New Bern Academy
Posted by: 
showbizkid
N 35° 06.585 W 077° 02.509
18S E 313916 N 3887121
This early 19th-century building, which served as a military hospital during the Civil War, now houses exhibits focusing on the history of New Bern, including much on the Civil War. Topics covered include the Confederate defense of the town in 1862, the Union occupation and battles, and the structure's role as hospital. Open 1-4:30 pm Monday-Saturday.
Waymark Code: WMFYH
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 06/29/2006
Views: 43
In 1861, Confederate authorities converted the New Bern Academy from a school to a hospital. The U.S. Army commandeered the structure to care for the wounded almost immediately after defeating Confederate forces in the Battle of New Bern on March 14, 1862. Casualties were first moved here from temporary quarters on March 19. Ten days later, a newspaper reported that "The General Hospital at Academy Green is full of severely wounded men, and those who have undergone amputation. Two houses opposite (across the street) are filled with wounded rebel prisoners under charge of their own surgeons."
Academy Green Hospital also treated victims of spinal meningitis, smallpox, and yellow fever. It served as a general hospital in conjunction with the Masonic Lodge and other nearby structures. By the end of the war, the building constituted a part of New Bern's larger Foster General Hospital.
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