letters describe army life, his experiences on duty in Kentucky, and his concern with his health (he apparently received a medical discharge in 1863). Other letters in the collection discuss agriculture in Michigan, Wisconsin and Kansas. Also included in the collection are a teaching license and contract for Grace Scofield (1857); a medical report for Guy Scofield's army discharge (1863); several poems; an obituary for Lewis Bridger; and a partial copy of the will of Dr. Harman A. Atkins, a prominent physician and ornithologist in Ingham County, who was related to the Scofields.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/927

Smith and Carpenter families papers (c00301), 1864-1913

• 5 folders
• This collection contains four Civil War letters and a small diary of Josiah B. Smith written during his term as bugler in the 8th Michigan Cavalry in Tennessee and Kentucky. In this diary, Josiah writes about daily life in the camp and his health. The formal statement of his enlistment and discharge issued in 1890 is also contained in the collection. Also included are receipts for taxes on land in Newaygo County, Michigan, belonging to John, Myron, and Romanda Carpenter, who were early settlers in the area.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1431

Rawson Smith family papers (c00072), 1850-1892

• 4 folders
• The Rawson Smith Family Papers contain correspondence between family members in New York and Michigan, discussing agricultural conditions, market prices, and politics. They also contain documents including insurance policies, deeds, and mortgages. In addition, the collection contains Civil War letters from Alfred J. Smith to his parents. Smith enlisted in the 78th New York Infantry but spent much of the war in army hospitals with various illnesses. After the war, he moved to Michigan. Letters to his parents describe the new capitol building in Lansing and a visit to the state legislature (1872-1879).
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1268

A. J. Thompson papers (UA 10.3.88), 1858

• 1 folder
• J. Thompson, of Howell, Michigan, attended Michigan Agricultural College during the 1858-1859 academic years. He apparently did not complete the requirements for graduation.
• Papers of A. J. Thompson consist of one letter to his cousin describing the crops at Michigan Agricultural College and the treatment of his malaria with quinine.
• Finding aid to the collection: https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1793