Confederate Soldiers Treated at Chatham

After treating patients in Fredericksburg in December of 1862, nurse Clara Barton returned to Washington, D.C. and continued caring for patients at various hospitals there. She recorded a list of patients that she first encountered at Chatham. Amongst her list are the names of three Confederate soldiers who were captured and brought to Chatham for treatment during the Battle of Fredericksburg.1

The first Confederate soldier mentioned by Clara was Major T. A. Patterson of the 3rd Virginia Cavalry Regiment. According to her notes, he was married to a woman named Mary Amiss, who lived at 357 F Street. There is no one with the surname, “Patterson,” on the roster of the 3rd Virginia Cavalry Regiment, however, so additional information about this soldier is currently unknown.2

The remaining two soldiers were both in the 13th Mississippi Regiment, the Confederate regiment posted in the town of Fredericksburg at the outset of the battle. The first, Private William Simmons, belonged to Company F and the second, Captain Thomas William Thurman, belonged to Company D.3

William C. Simmons enlisted on September 8th, 1862 in Enterprise, Mississippi at the age of twenty-one. His prewar occupation was a farmer. Service records confirm that he was wounded and captured on December 11th, 1862. On December 23rd, 1862, he was admitted into Lincoln Hospital in Washington. There, he was treated for a severe contusion of the back and was sent to the Old Capitol Prison. In May of 1863, William was paroled. After spending some time in Confederate hospitals, he returned to his regiment in March of 1864 and served for the remainder of the war.4

Captain Thomas William Thurman (1839-1927) enlisted on May 17th, 1861 in Corinth, Mississippi at the age of twenty-one. His prewar occupation was a lawyer. He was promoted to captain on April 26th, 1862. Service records confirm that he was wounded and captured on December 11th, 1862. His right leg was amputated above the knee at Chatham. On December 26th, 1862, Thomas was admitted into Emory General Hospital in Washington. From there, he was then sent to the Old Capitol Prison, and was paroled in March of 1863. By August, Thomas had returned to his regiment and joined the Invalid Corps in Georgia. On November 2nd, 1864, he retired due to his wounds.5

Sources

• Clara Barton, “Men of the Lacy House in the Lincoln Hospital,” Clara Barton Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Copy of original on file at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park.
• Thomas P. Nanzig, 3rd Virginia Cavalry (N.p.: H.E. Howard, 1989). Additionally, no information on this soldier could be located using sites such as Soldiers and Sailors Database or Fold3.
• Barton, “Men of the Lacy House”; “Simmons, W.C.,” Soldiers and Sailors Database, National Park Service, accessed November 2022, Soldier Details - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov); “Thurman, Thomas W.,” Soldiers and Sailors Database, National Park Service, accessed November 2022, Soldier Details - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).
• Compiled Service Record for William C. Simmons, 13th Mississippi Infantry, Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Mississippi, National Archives and Records Administration, M269, Record Group 109, Roll 0219, accessed November 2022, Fold3, Page 1 Civil War Service Records (CMSR) - Confederate - Mississippi - Fold3.
• Compiled Service Record for Thomas W. Thurman, 13th Mississippi Infantry, Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Mississippi, National Archives and Records Administration, M269, Record Group 109, Roll 0219, accessed November 2022, Fold3, Page 1 Civil War Service Records (CMSR) - Confederate - Mississippi - Fold3.

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• Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park

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