Civil War Hospital
Baptist life in the Confederate capital of Richmond is vastly different than a mere twelve months ago. Whereas Baptists have long been a significant presence in the city, the war compels local Baptists to become involved in many new, and highly visible, efforts outside of church walls. Not the least of these endeavors are hospitals for wounded Confederate soldiers.
The ladies of First Baptist Church operate Baptist Church Hospital, also known as Fourth Street Hospital (so named because it is located on 4th Street), providing medical care for soldiers out of a converted house. Enterprising and resourceful, the ladies provide funding for two surgeons.
A second Baptist hospital is Richmond College Hospital, housed on the former campus of Baptists’ Richmond College and also known as Baptist College Hospital and Louisiana Hospital (the latter name indicative of the fact that the institution is jointly operated by by Confederate government and the Louisiana Hospital Committee, and thus houses a large number of Louisiana soldiers).
A third Baptist hospital is the Manchester Baptist Church Hospital, located in the Basement of the Bainbridge Street Baptist Church. This institution experiences a shorter lifespan than the others, being in use for a portion of 1862 only.
Near the corner of 26th and M Streets is situated a fourth Baptist-affiliated hospital. General Hospital #26, also known as Springfield Hall Hospital and Masonic hall Hospital, is jointly operated by Lehigh Baptist Church and Trinity Methodist Church. It is one of the earliest Civil War hospitals, having opened in early June 1861.
Yet another Baptist hospital nears completion. General Hospital #4, also known as Baptist Institute Hospital, is currently being converted from what was Baptists’ Richmond Female Institute.
Citywide, dozens of hospitals operate throughout Richmond during the war years, casting a sobering pall over the Southern capital even during the best of times for the Confederacy. Death, disease and dismemberment are legion and a daily part of city life, leading many soldiers and civilians alike to ponder and seek consolation in a heavenly afterlife. Baptists do their part to save soldiers’ lives on earth, as well as offering heavenly hope to a yet-living populace increasingly wearied and emotionally scarred by the terrors of war.
Source: “Index of Hospitals in Richmond, VA During the Civil War,” Civil War Richmond (link)
