- HENRY PALMER, M. D., Surgeon General of Wisconsin, has been
a resident of Janesville,
- since 1856, and is one of the most eminent and successful
physicians and surgeons in the State. He was born at New Hartford,
Oneida County, N. Y., on the 30th day of July, 1827, is a son
of Ephraim and Abigail (BROWN) PALMER, and is descended from
English Puritan and Scotish ancestors. On his father's side
is a lineal descendant from Walter PALMER, who emigrated to this
country from London, England, settling at Charlestown, Mass.,
in 1629. The line of descent of the Palmer family, to which
the Doctor belongs, is as follows: From Walter, the founder
of the family in America, through Gresham, George, the Rev. Christopher,
who settled in Madison County, N. Y., in 1780, Christopher Jr.,
and Ephraim, the father of our subject. Dr. PALMER's mother
was born at Brookfield, Madison County, N. Y., and was descended
from an old New England family. Ephraim PALMER was a farmer
by occupation, and in 1857 removed from New York to Edgerton,
Wis., where he resided until 1884, when he became a resident
of Janesville, and made that city his home until his death, which
occurred in 1886, at the advanced age eighty-nine years. He
was a man of superior intelligence and occupied many important
positions of honor and trust both in New York and Wisconsin.
In political sentiment he was a Republican, and also an influencial
member of the Baptist Church. Mrs. PALMER, an estimable Christian
lady and a member of the same church, died at Edgerton in 1863.
- The subject of this sketch spent his early life upon his
father's farm and received his primary
- education at the district school. When nineteen years of
age, he became a student at the Whitestown and Cazenovia Seminaries,
and subsequently entered upon a course of teaching by which occupation
he earned money to defray the expenses of his early medical studies.
On attaining his majority, he found his health seriously impaired,
and with the hope of a recovery, took passage on a vessel which
accompanied the Grinnell Artic expedition of 1849, spending six
months in a cruise in the Artic regions, touching at various
points in Greenland and on Hudson Bay. In 1851, having recovered
his health, he engaged in the study of medicine under the preceptorship
of Drs. MARSH & ARMSBY, at Albany, N. Y., who at that time
were eminent physcians of that city and were professors in the
Albany Medical College. In 1854, our subject graduated from
that institution, and with such high standing that he was at
once appointed resident surgeon of the Marshall Infirmary at
Troy, N. Y., which position he filled with ability and fidelity
for a period of two years.
- At Oriskany Falls, N. y., Dr. PALMER was united in marriage
with Miss Edna A. HOYT, a
- daughter of Noah and Almira HOYT, their union being celebrated
in the month of November 1851. To them have been born six children,
one son and five daughters--- Clara, the eldest, died in December,
1883; Kittie died at the age of five years; William H. who
graduated from the chicago Medical College in the class of 1882,
is now practicing his profession at Janesville. The younger
members are Estella E., Eloise and Elizabeth Gertrude.
- In 1856 Dr. PALMER came to Wisconsin and settled at Janesville,
which has since been his
- home and the scene of his long years of successful practice.
His zeal, his energy and superior ability, both as a physician
and surgeon, soon placed him in the foremost rank in his profession
and gave him a wide reputation, to which subsequent years have
but added new luster. Shortly after the breaking out of the
late war, in 1861, he was commissioned surgeon of the 7th regiment
of Wisconsin Volunteers, which was assigned to the Army of the
Potomac, and in this new field his superior skill and untiring
energy soon won him distinction. Without seeking preferment,
on the 4yh day of April, 1862, he was appointed by President
Lincoln to the position of brigade surgeon and assigned to the
famous "Iron Brigade." Subsequently, he was stationed
at York, Pa., where the construction and superintendency of the
largest hospital in the United States was placed in his hands.
Mrs. Dorothy L. Dix, a distinguished hospital nurse, who was
appointed superintendent of hospital nurses by a special act
of Congress in 1861, pronounced the York hospital, as conducted
by Dr. Palmer, the best in the United States. When the Confederate
Gen. Early made his bold raid into Pennsylvania, in the summer
of 1863, with a force of several thousand men, he made an attack
upon York with the expectation of capturing the government stores
and taking the convalescents prisoners. Dr. PALMER, who was
in command of the post, quickly armed his convalescent patients,
several hundred in number, and offered such a gallant resistance
that the government stores were safely removed before the Confederates
gained possession. It was at this time that the Doctor was taken
prisoner, but during the battle of Gettysburg, which occurred
a few days later, he succeeded in making his escape and at once
resumed command of York post and the charge of the hospital,
where he was soon busily employed caring for the wounded from
the Gettysburg battlefield.
- In 1864 the rebel Gen. GILMORE made a devastating raid into
Maryland and Pennsylvania,
- threatening to inflict considerable damage in and about York.
Appreciating the necessity of prompt action and the importance
of protecting the railways, Dr. PALMER armed his convalescents,
organized a force of several hundred citizens, with which, together
with the few regular troops, he proceeded into Maryland to protect
the roads and hold the rebels in check. This movement proved
eminently successful, for by the wisdom and promptness of his
judgement, and by his energy and courage he saved a large amount
of property from being destroyed, besides securing to the government
other important military advantages. The valuable services rendered
by the Doctor in this instance were the subject of a well deserved
and congratulatory letter from Major General D. N. Couch, then
in command of the department of the Susquehana, to Surgeon General
Barnes of the United States Army. In August, 1864, his health
having become impaired by overwork, he tendered his resignation,
but received instead of its acceptance only a leave of absence.
The general in command, in forwarding the resignation to the
war department, indorsed it with the request that a leave of
absence of sufficient length of time to recruit his health be
granted, as the interests of the service demanded that officers
of his ability and disposion should be retained. In the fall
of 1864 the Doctor was appointed Medical Inspector of the 8th
Army Corps, with headquarters at Baltimore, which position he
held until June, 1865, when he was ordered to take charge of
Camp Douglas at Chicago, Ill., and close up the affairs of that
hospital. Having performed that duty he was mustered out on
the 7th day of October, 1865, and for faithful and meritorious
services, which were frequently brought to the notice of the
war department, he was appointed lieutenant colonel by brevet,
by President Johnson, on the 13th of March, 1866, the rank to
date from March 13, 1865.
- On his return from the army Dr. PALMER resumed the practice
of his profession at Janesville,
- which he pursued without interruption until 1877, when he
gratified a long cherished desire and visited Europe. The war
between the Russian and Turkish powers, which was in progress
at that time, afforded him a favorable opportunity of inspecting
the system of Russian hospitals. He left Janesville in May and
returned the latter part of the following August, having visited
Paris, Liverpool, London, Berlin, Vienna, Leipsic, Dresden, Antwerp,
Brussels, Munich, and many other places of beauty and historic
interests. He was with the Russian army at Bucharest, through
Roumania and when it crossed the Danube, and also witnessed the
engagement at Nicopolis and the ever memorable battle that resulted
in the downfall of Prevna. He also visited the chief art galleries
of Europe, and on his return brought with him one of the finest
art collections to be found in southern Wisconsin. While in
the old countries he wrote several very interesting and graphic
letters, descriptive of what he saw abroad, which were published
in the Janesville Gazette and which were received with interest
and pleasure by the public. Notwithstanding the arduous duties
of his profession Dr. PALMER found time to prepare a lecture
describing his journeyings in the old world, together with the
peculiar sights which he witnessed, and especially noted the
habits and customs of the people of Roumania, Turkey and that
portion of Europe. The lecture was intensely interesting and
as a literary production commanded the admiration of all the
intelligent hearers. It was first delivered at Janesville in
August, 1877, to an audience of over a thousand people. The
interest in the lecture became wide-spread, and calls for its
delivery in the principal towns of southern Wisconsin became
numerous and urgent. In compliance with the popular demand he
delivered it several times, always to crowded houses, never charging
for his time and trouble.
- The Doctor and his wife, together with their children, are
members of the Baptist Church of
- Janesville. He is a Republican in politics and has served
two terms as mayor of the city, but is not an active partisan,
his professional and other duties occupying his full time. In
addition to the arduous labors of an extensive practice he has
found time to interest himself in various local enterprises of
importance and has exhibited much public spiritin the encouragement
of all efforts to develop the natural resources of the city and
county. He was one of the organizers of the cotton manufacturing
industries of Janesville and has served as president of the present
Cotton Mills Company since its organization. Since 1882, he
has held the position of president of the Merchants' and Mechanics
Savings Bank, which has grown to be one of the most important
financial institutions of Rock County. He is interested in the
Janesville Pickling and Vinegar Company, in the Wisconsin Shoe
Company, and was one of the organizers and founders of the Oakwood
Retreat Association of Geneva, Wisconsin, a private hospital
for the insane, and has served two years as president of the
Association. The Oakwood Retreat has grown to be an important
institution and reflects credit upon its founders and managers.
Dr. PALMER has been a member of the Wisconsin State Medical
Associationsince its reorganization, a member of the American
Medical Association and of the National Medical Association.
He is professor of operative surgury, clinical surgury and surgical
pathology in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago,
Ill., and has been since its organization.
- Socially, he is a member of the Loyal Legion of W. H. Sargent
Post, No. 20, G. A. R. of the
- department of Wisconsin, and is the Past Department Surgeon
and the present Post Surgeon. In recognition of his faithful
services during the late war, and his high standing in the profession,
Dr. PALMER was appointed Surgeon General of Wisconsin, by Gov.
Smith, in January, 1880, which position he has had the honor
of filling continuously sice, being re-appointed by Gov. RUSK
in 1882, and by Gov. Hoard in 1889. As a surgeon, he is the
acknowledged leader of the profession in the State. Possessing
cool nerve, a quick eye, and dexterity of hand, supported by
a strong will and great powers of endurance, he has the reputation
of having performed some of the most difficult and dangerous
surgical operations known to the profession. As a physician
he is equally distinguished and has a large and lucrative practice,
which in its extent would tax the energies of a man of ordinary
capacity beyond endurance. Studious by habit, he is a ripe scholar;
a gentleman by instinct and culture, and enjoys as he deserves
the unqualified respect and esteem of his fellow citizens.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 364-366.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
- Transcribed by Bill
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