Marrow of Tragedy Part 2

     At this point in the book it is not surprising to read about how soldiers got infections and what not during the war. Humphrey's explains how the troops were "urged...to act like civilized gentleman" (127). The soldiers were forced to wash themselves and their feet, air out their tents, etc. All of these actions now seem like daily tasks that we just preform without second guessing. The USSC actually appointed physicians to inspect the Union camps to ensure that the wounded soldiers were in conditions that would help them heal faster. They ran into trouble with the senior officers of the Army. The officers just wanted their men to help fight. It baffles me to think that they would rather have a regiment full of troops that are in no condition to fight than put forth some effort and cooperation to help get their troops back to full fighting force. The average officer's education, or lack thereof about healthcare and medicine is mind boggling. It was interesting to read that they started teaching some basic medicine at USMA at West Point because of these reasons.