Podcast: Dana Shoaf of National Museum of Civil War Medicine

In a freewheeling discussion, Dana Shoaf talks with co-hosts (and fellow Pittsburghers) Tom McMillan and John Banks about Dr. Jonathan Letterman, medical services at Antietam, Civil War ambulances and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Md., where he serves as director of interpretation. Shoaf, the former editor for Civil War Times magazine (R.I.P.), lives near the South Mountain (Md.) battlefields, where he occasionally hears the boom of a reenactors' cannon.

Zoom in for virtual visits to eight hospitals at Antietam

On a one-hour Zoom call hosted by Jake Wynn, director of interpretation at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, I talked about Antietam hospitals. Among the topics were:  

• STEPHEN GROVE FARM | Shepherdstown Pike | Where Lincoln visited with wounded from both sides
• GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH | Main Street in Sharpsburg | Heart-rending stories about 16th Connecticut soldiers
• JOHN OTTO FARM | Burnside Bridge Road | "Why Did I Not Die?": Henry Adams' story
• CRYSTAL SPRING HOSPITAL | Geeting Road | Tragedy for Hiram Appelman
• HENRY ROHRBACH FARM | Beyond Burnside Bridge | Botched amputation of Richard Jobes
• WIDOW SUSAN HOFFMAN FARM | Keedyville Road | Where nurse inspired wounded
• SMOKETOWN HOSPITAL | Keedysville Road | Where Maria Hall earned praised for her nursing
• DR. OTHO J. SMITH FARM | Mansfield Road | "Hold my hand til I die."