Class Year
2015
Document Type
Blog Post
Publication Date
2-10-2014
Department 1
Civil War Institute
Abstract
After losing both arms in a gunnery accident aboard the USS Rhode Island in 1863 and being told he would not live, Medal of Honor recipient Lewis Horton resolved that he would recover and be with his family again soon. The double amputation, completed within an hour of the accident, was successful, but Horton lost a significant amount of blood and could merely wait and hope. Eighty days after amputation, the ligatures — cords left in the limb to hold arteries closed until they had sufficiently healed — were removed, and healing commenced quickly. Shortly after, he was discharged and the process of learning to live as a double-amputee began. [excerpt]
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, S. Marianne, "Tales from a Boston Customs House: Recovering from Trauma" (2014). The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History. 28.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/compiler/28
Comments
This blog post originally appeared in The Gettysburg Compiler and was created by students at Gettysburg College.