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Union Surgeon William Githens Describes The Splendor Of Washington At The Conclusion Of The Civil Wa

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Union Surgeon William Githens Describes The Splendor Of Washington At The Conclusion Of The Civil Wa
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[CIVIL WAR SURGEON LETTER] WILLIAM HARRISON GITHENS (1827-1904) Surgeon in the Union army during the American Civil War. At the outset of the war, Githens enlisted as an Orderly Sergeant in the 16th Illinois Infantry. During this enlistment, he was stationed in Missouri, Tennessee and Pennsylvania and saw very little action. Following his re-enlistment in 1863, Githens was promoted to Assistant Surgeon and served with the 78th Regiment, Illinois Volunteers. As a member of the 14th Army Corp . during this second enlistment, he was very active, serving as an assistant surgeon in the Tullahoma operation, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, the Atlanta Campaign, the March to the Sea and the Carolinas’ Campaign. Following the war, Githens returned home to Hamilton, Illinois, where he owned a number of pharmacies. ALS. Four pages, 5” x 8” Headquarters 78th Ill. Vols. Near Alexandria, Va. Tuesday, May 23, 1865. William Githens writes his wife, in part: “ … I wrote you we were to have a grand Review - well it is to take place tomorrow and everybody is making preparations to have the thing go off on a grand scale - I went over to Washington yesterday - and was surprised to see what extensive preparations were being made - thousands of feet of staging are being built upon the principle streets for visitors use by paying a small fee can have a good view and be under shelter - I had formed an opinion of how the public building would look but I had not come near the reality of the capital is grand … The Senate Chamber is beautiful and it almost dazzles with gilding .. The President’s House is very fine also - in fact it is a much larger and more beautiful city than I had supposed … the Potomac is a grand River - larger than I had supposed the largest shipping Comes up to Washington. Alexandria is also quite a place but it shows that it has labored under the blighted influence of Slavery … I would like a good fat office in Washington long enough to see and get acquainted with all that’s interesting around here but I shall have to be contented with my humble Illinois home at any rate … I suppose the people at home will be willing to give Sherman’s bummer’s a welcome if they are pretty hard customers - I’ll write you how the big show goes off … ” Usual Folds. Overall Fine.