Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War
July 31st – September 9th, 2023

Soldiers at Armory Square Hospital, Washington, D.C., 1860s Courtesy National Library of Medicine
Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War explores the experiences of men whose lives were saved by sacrificing limbs during the war and disabled veterans in the post-war period. Over three million soldiers fought in the American Civil War. More than half a million died and almost as many were wounded. Hundreds of thousands were permanently disabled by battlefield injuries, or surgery, which saved lives by sacrificing limbs. These men remained a stark reminder of the costs of the conflict for long after the war, becoming symbols of the fractured nation.
The National Library of Medicine produced Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War, guest curated by historian and educator Manon Parry, PhD (University of Amsterdam).

“Private George W. Lemon,” Drawings, Photographs and Lithographs Illustrating the Histories of Seven…, George A. Otis, 1867 Courtesy National Library of Medicine

Puck magazine cover, December 1882 Courtesy National Library of Medicine
The National Library of Medicine produced this exhibition and companion website.

