Rhode Island’s Civil War Hospital: Life and Death at Portsmouth Grove, 1862 - 1865



Frank Gryzb will discuss his new released book, Rhode Island’s Civil War Hospital: Life and Death at Portsmouth Grove, 1862-1865, at the Historical Society’s Annual Meeting. During the Civil War, thousands of wounded Union soldiers and Confederate prisoners convalesced in a general army hospital in rural Portsmouth Grove, Rhode Island. Because of its location on the periphery of the action, Portsmouth Grove Hospital has remained a footnote to the dramatic sweep of Civil War history. However, its story and the stories of the doctors, nurses, patients and guards that gave it life provide a new perspective on the interaction between the army and society in wartime and on life in Civil War America. This exhaustively researched and fascinating read explores the barbarities of medicine, daily routine in a general army hospital, the role of citizens in providing aid, the later adventures of former patients and staff, and the final resting places of those who died on the grounds.

The book will be available for purchasing and autographing following the lecture

The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served following the lecture.