Lafayette Guild
Encyclopedia
LaFayette Guild was a surgeon in the antebellum United States Army
, a noted pioneer in the study of yellow fever
, and then a leading medical administrator in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
. He served directly under General Robert E. Lee
as the Medical Director for the Army of Northern Virginia
for all its major campaigns, including the Gettysburg Campaign
and the Overland Campaign
.
, Guild briefly moved to Texas
but returned to Alabama
for college. He graduated from the University of Alabama
in 1845 and then from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia
in 1848. He was appointed as Assistant Surgeon in the U.S. Army on March 2, 1849. He served in various assignments, then became the medical director of the army post on Governor's Island in New York Harbor
.
Guild studied the impact of the quarantine station, and found that isolating ill soldiers and United States Navy
sailors did not prevent the spread of certain diseases such as yellow fever
. In his opinion, the disease was not merely contagious, but infectious and portable. His observations were used to combat and limit an outbreak of yellow fever in 1856.
The following year, he moved to the West Coast
to direct the military hospital in the Presidio of San Francisco
, where he was stationed when the Civil War erupted. According to several sources, including the 1860 U.S. census, Guild was also stationed at Fort Humboldt as that post's surgeon.
. He subsequently travelled to the South
and accepted a surgeon's commission in the Confederate forces in Richmond, Virginia
. He became Chief Surgeon and Medical Director of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Peninsula Campaign
in 1862 after Robert E. Lee replaced Gen.Joseph E. Johnston
in command and established his own leadership staff. He remained in that role until the army's surrender at Appomattox Court House
.
Following the Battle of Chancellorsville
, Guild worked directly with Dr. Jonathan Letterman
, his counterpart in the Union
Army of the Potomac
, to arrange a truce and a procedure so that each army could collect its wounded from the contested battlefield. During Lee's retreat following the Battle of Gettysburg
in July 1863, Guild oversaw the evacuation of the Confederate wounded and their subsequent protection by cavalry
under Brig. Gen.
John D. Imboden
.
Guild was often frustrated by the inability of the Confederate Government to maintain a consistent source of medical supplies to the army in the field. However, his pre-war observations of the spread of infectious or communicable diseases helped him establish a series of protocols within the doctors of the Army of Northern Virginia to help combat the spread of venereal diseases such as syphilis
, as well as other potentially deadly illnesses.
Guild served for much of the war as Lee's personal physician and medical consultant, and from the Siege of Petersburg
until the end of the war, he was often accompanied by his wife Pattie Aylette Guild, who moved to Virginia to be near her husband.
, and fought yellow fever as the medical inspector for the Port of Mobile. He published many of his observations, which formed the basis for future research in combatting the deadly disease.
Guild died in San Francisco
, California
and was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in his native Tuscaloosa, Alabama. His wife Pattie died in 1902 and is buried beside him.
The Lafaytte Guild chapter of the Gorgas Medical Society at the University of Alabama is named in his honor.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, a noted pioneer in the study of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
, and then a leading medical administrator in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He served directly under General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
as the Medical Director for the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
for all its major campaigns, including the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
and the Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
.
Early life and career
A native of Tuscaloosa, AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, Guild briefly moved to Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
but returned to Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
for college. He graduated from the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in 1845 and then from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
in 1848. He was appointed as Assistant Surgeon in the U.S. Army on March 2, 1849. He served in various assignments, then became the medical director of the army post on Governor's Island in New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
.
Guild studied the impact of the quarantine station, and found that isolating ill soldiers and United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
sailors did not prevent the spread of certain diseases such as yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
. In his opinion, the disease was not merely contagious, but infectious and portable. His observations were used to combat and limit an outbreak of yellow fever in 1856.
The following year, he moved to the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
to direct the military hospital in the Presidio of San Francisco
Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
, where he was stationed when the Civil War erupted. According to several sources, including the 1860 U.S. census, Guild was also stationed at Fort Humboldt as that post's surgeon.
Civil War
In July 1861, still with the rank of Assistant Surgeon, Dr. Guild was dismissed from the Federal army after refusing to take the oath of allegianceOath of allegiance
An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to monarch or country. In republics, modern oaths specify allegiance to the country's constitution. For example, officials in the United States, a republic, take an oath of office that...
. He subsequently travelled to the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and accepted a surgeon's commission in the Confederate forces in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. He became Chief Surgeon and Medical Director of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
in 1862 after Robert E. Lee replaced Gen.Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
in command and established his own leadership staff. He remained in that role until the army's surrender at Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
.
Following the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
, Guild worked directly with Dr. Jonathan Letterman
Jonathan Letterman
Jonathan Letterman was an American surgeon credited as being the originator of the modern methods for medical organization in armies. Dr...
, his counterpart in the Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
, to arrange a truce and a procedure so that each army could collect its wounded from the contested battlefield. During Lee's retreat following the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
in July 1863, Guild oversaw the evacuation of the Confederate wounded and their subsequent protection by cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
under Brig. Gen.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
John D. Imboden
John D. Imboden
John Daniel Imboden was a lawyer, teacher, Virginia state legislator. During the American Civil War, he was a Confederate cavalry general and partisan fighter...
.
Guild was often frustrated by the inability of the Confederate Government to maintain a consistent source of medical supplies to the army in the field. However, his pre-war observations of the spread of infectious or communicable diseases helped him establish a series of protocols within the doctors of the Army of Northern Virginia to help combat the spread of venereal diseases such as syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
, as well as other potentially deadly illnesses.
Guild served for much of the war as Lee's personal physician and medical consultant, and from the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
until the end of the war, he was often accompanied by his wife Pattie Aylette Guild, who moved to Virginia to be near her husband.
Postbellum
Following the war, Guild moved to Mobile, AlabamaMobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, and fought yellow fever as the medical inspector for the Port of Mobile. He published many of his observations, which formed the basis for future research in combatting the deadly disease.
Guild died in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in his native Tuscaloosa, Alabama. His wife Pattie died in 1902 and is buried beside him.
The Lafaytte Guild chapter of the Gorgas Medical Society at the University of Alabama is named in his honor.