(REPORTER) — Approximately 2,400 men from Hamilton County enlisted in the Federal Army during the American Civil War. One of the unique aspects of the war was the recruitment of a company of men from the same community. These companies of up to 100 people remained together for the remainder of their recording period. They were classmates, neighbors and relatives.

As I mentioned in my article last week, the army gathered everything they needed and took it with them. This included a doctor. A surgeon and one or two assistant surgeons were assigned to each provincial regiment (1000 men). These doctors were appointed by the governor of the state.

Accordingly Hamilton County and the Civil War There were 13 such doctors in the county, according to county historian Joe Burgess. The Civil War Monument at Crownland Cemetery in Noblesville lists three Hamilton County surgeons near the top of the obelisk: William D. Graham, surgeon of the Indiana 101st Infantry; and assistant surgeon James A. Garver and surgeon John M. Gray, both of the Indiana 39th Infantry.

In an ideal environment, a doctor would only care for the men in his own regiment. But casualties in the Civil War were staggeringly high, and field hospitals were overflowing with wounded soldiers when the bullets started flying. It didn’t matter what province, regiment or company they were from; surgeons would simply start working on the next patient.

The Indiana 39th participated in several battles renowned for the large number of casualties on both sides of the war. There were 13,047 Union casualties at Shiloh, 13,906 at Stones River, and 16,170 at Chickamauga. Surgeons were overwhelmed with wounded soldiers. But battlefield wounds weren’t the only medical problems they faced. Infectious diseases and unsanitary conditions killed more soldiers than bullets in the Civil War.

As time went on, medical personnel found better ways to deal with mass casualties. Many of the medical procedures used today were first performed during the Civil War. For example, ambulances and field dressing stations were set up immediately behind the skirmish line. The surgeon on duty would perform triage assessments, dress wounds, and send the worst cases to the field hospital where surgeries would be performed. From there, the recovered soldiers were sent to a brigade or general hospital.

1,136 Civil War veterans are buried in 90 cemeteries in Hamilton County. The largest group of these veterans is interred at Crownland Cemetery in Noblesville, where 292 people are interred. If you take a walk through the older parts of Crownland, you’ll notice that the headstones of Civil War veterans include the state and regimental number, as well as the local company indicated by a letter. For example, under the name of the deceased there is “Indiana 8th Cavalry, Co. You will see a few signs that say “I”.

In John Gray’s case, he likely amputated his brother James’ left leg during the conflict near Atlanta, Ga. James Gray was wounded during the battle at Lovejoy Station on September 5, 1864. After his leg was amputated, he was sent to a hospital in Nashville, Tenn., but he succumbed to his injuries and died on October 2, 1864. Dr. John Gray ended his three-year service as a surgeon and returned after 11 days. Noblesville

Lieutenant James Gray and Major Dr. John Gray is buried in a family plot near the Civil War Memorial, which bears both their names.

You can learn more about them and other Hamilton County veterans. I am leading the Civil War Veterans Walking Tour at Crownland Cemetery on Saturday, November 9th at 11:00 am. The event is free but you must register at: Civil War VeteransWalkingTour.com.