John Call Dalton, MD, USV - Good Old Reads

John Call Dalton MD USV - 1892 - Riverside Press

If you’re looking at John Call Dalton, MD, USV as a possibly riveting history of the medical profession during the American Civil War, you should keep looking.

High Point: Dalton had an easy conversational style, which makes this an easy and quick read.

Low Point: This memoir is little more than a detached account of the United States’ siege of Fort Pulaski, South Carolina. There’s very little information regarding Dalton’s medical-related activity during the war.

Author: John Call Dalton, MD

Publication Date: 1892

Genre: History

John Call Dalton as a member of the 7th New York Infantry (1862)

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More Siege Than Surgeon

Dr. John Call Dalton served as a United States Army surgeon during the American Civil War. So, if you’re looking for a riveting history of the medical profession during that conflict, you should keep looking. John Call Dalton, M.D., U.S.V. is little more than a rather detached account of the 1862 siege of Fort Pulaski in South Carolina.

Rather than a description of Dr. Dalton’s activities related to supporting the medical needs of his unit, the narrative opens with a sketch of his journey with the troops from New York to the South Carolina coast. That’s followed by his observation of the siege and two-day battle between the United States and rebel armies for control of the fort. The details of the journey and subsequent battle are scant, leaving many unanswered questions. There is virtually no information regarding the treatment and care of the sick and injured.

Dr. John Call Dalton was an accomplished medical professional, educator and author of the 19^th century. He wrote this memoir towards the end of his life at the urging of his family. In fact, it was published in 1892—30 years following the events he describes and three years after his death. And although it exhibits a conversational style—making for an easy read—there is simply too little substance to make the time and effort worthwhile.