Joseph Chase Rutherford Correspondence
Collection Overview
An 1849 graduate of Woodstock Medical College, Joseph Chase Rutherford practiced medicine in Blackstone, Massachussetts and Orleans County, Vermont. He was an examining surgeon of recruits early in the war, and he also invented a method of...
Show moreAn 1849 graduate of Woodstock Medical College, Joseph Chase Rutherford practiced medicine in Blackstone, Massachussetts and Orleans County, Vermont. He was an examining surgeon of recruits early in the war, and he also invented a method of invisible writing that was used by the federal government during the war. Rutherford was commissioned from Newport on August 8th, 1862 and made an assistant surgeon of the 10th Vermont. He was promoted to surgeon of the 17th Vermont on March 6th, 1865. While operating on a soldier after the battle of Orange Grove, he developed an infection in his thumb that partially disabled him for the rest of his life. He returned home to his practice in Newport after the war.
Dr. Joseph C. Rutherford wrote faithfully to his wife Hannah from the time of his appointment as assistant surgeon of the Tenth Vermont Infantry in August 1862 to his mustering out as surgeon of the Seventeenth Vermont Infantry in July 1865. He informed her of his medical duties, his relations with the soldiers and officers, and news about soldiers from the Newport, Vermont area. Rutherford's letters convey a strong sense of pride in his work, but increasing frustration over his failure to win promotion, particularly after the severe battles of 1864. He finally received a commission as surgeon of the Seventeenth Vermont in March 1865. Rutherford described the battle of Orange Grove (Nov. 27, 1863) and Sheridan's Shenandoah campaign, but only one letter (May 17, 1864) survives from the nearly continuous fighting of May and June, 1864. Many of the letters contain advice to Mrs. Rutherford on financial matters and the treatment of their children's illnesses. Rutherford also expressed strong opinions about copperheads, traitors, and Southerners. The collection includes three letters from Edward Belville (d. 1864) of Derby, Vermont, a private in the Eighth Vermont Infantry. One of these (July 16, 1863) gives an account of the assault on Port Hudson, in which Belville was wounded.
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(1 - 9 of 9)
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- Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
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Topics include various men going home on leave including Chaplain, Capt. Bartlett & Lt. Gale, a ball attended by staff officers and their wives, going to army headquarters, sending money home, all wives ordered to leave camps as soon as they can and reference to appointment of Joseph Daggett as...
Show moreTopics include various men going home on leave including Chaplain, Capt. Bartlett & Lt. Gale, a ball attended by staff officers and their wives, going to army headquarters, sending money home, all wives ordered to leave camps as soon as they can and reference to appointment of Joseph Daggett as 1st Lt (and Regimental Quartermaster of the 43rd U.S. Colored Infantry) to a Negro regiment, has written a newspaper article for the Newport News, came down with a case of the measles, many soldiers dying from diarrhea.
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- Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
- Description
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Rutherford receives the promotion to Surgeon of the 17th Regiment ; notice to be printed in the New York Herald ; anticipation of stillness being soon broken and his skills as a surgeon being needed ; includes a brief personal letter for his daughter Kittie.
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- Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
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Writes of including a drawing made by him for his daughter Helen of his beloved horse Lady Lightfoot, Rutherford’s relationship with his horse, and discussion of a newspaper article about Grant’s unsuccessful advances and his veiled opinion of the article's Copperhead leaning viewpoint.
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- Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
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Writes of the saddened tone among the soldiers in camp as people suspect an advance to the front lines of battle; honors received by General Grant, and discussion of a newspaper's editor on predictions of the next presidential candidate.
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- Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
- Description
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Topics include thankful for getting postage stamps from home, gives treatment for diphtheria, remarks regarding the importance of letter writing, his rail against his wife's relatives for indignities he has suffered from them, well digging at home, reference to "Copperheads," his reaction and...
Show moreTopics include thankful for getting postage stamps from home, gives treatment for diphtheria, remarks regarding the importance of letter writing, his rail against his wife's relatives for indignities he has suffered from them, well digging at home, reference to "Copperheads," his reaction and outrage to a vote related to the war taken at a town meeting as reported in a home newspaper (Newport News?), his urging to have the vote reversed, his permission to have part of his opinion published in the newspaper if seen fit and a description of the line of battle.
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- Title
- Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
- Description
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Camping in the field near Culpeper, Va. topics include writing articles for home newspapers, disliking the idea of being labeled a "newspaper correspondent", becomes poetic and philosophical reflecting on the current day's beautiful weather, of his deep feelings for receiving letters from home,...
Show moreCamping in the field near Culpeper, Va. topics include writing articles for home newspapers, disliking the idea of being labeled a "newspaper correspondent", becomes poetic and philosophical reflecting on the current day's beautiful weather, of his deep feelings for receiving letters from home, of his daughter Helen’s progress with writing composition, and Baker and Cuttings visit to camp.
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- Title
- Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
- Description
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Topics include learning of Lucien, his brother-in-law's death (Hannah's brother) via the newspaper, a artillery shell passing just over his cabin, nighttime gunfire, description of the line of battle south of Richmond, cold and discomfort of his new camping location and the inflated price of...
Show moreTopics include learning of Lucien, his brother-in-law's death (Hannah's brother) via the newspaper, a artillery shell passing just over his cabin, nighttime gunfire, description of the line of battle south of Richmond, cold and discomfort of his new camping location and the inflated price of getting new boots.
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- Joseph Rutherford to [Hannah Rutherford]
- Description
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Topics include Rutherford trying to reassure and relieve his wife's fears for the welfare of Vermont troops, reference to the 10th Regiment as the "lucky 10th", his good health, opinions on the war, his willingness to suffer hardships for the benefit of having a good home in the future, his...
Show moreTopics include Rutherford trying to reassure and relieve his wife's fears for the welfare of Vermont troops, reference to the 10th Regiment as the "lucky 10th", his good health, opinions on the war, his willingness to suffer hardships for the benefit of having a good home in the future, his daughter Helen and son Jacob's welfare, a small fight that occurred in the area near camp, orders given to be ready to move at a moment's notice, expecting military pay, needing to buy new clothes, will send some money home, request for local newspaper, Newport News.
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- Title
- Joseph Rutherford to Newport Express
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Letter to the Newport Express newspaper that includes a description of a battle near Petersburg, Virginia (part of the Richmond - Petersburg Campaign) in which many were killed or captured ; number to casualties and prisoners captured stated.