Battle of Westport Medical Weekend

Contributed by Kandice Walker, Director of Wornall House Museum

 

With the support of the Missouri Humanities Council, the John Wornall House and the Clendening History of Medicine Museum and Library (CHMML) teamed up on an ambitious project. Over a weekend, we presented three different programs detailing the medical techniques used during the Battle of Westport. We also touched on the unique challenges faced by both medical personnel and civilians who cared for the wounded and dead after this battle. We combined lecture, exhibits, and living history to engage learners of all ages.

We started on Friday night with a free roam event that included both knowledge and food. Wine and hor d’ oeuvres were served in the dining room of the Wornall House. An exhibit of Civil War medical artifacts was on display in the parlor. Artifacts in the display included amputation kits, trephine equipment, physician’s kits and other “cures.” Nancy Hulston of the CHMML was on hand to interpret the items on display. In one of the bedrooms, Lee Ward, a retired mortician and collector of Civil War artifacts, displayed embalming kits and other mortician’s artifacts. He spoke to visitors about the body disposal issues faced by the citizens of this area on “the morning after” the battle. In the sitting room of the house, Dr. Mike Monaco, local physician and re-enactor, displayed his collection of doctor’s tools and lectured on Civil War medical techniques. Both Dr. Monaco and Mr. Ward were in period dress. Additionally, fifteen exhibit boards were placed on easels throughout the house. The exhibit boards addressed practices in Civil War time medical, dental, and funeral traditions.

On Saturday, we used living history to interpret the Wornall House as the field hospital it was during the battle. Outside of the house there was a surgery tent, where amputation demonstrations were done. A grave digging detail demonstrated their duties. Several re-enactors of color interpreted the duties of contraband slaves as they washed, boiled, and rolled bandages.

In the house itself, several scenarios were depicted. In the sitting room, a Civil War doctor demonstrated the removal of impalements, bullets, and the treatment of burns. In the dining room, Paul Kirkman, author of the book The Battle of Westport: Missouri’s Great Confederate Raid, used maps and charts to demonstrate the extent of the dead after the battle and the body disposal used by the local populace after the battle. In the kitchen, local historian Helen Miller demonstrated the making of a variety of medicines from local herbs. In our parlor, guests were able to see the medical display of artifacts from CHMML and learn about the uses of the various tools. In the bedrooms, a wounded man was being nursed by two ladies who talked about nursing and the Sanitary Commission. A female soldier talked about a verbal legend of a woman dressed as a man who fought and was wounded in the Battle of Westport. Wornall family stories tell us that she was treated at the Wornall House, and that the doctor did not let on that he knew she was a woman. For this, a professional storyteller, Melva Hargett, created a composite character and a story about this woman. She told visitors that this is an undocumented legion, but gave guests the name of books and other sources about women soldiers during the Civil War.

On Sunday, our program was held at the Plaza Library. A lecture and power point presentation about medical techniques practiced during the Battle of Westport was given by Dr. Mike Meyers.

In addition to our physical events, we were fortunate to catch the eye of our local NPR station. We were very excited when this station, KCUR, asked us to do an hour long radio program about Civil War medicine and the Battle of Westport. Dr. Meyer, Paul Kirkman, and Kandice Walker of the Wornall House spent an hour with radio show host Steve Kraske on his show “Up to Date.” It was a wonderful opportunity to reach the listeners who were not able to come to the physical events. You may visit our website to learn more about the Wornall House Museum, and upcoming events, http://wornallhouse.org/

We felt these events were extremely successful, and are so very grateful to the Missouri Humanities Council for their support.

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