The following letter was written by Dr. Edward William Murphy (1802-1877), a prominent physician who pioneered advances in obstetrics. He patented an inhaler in 1848 that delivered chloroform through a mouthpiece to numb a patient during childbirth. In the 1850s he gave a series of lectures on the principles and practice of midwifery.
Dr. Murphy’s letter asks a fellow physician to use whatever influence he might have to elevate his son, Edward Horatio Murphy (1842-1864) who has recently enlisted in the service of the United States, from an ordinary “clod-hopper” enlisted man to an officer. Muster Rolls reveal that Edward enlisted on 16 December 1863 at Buffalo, New York, to serve as a private in the 27th Independent New York Light Artillery. At the time of his enlistment, he was described as a 5′ 7″ common “laborer” with blue eyes, brown hair, and a fair complexion. He was never promoted. He died a private at City Point, Virginia on 6 September 1864, a victim of disease.
The New York City physician to whom Dr. Murphy addressed his letter was Dr. Gunning S. Bedford (1806-1870). Dr. Bedford was the nephew of Gunning Bedford who was an aide-de-camp to George Washington during the revolution. After the war, the elder Bedford was a framer of the Constitution of the USA and the first Attorney General of Delaware. Later, President Washington appointed him as the USA Judge for the District of Delaware. The younger Bedford distinguished himself in the practice of medicine. In 1836, after his medical education and two teaching appointments, he developed an extensive and lucrative private practice in New York City. From 1840 to 1862 he was a founder and professor of midwifery at the University of New York medical department. There he founded the first obstetric clinic in America. It was estimated that over 10,000 poor patients a year were treated free of charge at his clinics.
T R A N S C R I P T I O N
41 Cumberland Street, Bryanston Square
March 19, 1864
My dear Dr. Bedford,
I am about to make a request which I trust you will be able to grant because if do, I know that you will willingly do so.
A son of my, Edward Horatio Murphy, went out to Canada in May 1863 intending to be a farmer. We did not hear from him for some time but have just now received a letter announcing the appalling fact that he has enlisted in the service of the United States. It came upon us like a thunderbolt and of course makes me very anxious. He is now at Washington in the Camp Barry going through the necessary drill and it occurred to me to write and ask you to assist me in endeavoring to improve his position.
I presume you have many influential friends in Washington and if any of these would say a word in his favor, his officers might perhaps take care to treat him less roughly than the “clod-hoppers.” They will find him an extremely well conducted young man and perfectly temperate. As to his merits as a soldier, they are to be found out. I do not know how promotion is managed in your services but of course I should rather see him an officer than a common soldier.
Did Dr. Miller 1 of Chicago give you the late edition of my work? If so, I hope you like it. I have just got a glance at yours and was greatly surprised and pleased to find in how many points we are agreed—especially about “meddlesome midwifery.”
Pardon this troublesome note and believe me very faithfully yours, — Edward W. Murphy
1 “Dr. Miller” may have been Dr. De Laskie Miller (1818-1903), a prominent Chicago obstetrician and medical educator who published influential works on obstetrics in the 1860s.
