Co-Owned by Henry F. McSherry, M.D., Surgeon U.S. Navy &
James Whann McSherry, M.D., Surgeon & Capt. 36th Virginia Infantry, C.S.A.
ONE OWNER WAS A UNION NAVAL SURGEON, THE OTHER HIS CONFEDERATE COUSIN
Written by British surgeon Robert Druitt, this edition of “The Principles and Practice of Modern Surgery” was published in 1860 by Blanchard and Lea, Philadelphia. It is signed on the front page:
H. F. McSherry
1864 U.S. Navy
It is also stamped in three places, twice on the inside cover and once below the signature above:
J. W. McSherry
Martinsburg, W. Va.
The original owner of the book was Henry Fenelon McSherry, M.D., a Virginia-born surgeon in the Union Navy. The subsequent owner (as determined by the post-war ink stamp) was his Virginia-born cousin, James Wherry McSherry, M.D. , Captain of the 36th Virginia Infantry, C.S.A.
During the Civil War, particularly in border states, family members were occasionally divided in their loyalties; such was the case with the two owners of this book. Virginia joined the Confederacy in April 1861. The western part of the state, where the McSherry family owned land, remained loyal to the Union, and began the process of separation. In June of 1863, West Virginia achieved statehood, and although the majority of its inhabitants were loyal to the Union, a smaller portion remained loyal to their mother state of Virginia. This book was owned by two physicians, cousins to one another, born on land that would ultimately become part of West Virginia – but they were divided by their loyalties and sentiments.
Richard McSherry, the progenitor of the family, settled in Berkeley county in the western portion of Virginia about 1790. One of his sons, Richard McSherry, became a physician, and another, Dennis Lilly McSherry, became a lawyer. Richard was quite wealthy and in 1850, owned seven slaves. He had two sons, Dr. Richard McSherry, who was a physician and Dr. Henry Fenelon McSherry, a surgeon in the U.S. Navy. Dennis’ son, Dr. James Wherry McSherry, was commissioned surgeon of the state troops by Gov. Henry A. Wise, but upon the organization of companies for active service, was elected Captain of the 36th Virginia Infantry, C.S.A.
HENRY FENELON McSHERRY, M.D.
(1837 – 1867)
(equivalent rank to Surgeon, U.S. Navy)
Photo taken c.1865-66 (tax stamp on verso)
at O.H. Willard’s Galleries, Phila.
Henry McSherry, born April 12, 1837, graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1858. In the 1860 census, he is living with his father, Dr. Richard McSherry, who had been a surgeon in the War of 1812. The unmarried Henry is listed as a “Seargent U.S. Navy” (this was a misspelling – besides, Henry was actually an Assistant Surgeon). Records of Officers in the U.S. Navy record him as Assistant Surgeon as of 23 June, 1860.
THE FEDERAL NAVY DURING THE CIVIL WAR
There were three ranks for Civil War era naval medical officers. These were assistant surgeon, passed assistant surgeon, and surgeon. Dr. William Whelan was Chief of the Federal Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BMS) during the war years. BMS physicians in January 1861, like Henry McSherry, were experienced officers. The BMS physician corps on January 1, 1861 included 61 surgeons, 25 passed assistant surgeons, and 45 assistant surgeons – McSherry was in the latter category. By the end of 1861, the total number had dropped by nearly half. A massive recruiting effort began, resulting in a number of civilian surgeons entering the Navy. Just like those civilian physician/surgeons volunteering for duty in the Federal Army, they were all given the rank of “Acting Assistant Surgeon”. By 1865, just over half of the BMS force was comprised of volunteer surgeons, many of whom resigned or were honorably discharged by the war’s end.
The doctors’ professional services mainly consisted of attending to the sick or those injured during the course of performing the ship’s mundane duties. Common illnesses were malaria, yellow fever, dysentery, scurvy, and sexually transmitted diseases. Combat injuries were caused by gunshot, cutlasses, shrapnel, cannon shot, and steam.
From June 23, 1860 to September 22, 1863, McSherry was an Assistant Surgeon – one of a total of 117. After his promotion to Surgeon, he was one of a total of 78. During the years 1863 and 1864, Surgeons like McSherry only comprised about 16 -19% of the total number of medical officers in the Federal Navy. After the war’s end, McSherry continued in the service of the U.S. Navy, up until his death on October 1, 1867.
THE U.S. NAVY EXAMINING BOARD IN THE CIVIL WAR
(AND HENRY F. McSHERRY’S APPLICATION)
Note: Much of the material in this section was taken from the excellent website http://www.medicalantiques.com
Civilian physicians/surgeons who desired a position as a medical officer in the Federal Navy were required to submit a hand-written application. It was also necessary if an Acting Assistant Surgeon desired promotion to Assistant Surgeon, or Assistant Surgeon to Surgeon. The applicants were presented with a series of medical questions which required as thorough and detailed an explanation as possible. Their answers were reviewed by the examining board, and they were either accepted or rejected. Civilian physician applicants had varying levels of experience. Some were clueless, some were recent medical school graduates with two years of formal medical education but no surgical experience. Those applicants who had already been in the Navy for at least a few years, such as Assistant Surgeon McSherry, were seasoned physicians with practical experience in the real world, as their answers to the questions showed.
A transcription of McSherry’s handwritten application to the U.S. Navy Examination Board on September 2, 1863 can be found online at: http://www.medicalantiques.com/civilwar/Navy_surgeon_applications/McSherry_henry_f.htm.
The nine questions that McSherry was to answer in writing were the following:
1. Describe the operation of Laryngotomy.
2. What are the symptoms + treatment of paronychia?
3. Give a formula, without symbols or abbreviations, for Scudamore’s mixture.
4. Describe the preparation, medical properties and uses of Strychnia –– How does it produced death?
5. What is death, and at what points in the circle of functions can it began?
6. What physical characters in urine (including microscopic appearances) indicate disease?
7. Describe the anatomical arrangement of the vessels in the lobules of the liver.
8. Give the symptoms of catarrh of the bladder.
9. What is glycerine?
In addition to answering these questions, McSherry includes a detailed essay on the cause and treatment of delirium tremens (due to alcohol abuse; interesting, considering the allegations that were later made against him – see below)
Dr. McSherry’s answers to the above questions and his essay can be found here by clicking on the button below:
The Board evidently felt him competent enough, and promoted him to the rank of Surgeon on September 22, 1863.
CHRONOLOGY OF SURGEON HENRY McSHERRY’S SERVICE FROM 1860 – 1867
November 1860 – June 1861: Assigned to the Sloop of War “Vandalia”. Sailed to the East Indies, then St. Vincent
island (part of the Cape Verde archipelago), Porto Praya (the capital of Cape Verde),
the Cape of Good Hope (near the southern tip of Africa), then back to New York.
June 1861: On “Vandalia”, sailed to Charleston as part of the South Atlantic Blockade Squadron.
August 21, 1861: Captured the schooner “Henry Middleton“.
October 15, 1861: Assisted in the capture of the sailing ship “Thomas Watson“.
November 7 -8, 1861: On “Vandalia”, took part in the successful amphibious assault on Roanoke Island and capture
of the forts at Port Royal, S.C. This victory closed the supply lines to Confederate-held Norfolk
Navy Yard & was largely responsible for the evacuation of that vital naval facility six months later.
December 1861 – Early April 1862: Transferred to the U.S.S. “Sciota” (a gunboat), joined the Gulf Blockading
Squadron.
February 6, 1862: “Sciota” captured the blockade runner “Margaret”, off Isle of Breton, Louisiana, as the sloop
was attempting to escape to sea laden with cotton.
Early April, 1862: “Sciota” joined Farragut’s Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Steamed up the Mississippi River
gathering information about Southern defenses.
April 18 -23, 1862: “Sciota” bombarded Fort St. Philip and Fort Jackson, dueling with Confederate guns for 6 days.
April 24, 1862: “Sciota” took part in the capture of New Orleans, then operated up the river with Farragut.
June 28, 1862: “Sciota” attacked and passed the Confederate forts at Vicksburg, Mississippi when Farragut raced by
that riverside stronghold to join Flag Officer ‘ Western flotilla.Stayed in the advanced fleet until
June, 1862
June 10, 1862 – September 1862: On leave at home, ill with “diarrhea and intermittent fever.”
September 1862 – June 18, 1863: On the U.S. Steam Frigate “Wabash” at Port Royal Sound, S.C.
June 1863 – December 1863: On duty at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
December 1863: On the flagship U.S.S. “Wabash” ( a letter from his father is addressed to him there).
(January 1864 – August 2, 1864: On the U.S.S. “Dacotah“, in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
August 1864: On the U.S.S. “Delaware” (letters to him addressed to the U.S.S. Wabash were forwarded there).
Patrolled off the coast of Virginia, performed picket duty, transported men and ordnance stores, and
cleared the rivers of torpedoes (mines) until the end of the war.
April 1865 – October 1867: On the U.S.S. “Wyoming”, a screw sloop of war, sailing to the East Indies
Station via Cape Horn, reaching Singapore in September 1865, where she participated in the search for
C.S.S. “Shenandoah“, a Confederate raider. In 1866, she joined the Asiatic Squadron.
April 28, 1867: “Wyoming” left Yokohama Japan and headed for Formosa (Taiwan).
June 13, 1867: “Wyoming” participated in a punitive expedition against Formosan natives who had murdered the crew
of the American merchant bark “Rover” that had been wrecked off the coast of Formosa a short
time before. During that action, she sent a landing party ashore along with one from the “Hartford”.
HIS RESIGNATION, ALLEGATIONS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE AND DISLOYALTY,
AND HIS FINAL CRUISE
In late 1865, resignation proceedings began for McSherry, and allegations of alcohol abuse and disloyalty surfaced.
The details of what prompted these allegations are unknown. A letter written by an anonymous member of the U.S. Navy who served with McSherry states that Henry was “a good and faithful officer throughout the war.” He goes on to say that he served with Henry through the Mississippi Campaign and in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. He writes that there is no “truth about his being dissipated or irregular in his habits and if the Department chuse [sic] to call me I will tell them the same. Mr. Welles always listens patiently to everyone and I think he would do full justice to a good officer…. Henry is too good an officer to lose.”
Letters written to Henry from his sister Anna (born 1833) serve to help fill in some of the blanks in the story.
On November 29, 1865, Anna writes and says their father told him to write in every letter that Henry should not resign from the Navy. He fears that some letters will be lost and wants to make sure Henry hears his views. The resignation has been withheld until he gets home. It appears Henry wanted to get involved with business with his cousin William. Both Richard and Henry’s father say they are not ready and are accustomed to living as gentleman.
On March 15, 1866 Anna writes says she is sorry she sent her last letter, which reported that Henry’s resignation was accepted and that another surgeon was being sent to replace him. Says it is not true. Says Admirals Lee and De Clymer both intervened in Washington to keep the resignation from going through. Wonders where he is and says “how I would like that wonderful trunk of the Danish storyteller Anderson to carry me to China and in … the Wyoming.” Says their father is still anxious about his resignation and that he would “just [be] throwing away what is most valuable, a high position and a comfortable living.” It seems like Henry wants to go into business in New York or London, but Anna says she heard that “people [there] call cheating each other attending to business!” Also says their brother thinks a financial crisis is inevitable. Predicts that “the ruin of the merchant always brings loss and even worse to country people.”
In a letter dated March 29, 1866, Anna seems to have had a meeting with “Mr. Welles” — possibly the Secretary of Navy Gideon Welles. She thinks one of the charges brought against Henry was disloyalty. She is surprised because “you and Pa at the first out break of the war opposed secession.” She mentions that their father was president of a Union meeting early in the war. Says there was a “reign of terror” in West Virginia when Confederate forces came through, making arrests. She says it was well known that Henry always did what he felt was right. Also mentions that their father is still upset by his resignation. She makes a reference to a conversation with her brother where Henry was accused of “shortcomings in regard to two Balt. ladies and a New York lady.”
Anna appended this letter on 7 April 1866 — says she received his letters dated January 28 and February 1 from Hong Kong. Says they never received the letter that described Hong Kong. The letters appear to have included a photograph, since she says she thinks he looks healthy and happy. She mentions seeing Admiral Porter in connection with Henry’s affairs.
A letter written by Anna on April 7, 1866 is appended on April 17, notes that Henry seems to be thinking about settling in the East Indies. If that is the case, their father would not have thought his resignation such a mistake. Says their Baltimore friends consider his resignation a mistake. Everyone is afraid of the glut of surgeons looking for employment at the moment, and their father is afraid Henry will have a life of poverty like he did.
It seems that Henry wanted to resign from the Navy and enter the business world – against the strenuous objections of his father. Sometime in mid-March 1866, his father attempted to delay the resignation from going through, but by the end of March, his resignation was accepted. The reason for his resignation is not apparent from the letters; perhaps there was a more personal matter complicating his life. An undated letter written to Henry mentions that a Mrs. Pendleton thought (Henry) “was in love with one of the Kennedy sisters.” Apparently the young woman got married to someone else, and the writer supposed he “resigned because your regret was so great.”
A biography of the McSherry family states that “he died in service in the Chinese Sea” in 1866. This is not factual on two counts: his resignation from the Navy and his date of death. The publication “Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775 – 1900”, which was derived from a 1901 compilation, gives his date of death as October 1, 1867. A small entry in the April 23, 1881 edition of the “Army and Navy Journal” listing an update of the former officers of the U.S.S. “Scioto” states: “Asst. Surg. Henry F. McSherry died at sea a surgeon October 1, 1867.” The circumstances of his death are unknown, and he was probably buried at sea.
JAMES WHANN McSHERRY, M.D.
(1833 – 1928)
The stamped identification of “J.W. McSherry Martinsburg W.Va.” is clearly post-War, and probably early 20th century. As noted above, James W. McSherry was a first cousin to Henry F. McSherry. Both were physicians and both graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, James in 1855, Henry in 1858.
James practiced in Virginia (later West Virginia) after graduation and up until the outbreak of the Civil War, at which time he was commissioned surgeon of the State Troops by Governor Henry A. Wise. After the organization of companies for active service began, he was elected Captain of Company B of the 36th Virginia Infantry. This unit was initially in Floyd’s Brigade, and fought at the Battle of Kessler’s Cross Lanes and the Battle of Carnifex Ferry. It was involved in skirmishes in early 1862 in West Virginia. While attempting to defend Nashville, the unit escaped surrender at the Battle of Fort Donelson. They continued to skirmish in various counties in Virginia, West Virginia, and in Pike County, Kentucky.
During a skirmish on November 19, 1863, Capt. McSherry was captured and ultimately sent to Camp Chase, Ohio and then Fort Delaware. After the war ended, Dr. McSherry returned to Martinsburg, but wasn’t allowed to practice because he was a “rebel.” He moved to Baltimore and remained there until 1869, when he returned to Martinsburg following the passage of the “Flick Amendment” which allowed all those who served in the Southern cause to take the oath of allegiance to the U.S. Government. Dr. McSherry was elected Mayor of Martinsburg and was a former member of the West Virginia Health Association. He practiced in Martinsburg for over 60 years, and died at the age of 95.