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Jefferson General Hospital was the third-largest hospital during the 
Throughout the period the hospital was in use, Dr. Middleton Goldsmith was its Chief Surgeon, assisted by Chief Nurse Mrs. Arbuckle. The executive office, the second command, was held by four different people. In total, 16,120 people were treated at the hospital. Those that died while in the hospital were buried down the hill, where Meijer Fields now lies.
After the hospital closed, the buildings were intended for a soldier's home, and given to the state of Indiana for that purpose. After two months possession, the proposed home was instead built near Knightstown, and the buildings returned to the US Government. Until 1874 it was used as storehouses for army materials such as clothing and blankets. Eventually, a man named James Holt came into ownership of the property. At his death he bequeathed the property to his Masonic Lodge, Clark Lodge #40 as a Masonic Civil War Hospital
Indiana Historical Bureau, n.d. Accessed 2012-03-14. Thirty-three years later, Clark Lodge used the property to build their new Masonic temple, as the old one was difficult to maintain and its stairs inhibited older members from participating in lodge meetings. The groundbreaking was the last weekend of March, and the building was used beginning in November. As there were seldom any Masonic orphans to house, the orphanage building was sold in 2006, with the proceeds going for college scholarships to those that have Masonic heritage.
Jefferson General Hospital was the third-largest hospital during the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, located at Port Fulton, Indiana
Port Fulton was a town located two miles up the river from Louisville, within present-day Jeffersonville, Indiana. At its height it stretched from the Ohio River to modern-day 10th Street, and from Crestview to Jefferson/Main Streets.
Port Ful ...
(now part of Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville is a city and the county seat of Clark County, Indiana, Clark County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It lies directly across the Ohio River ...
) and was active between February 21, 1864 and December 1866. The land was owned by U.S. Senator from Indiana Jesse D. Bright
Jesse David Bright (December 18, 1812 – May 20, 1875) was the ninth Lieutenant Governor of Indiana and U.S. Senator from Indiana who served as President pro tempore of the Senate on three occasions. He was the only senator from a Northern sta ...
. Bright was sympathetic to the Confederates, and was expelled from his position as Senator in 1862. Union authorities took the property without compensation, similar to what happened at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
.
The hospital was built to replace the existing hospital at Camp Joe Holt. 27 buildings, each 175' by 20', encircled a corridor that was 0.5 mile in circumference. 24 of the buildings were wards, each having 53 beds for patients and one for the ward master. Each ward had 4 large cast iron stoves, which warmed the building. Inside the perimeter made by the buildings was a chapel with reading rooms, post office, drug & instrument house, and a "dead house".
Throughout the period the hospital was in use, Dr. Middleton Goldsmith was its Chief Surgeon, assisted by Chief Nurse Mrs. Arbuckle. The executive office, the second command, was held by four different people. In total, 16,120 people were treated at the hospital. Those that died while in the hospital were buried down the hill, where Meijer Fields now lies.
After the hospital closed, the buildings were intended for a soldier's home, and given to the state of Indiana for that purpose. After two months possession, the proposed home was instead built near Knightstown, and the buildings returned to the US Government. Until 1874 it was used as storehouses for army materials such as clothing and blankets. Eventually, a man named James Holt came into ownership of the property. At his death he bequeathed the property to his Masonic Lodge, Clark Lodge #40 as a Masonic orphan
An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died.
In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...
s home around 1915. In 1962, the Indiana Historical Bureau
The Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau is a public library building, located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the largest public library in the state of Indiana, housing over 60,000 manuscripts. Established in 1934, the library has gather ...
placed a state historical marker on the property.Indiana Historical Bureau, n.d. Accessed 2012-03-14. Thirty-three years later, Clark Lodge used the property to build their new Masonic temple, as the old one was difficult to maintain and its stairs inhibited older members from participating in lodge meetings. The groundbreaking was the last weekend of March, and the building was used beginning in November. As there were seldom any Masonic orphans to house, the orphanage building was sold in 2006, with the proceeds going for college scholarships to those that have Masonic heritage.
See also
*Indiana in the American Civil War
Indiana, a state in the Midwest, played an important role in supporting the Union during the American Civil War. Despite anti-war activity within the state, and southern Indiana's ancestral ties to the South, Indiana was a strong supporter of t ...
*Louisville in the American Civil War
Louisville in the American Civil War was a major stronghold of Union forces, which kept Kentucky firmly in the Union. It was the center of planning, supplies, recruiting and transportation for numerous campaigns, especially in the Western Theate ...
References
{{authority control Hospitals in Indiana American Civil War hospitals Buildings and structures in Clark County, Indiana Jeffersonville, Indiana Indiana in the American Civil War Hospitals established in 1864 1864 establishments in Indiana 1866 disestablishments in Indiana Defunct hospitals in Indiana