Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 54

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations > Part 54

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1885. * SELWIN A. RUSSELL, Albany Medical College, 1877; Albany. * FREDERICK D. MORRILL, Albany Medical College, 1881; Albany. * JOHN H. SKILLICORN, Albany Medical College, 1883; Albany.

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY FROM ITS ORGANIZATION.

YEAR.

PRESIDENT.

VICE-PRESIDENT.

SECRETARY.

TREASURER.

Hunloke Woodruff.

Wm. McClelland

Charles D. Townsend. .

John G. Knauff.

Peter Wendell.

Wm. McClelland Jonathan Eights.

Charles D. Townsend. Isaac Hyde

T. Romeyn Beck

Erastus Williams

John' Stearns

Peter Wendell.

Joel A. Wing.

John Stearns

James Low

James Low Jonathan Eights. C. C. Yates William Bay

William Bay 66

66 William Humpfrey. 66

Jonathan Eights. 66

Joel A. Wing

Peter Williams.

Platt Williams

Charles D. Townsend Barent P. Staats.

Luke Wellington

Alden March

Guy Spalding.

Elisha S. Burton.

Barent P. Staats

B. B. Fredenburgh

Herman Wendell

Carroll Humpfrey. 66 Jarvis Barney.

L. G. Warren

Abraham Groesbeck

John F. Townsend. Henry Greene. Henry Van O'Linda.

Jonathan Eights. Peter Van Buren

John S. Van Alstyne $6

Jonathan Case. John Campbell.

E. B. O'Callighan.

Thomas Hun

Henry Van O'Linda Mason F. Cogswell.

R. H. Thompson.

J. V. P. Quackenbush Benjamin A. Sheldon

C. C. Waller.

James McNaughton

John Swinburne

James H. Armsby

Wm. F. Carter

J. V. P. Quackenbush

U. G. Bigelow

Sylvester D. Willard

C. C. Waller.

Uriah G. Bigelow

Samuel H. Freeman

Sylvester D. Willard

Levi Moore

William H. Bailey.

Sylvester D. Willard.

S. O. Vanderpoel.

Peter Van O'Linda. James P. Boyd.

Barent P. Staats. Peter Van O'Linda. John W. Hinckley. " Roger Viets. Edward A. Leonard. Isaac Hempstead.

Charles D. Townsend

Peter B. Noxon Alva W. Rockwell.

John W. Bay. James P. Boyd.

Peter McNaughton

Peter Van Buren Henry Greene

Mason F. Cogswell.

J. B. Rossman.

1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858

1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 18II 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850

J. L. Van Deusen

214

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY .- CONTINUED.

YEAR.

PRESIDENT.

VICE-PRESIDENT.

SECRETARY.

TREASURER.

1859

William F. Carter.

S. O. Vanderpoel ..

Levi Moore ...

1860

S. O. Vanderpoel.

Leonard G. Warren 66

Oscar H. Young.

1861

1862

Howard Townsend.

Joseph Lewi.

1863

Peter McNaughton.

Levi Moore.

J. R. Boulware.

H. R. Haskins.

1865

Levi Moore

R. H. Sabin

Martin L. Mead.

F. L. R. Chapin.

1866

James E. Pomfret

1867

R. H. Sabin.

James L. Babcock

1868

James L. Babcock

J. W. Moore

Charles H. Porter

Andrew Wilson. 66

1869

William H. Craig

C. D. Mosher.

1870

William H. Bailey

Andrew Wilson

John M. Bigelow

+ 1872

Albert Van Derveer

A. Shiland

Frederic C. Curtis.

William H. Murray. W. H. T. Reynolds.

1874

James S. Bailey Henry March ..

J. D. Featherstonhaugh

Lewis Balch

D. H. Cook.

1876

Joseph N. Northrop

William H. Murray.

B. U. Steenberg.

A. T. Van Vranken.

1877

Charles A. Robertson

Louis Boudrias.

Eugene Van Slyke.

H. E. Mereness.

1878

Frederic C. Curtis

A. T. Van Vranken

T. Kirk Perry

1879

John M. Bigelow

B. U. Steenberg

Lorenzo Hale.

G. L. Ullman.

1880

A. Shiland

William Hailes,

1881

Jacob S. Mosher

T. Featherstonhaugh

1882

Norman L. Snow

M. J. Lewi.

1883

Herman Bendell.

J. L. Archambeault

E. A. Bartlett.

1884

J. D. Featherstonhaugh.

T. Kirk Perry

Jno. Ben. Stonehouse

Uriah B. La Moure.

The publications of the society have been quite remarkable. The entire Transactions of the society have been printed in three volumes of 400 or 500 pages. The first was prepared by Dr. S. D. Wil- lard, and extends to 1850; the second, chiefly by Dr. J. S. Bailey, covers the next twenty years, and the third, chiefly by Dr. F. C. Curtis, recently printed, is filled by the ten years following, down to 1880. These volumes contain biographies of nearly two hundred members, and a number of portraits of deceased and prominent members. The society also has maintained for five years a monthly journal, the Albany Medical Annals. Dr. March, in 1830, wrote " A Plea for Establishing a Medical Journal in Albany." Our periodical, which is largely made up of material presented at the monthly meetings of the society, has a considerable circula- tion outside of the society's territory, and extracts from it frequently appear in other journals. The Editorial Committee are Drs. F. C. Curtis, A. Van der Veer, Lorenzo Hale, J. B. Stonehouse and Willis G. Tucker. Probably no other society in the country has done so much in the matter of publication.

The cholera epidemic of 1832 was an important epoch in the annals of medicine. This disease, which in. its European and American history be- longs to this century, made its first appearance on this continent at Quebec in 1832, and a fortnight later broke out in Albany. It justly created great alarm. At the request of the Mayor, a meeting of the

Medical Society was called to devise means to arrest its progress, and a staff was organized, consisting of Drs. Eights, Wing, Greene, Boyd, Townsend, Wendell, James, McNaughton and March. The physicians of the city met every evening at the City Hall, where an album was kept in which to enter the names of the deceased. The number of reported cases was 1, 147, of which 422 were fatal. Two years later, on a fresh outbreak, there were 1 24 cases, with 78 deaths. No such fatal disease had pre- vailed since the small-pox epidemics of early his- tory.

Conspicuous among the younger men then was Dr. James P. Boyd. His faithful work at that time gave him an impetus, and he secured a posi- tion which made him for very many years one of the first physicians in the city. The brothers James and Peter McNaughton were older by several years. The former had been a professor in a medical school then for twelve years, and at the time of his death, in 1874, he was the senior teacher of medi- cine, probably, in the world. He was made at this time President of the Board of Health, and wrote a paper on the disease, which was in much demand. His brother, in a less public way, was, perhaps, even more active as a practicing physician. Both of them, in civil as well as medical relations, were for half a century among the first citizens of Albany. The brothers Staats, of the same name as our earliest historical physician, were well known men here for many years. The elder, Dr. Barent, was prominent in politics, and was also a trustee of

William H. Bailey. George H. Newcomb. 66

Henry March.

1864

Peter P. Staats

Frank G. Mosher

George T. Stevens

Thomas Beckett.

1871

Joseph Lewi.

Amos Fowler

H. W. Steenberg C. E. Witbeck.

Joseph H, Blatner.

D. V. O'Leary.

1873

John Swinburne.

1875

M. J. Lewi.

John U. Haynes D. C. Case

215

MEDICINE IN ALBANY COUNTY.

numerous mercantile concerns. He was at this time Health Officer of the port. Dr. Alden March was a well-established physician, having come here from New England in 1820. In the fifty years that he practiced he made a world-wide reputation as a surgeon and teacher. The Doctors Beck were, in some respects, the most remarkable men in our history. One of them was sent at this time by the Governor to visit the northern frontier for the pur- pose of procuring information and organizing boards of health. Dr. T. Romeyn Beck is known over the civilized world as the author of " Medical Jurisprudence." Both of the brothers devoted most of their lives to teaching and scientific literature. Younger than any of them was Dr. Thomas Hun, just entering practice then, and the only one of that time now living, having, however, well earned retire- ment from active work by over fifty years of service, which brought him a reputation second to none in the country. This strong body of men, most of them of thorough literary and medical education, formed the body of the profession through the two middle quarters of this century, and all of them lived so nearly up to the present time that there are few Albanians to whom they are not perfectly familiar. They had a hand in every important event, professional or civic, that transpired through the long period that they worked together, during which the city doubled its population two or three times.

As in the last century the wars were important periods in our medical history, so in this. In the war of 1812, which was partly at our door, a few of the local physicians were engaged. Most prom- inently was Dr. Platt Williams, a graduate of Wil- liams College, and prepared by a long course of professional study. The war broke out soon after he began to practice, and he immediately received from Gov. Tompkins the appointment of surgeon to the Second Regiment of Riflemen. He served through the war on the Niagara frontiers. Two years later, having returned to Albany, he was ap- pointed post surgeon of the cantonment at Green- bush, and retained the position till its abandon- ment in 1822.

Dr. Henry Greene, a native of Rhode Island, im- mediately after his graduation in 1814, was made assistant surgeon of the Twenty-fifth Regulars, and saw hard service in Canada, remaining in the army till peace was declared. He came to Albany in 1828, was prominent here in the cholera epidemic, and was one of the first faculty of the Medical Col- lege.

Dr. Joel A. Wing was for thirty-eight years a physician of Albany. Almost as soon as he gradu- ated he was, without his knowledge, appointed surgeon in the army, which he did not accept, so that his connection with the war was but nominal. He, however, was made post surgeon of the Green- bush barracks in 1844. On his first visit to the barracks, being young, undersized and unimpres- sive, he was treated with some insolence by the orderly, or nurse. He knocked the man down, and it took all the money he had to pay the fine imposed by the justice ; but he secured wholesome respect afterward. Dr. Wing worked very hard in the cholera epidemic and was himself taken with the disease, his recovery speaking well for his asso- ciates. In the course of his life he held various important civil positions.

The Mexican war was enacted at a remote point, and none of the profession of this county appears to have served in it.

The late Civil war furnishes a point around which to group a very considerable number of the men and events of our peaceful profession. The men who participated in it were for the most part those of to-day. Its outbreak found Dr. S. O. Vanderpoel, then one of the most active physicians in the city, in the office of Surgeon-General of the State, which place he filled from 1859 to 1863, under Gov. Morgan. It gave him the medical direction in the formation of all regiments sent from this State, the examination of all applicants for and filling of all vacancies in the medical staff of each regiment. He had at the end of his term of service over 600 surgeons in the field. He established promotion by grade in medical corps instead of regimental. During a portion of Mc- Clellan's advance in the Peninsula, and in the first battle of the Wilderness, he went as volunteer sur- geon. Subsequently he was inspector of hospitals for the Sanitary Commission. After the war Dr. Vanderpoel was for eight years Health Officer of the Port of New York. He was also for many years on the Medical College faculty and physician to the hospitals. In 1881 he removed to New York City.

Dr. J. V. P. Quackenbush was Surgeon-General from '63 to '65, under Gov. Seymour, and carried out its arduous duties almost to the end of the war He spent his entire professional life in Albany, one of its prominent physicians, a leading citizen and a most popular lecturer at the Medical College and hospitals.

Dr. S. D. Willard succeeded him in official posi- tion, but died during the same year, He had pre-

216

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

viously seen considerable service at the front as volunteer surgeon, especially in 1862, after the battles of the Peninsula, to look after New York soldiers. The profession, of Albany especially, is indebted to him for much laborious work on medi- cal and historical literature, and Willard Asylum was justly named after him for his efforts toward its establishment.

Dr. James D. Pomfret was Surgeon-General from '65 to '69, under Gov. Fenton. In '62 he was ap- pointed surgeon of the 113th Regiment, which was raised entirely in this county ; it was changed to the 7th Heavy Artillery, and till May, '64, was placed in the defenses of Washington, during which time he acted as Brigade Surgeon. It then being sent to the front, he was made Division Sur- geon, and later Surgeon-in-Chief of the 2d Army Corps. After his return home he had charge of the Soldiers' Home here and was connected with the college and hospitals.

Dr. Jacob S. Mosher was the last of the Albany physicians to hold the office of Surgeon-General, from '69 to '73, under Gov. Hoffman. He served as volunteer surgeon from his graduation in '63 to the close of the war in the hospitals of the Army of the Potomac and at Washington. While there he was appointed Asst. State Medical Director at Washington, holding the position till '67. From '70 till '76 he was Deputy Health Officer of the Port of New York, was on the Yellow Fever Com- mission appointed by Congress, and till his death, in 1883, was prominent in various departments of medicine and in civil life, being one of the most variously gifted men Albany has ever had.

Dr. J. W. Moore entered the navy in '61 as Asst. Surgeon, and served in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River for fourteen months as Surgeon of the Flotilla, participating in many battles, begin- ning with that of Sewall's Point, the first naval battle of the war. He was in the same fleet with the Monitor during its fight with the Merrimac. He also served in the North Atlantic Squadron and was Fleet Surgeon of the St. John's River Flotilla. For six months he was with the frigate Florida, which was fitted out to cruise for the Alabama. After serving for a year in the U. S. A. General Hospital he returned home to Cohoes, where he has since been actively engaged in private practice.

Dr. J. Savage Delavan was appointed Asst. Sur- geon, 169th Infantry, in '63, but not being mustered, owing to lack of numbers in the regiment, entered hospital service at Washington. After a time he was commissioned by Gov. Buckingham Ist. Asst. Surgeon, Ist Connecticut Artillery, and remained

with that regiment through the war, declining the surgeoncy of Ist N. Y. Cavalry, offered him by Gov. Seymour. He was in all the artillery battles before Petersburg down to the repulse of the Con- federates at Fort Steadman, and was at the "mine" and the taking of Fort Fisher. Before the war he was for some time Pension Examining Surgeon, and was again appointed after the war. He was Vice- Consul at Geneva, Switzerland, for two years. Having resumed practice in Albany, he is one of the physicians to the Homoeopathic Hospital, and has been one of the three State Commissioners of Health of the State Board of Health since it was first organized.

Dr. Herman Bendell served in the Army of the Potomac and of the Shenandoah from '62 to the close of the war. He was first appointed Asst. Surgeon, 6th N. Y. Artillery; in December, '64, he became surgeon of the 86th N. Y. Vet. Vols. During the final campaign to Richmond he was surgeon in charge of the Depot Field Hospital. He was discharged as Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, N. Y. V. After the war he was Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Arizona Territory, and has now for sev- eral years been engaged in private practice here. He now holds the office of Pension Examining Surgeon.

Dr. Samuel B. Ward during a part of 1862 was in the service of the Sanitary Commission on trans- ports of sick to northern ports. In September of that year he became, by contract with the Medical Director of the Department of Washington, acting Medical Cadet, and afterward acting Assistant Sur- geon. Having obtained his degree in medicine, he was appointed, after examination, Assistant Surgeon, New York Volunteers, by President Lincoln, and served till the close of the war. He has been con- nected with the National Guard since 1872, being now surgeon of the Ninth Brigade. He came to Al- bany in 1876, and has since been one of the faculty of the Medical College and connected with the hos- pitals.

Dr. Charles A. Robertson was commissioned Sur- geon of the 159th New York Volunteers in 1862. He was at Irish Bend, the siege of Port Hudson, Donaldsonville and Vermillion Bayou. Before Port Hudson, he was acting Division Surgeon of Field Hospitals. He was on special service through the Teche country. Prior to the war he had prac- ticed ophthalmology in Boston, and after his ser- vice he came to Albany and was the first specialist in this branch of practice, in which he was remark- ably skillful. He was attached to several hospitals and had a large practice till his death in ISSo.

MEDICINE IN ALBANY COUNTY.

217

Dr. Thomas Helme, of Mckownsville, was com- missioned Assistant Surgeon, 148th New York Vol- unteers, in November, 1863. His grandfather was a revolutionary soldier and a prominent man in Rhode Island; his father was in the war of 1812 in some military capacity. In 1865 Dr. Helme was pro- moted to Surgeon of the 85th Regiment. He saw service in the Carolinas and Virginia, was in all the battles before Petersburg, and at the taking of Fort Harrison was wounded while on a charge, so that he was laid up for several weeks. Otherwise he was on active service to the close of the war, when he returned to this county, where he is still in active practice.

Dr. Charles H. Porter was made Assistant Sur- geon, 40th New York Volunteers, in November, 1862, but was not mustered. In January, 1863, he was commissioned Surgeon of the Sixth Artillery, to which regiment Dr. Bendell was attached, serving with it to the close of the war, being mustered out with the rank of Brevet Colonel, New York Volun- teers. He has since practiced in Albany and for several years has been one of the pension examin- ing surgeons.

Dr. Alexander H. Hoff came to Albany in 1853, and was Surgeon-General from 1854 to 1856. For several years he was examining surgeon at the United States rendezvous here. He entered the army as Surgeon of the Third New York Volunteers, becoming the same year Medical Director under Gen. Fremont, and Chief of Hospital Supplies. In 1864 and till the close of the war he was Medical Director of Transportation. In 1867 he entered the regular army as Surgeon and Brevet Colonel, United States Volunteers, and remained in the service till his death in 1876. His son is now Assistant Surgeon, United States Army.

Dr. N. L. Snow entered the service as Assistant Surgeon, 153d New York Volunteers, in August, 1862, was promoted Surgeon, February, 1864, and was discharged October, 1865. He was in the defense of Washington, was with Sheridan in the Shenandoah, and with Banks on his Red River campaign. During the summer of 1865 he was Health Officer of the District of Savannah. He practiced a number of years at Canajoharie, and about 1875 came to Albany. He has hospital and college connection, and is now President of the Board of Aldermen.

Dr. Albert Van Der Veer was appointed Medical> Cadet at the Ira Harris Hospital in June, 1861. The following year he was made Medical Cadet in the army, being one of the original one hundred. He served in this capacity at Columbia College

Hospital, Washington, until December, 1862, when he was appointed Assistant Surgeon, 66th New York Volunteers, joining his regiment at Fal- mouth, Va. In August, 1864, he was promoted surgeon of the same regiment. For over two years he was surgeon in charge of one of the oper- ating tables of the First Division Hospital, Second Army Corps, during the time also having charge of locating the hospital supplies, building winter quarters, etc. He was mustered out with his regi- ment, which had participated in many of the bat- tles of the Army of the Potomac, August, 1865, and returned to Albany, where he has since been engaged in active practice. Since 1876 he has been a member of the Medical College Faculty as Professor of Surgery, in which department he is pre-eminent in the annals of Albany, besides hav- ing a very extensive general and consulting practice in a large region about this city. He is a frequent contributor to medical literature, and is a member of many home and foreign societies, being at this time President of the State Medical Society.

Dr. A. B. Huested served as Hospital Steward of the 113th New York Volunteers (Seventh Heavy Artillery) from 1862 to 1864, the regiment being on garrison duty near Washington. March, 1864, he became Assistant Surgeon, 21st New York Cavalry, and served as such till July, 1866, seeing very active service in the Shenandoah and on the overland stage route north of Denver, along which the regiment was distributed after the war. He has since resided in Albany, and is now one of the faculty of the College of Pharmacy.

Dr. George H. Newcomb was commissioned, August 1862, Assistant Surgeon, 113th New York Volunteers (Seventh Heavy Artillery) and served with it till May, 1865, being promoted Surgeon, February, 1865. This regiment, which was raised in this county, was on garrison duty at Washington, and saw service, in all of which he participated, from Spottsylvania to Petersburg.

Dr. George T. Stevens was Surgeon 77th New York Volunteers from October, 1861, to December, 1865, and was present at nearly all the battles of the Army of the Potomac after the first Bull Run, and of the Shenandoah under Sheridan. In 1862 he was appointed Operating Surgeon of the Third Brigade, and during periods was in charge of the division hospital. After the battles of the Wilder- ness, he had charge of wounded officers of the Sixth Corps, who were taken to Fredericksburg. He has contributed largely to the surgical history of the war and is author of "Three Years with the Sixth Corps." He practiced in Albany for

218

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

several years after the war, and for a time was con- nected with the Medical College; he now resides in New York.

Dr. P. M. Murphy entered the service as Assist- ant Surgeon, 134th N. Y. V., March, '64, and was mustered out with his regiment, June, '65. He was in the Army of the Cumberland, in the South- east, with Sherman, and in the March to the Sea; he participated in all the engagements of the 20th Corps-about twenty-seven in all. He was commissioned Surgeon of the 89th Regiment, but not mustered. Since the war he has resided in this city.

Dr. A. A. Edmeston entered service as Assist- ant Surgeon, 18th N. Y. V., in '61, and was soon after promoted surgeon of the 92d Regiment, and served through the war. He participated in many of the battles, whose names are familiar, in Vir- ginia and North Carolina. Once he voluntarily accompanied a body of sick and wounded men to Libby Prison and remained there several weeks. While in the army he contracted chronic diarrhoea, from which he never recovered ; he died in 1871.

Dr. Frank J. Mattimore was appointed Assistant Surgeon, 18th N. Y. V., in 1862. He saw arduous service at Antietam and the disaster of Fredericks- burg. He was mustered out with his regiment in 1863 and returned home, where he died a few months later from the effects of swamp fever which he had contracted in the service.

Dr. Wesley Blaisdell was also a martyr to the war. He was a practitioner of Coeymans, and in August, '62, enlisted as Assistant Surgeon, 113th N. Y. V., being transferred a few months later to the 75th Regiment. In July following, having served at the siege of Port Hudson, he resigned. After a short time he went back to the army and was sent to Newburn, where he contracted yellow fever, which terminated fatally.

Dr. C. B. O'Leary was professionally connected with the army almost throughout the war, with in- tervals, and with various regiments. He was Assistant Surgeon of the 25th and 145th Regi- ments, and Surgeon of the 175th, serving with the Army of the Potomac and at Port Hudson. He returned to Albany, and died here in 1877. His brother, Dr. D. V. O'Leary, was recently health officer and is now postmaster of the city, being also on the medical staff of St. Peter's Hospital.

Dr. Warner Van Steenberg entered the army in '61, as Assistant Surgeon, ist N. Y. Inf .; a year after was promoted Surgeon of the 55th, and after- ward was transferred to the 120th. He was mus- tered out with his regiment, with the rank of Brevet

Lieutenant-Colonel. He settled to practice in Cohoes, where he remained until his death in 1880.

Dr. P. L. F. Reynolds was commissioned As- sistant Surgeon, 169th N. Y. V., September, '62; he resigned December, '63. The regiment saw service in Virginia and the Carolinas. In March, '65, he received a commission as Assistant Surgeon, 94th N. Y. V., but was not mustered. He is now practicing in Albany.

Dr. William H. Craig, then a practitioner for eight years in this city, was commissioned, October, '62, Surgeon 177th N. Y. V., a regiment which was raised in Albany, to serve nine months, and seeing service at Ponchatoula, Scivique's Ferry and Port Hudson. He remained with his regiment until the expiration of its service. Since the war he has resided in Albany, and has for several years held the office of postmaster.

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Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 54

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452