Adventures of a Doctor in the US Civil War
Created | Updated Nov 22, 2020
Adventures of a Doctor in the US Civil War
In the Editor's November project, Coming of Age in Brookville, there's a little boy character named Billy McNab. I based his story on one of my main informants for all things Brookvillian, Dr WJ McKnight. Dr McKnight was born in 1836. His father died when his son was just over a year old, and Billy was raised by his mother and older siblings. He grew up to be a very hard-working doctor, as well as a newspaperman and state senator. He also opened a drug store in Brookville, which sold pharmacy goods as well as dyes, varnishes, and soaps. Sort of a combination hardware store and 'Drogerie'.
I'm really grateful to Dr McKnight for all the stories he shared. Here's one about him, taken from an advertising flyer printed up in 1913 to explain the history of his pharmacy. It tells an interesting family story from the US Civil War, when he was a young man. And it shows us an artefact from that time.
A Pass Through the Lines
About the 15th of September, 1861, Dr. McKnight enlisted for the 105th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and was transported as a soldier to Camp Jameson, near Alexandria, Virginia. With true patriotic purposes he was willing to serve the country in any capacity, but on meeting his brother, the Colonel, he found him opposed to the Doctor entering the service and was told that he would not permit him to be enrolled or mustered in the 105th. The Colonel said, 'Dr., there are but us two McKnights, I am single, 1 expect to be killed, you are married, you return home and rear some future McKnights.'
Hoping that the Colonel would relent, the Doctor remained with the regiment several weeks, doing important service for it, without money and without price. Finally the Colonel gave Dr. McKnight a soldier's transportation home and ordered him to leave camp. The following army
passes will partly explain what has been here said:
Camp Jamison, October 16th, 1861.
Guards will pass Dr. W. J. McKnight to Washington City on important private business. A. A. McKNIGHT, Colonel.
Approved: Brig. Genl. C. D. Jameson.
C. H. Potter, A. A. A. Genl.
Colonel McKnight was killed in the battle of Chancellorsville May 3d, 1863.
