Today in Wheeling History: July 26—Wheeling Hospital fully commandeered as a U.S. Army General Hospital after 200 wounded soldiers arrive unexpectedly (1864)
Wheeling Hospital, founded in 1850 by Bishop Richard V. Whelan and Dr. Simon Hullihen, was first located in a building near the Visitation Nuns convent before Bishop Whelan purchased the Metcalf property at 110 15th Street in 1853, when six Sisters of St. Joseph arrived from Missouri as nurses. In 1856, the hospital outgrew that building and moved to the former Michael Sweeney mansion in North Wheeling, its home for the next 119 years. The hospital first came under military use after the Battle of Gettysburg, when the U.S. Army rented one wing for sick and wounded soldiers. As casualties mounted in spring 1864 from the Battle of the Wilderness and Sigel's Shenandoah Valley campaign, the Army designated the entire institution a "post hospital," with Dr. John Kirker in charge. Even so, the sisters and orphans continued using much of the building until July 26, 1864, when roughly 200 additional wounded soldiers arrived unexpectedly, forcing the Army to commandeer the entire building. The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer reported the aftermath two days later, on July 28, 1864, noting Capt. Over's order authorizing Dr. Kirker to take charge of "the whole of the North Wheeling Hospital for government use." The hospital was officially a U.S. Army General Hospital from November 1864 through June 1865. Afterward, the Sweeney mansion was enlarged, growing to 225 beds by 1914, before being rebuilt in 1933 and relocating to Medical Park in 1975.
To learn more: Wheeling Daily Intelligencer - North Wheeling Hospital commandeered (https://tinyurl.com/5d4mtkp7), Wheeling Daily Intelligencer - The Atheneum (https://tinyurl.com/5d4mtkp7), Ohio County Public Library – Wheeling Hospital History (https://tinyurl.com/39kk2vd6), Ohio County Public Library - Dr. John Frissell (https://tinyurl.com/mr3s77pe), Historical Marker Database - Wheeling Hospital Civil War marker (https://tinyurl.com/2x4ydeas), Historical Marker Database - Wheeling Hospital (https://tinyurl.com/33wfaasm), WVU – Post/Central Hospital, Wheeling, WV Civil War Records (https://tinyurl.com/2z5jprzw), Archiving Wheeling - The Dr. John Frissell Collection (https://tinyurl.com/3vucp2u9), Wikipedia - Ewald Over (https://tinyurl.com/ypnv4y3z), Grokipedia - Ewald Over (https://tinyurl.com/4wtu8x4k), Flickr - Ohio County Public Library - Wheeling Hospital (https://tinyurl.com/72zf5yte), Ohio County Public Library - Wheeling Hospital, Wheeling Daily Intelligencer Article, November 26, 1891 (https://tinyurl.com/2s3h6pdw), Ohio County Public Library - Wheeling Hospital: North Wheeling Hospital, 1875 (https://tinyurl.com/4rk3mkfj)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; The Historical Marker Database, Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, Wikimedia Commons, WVU Medicine - Wheeling Hospital
Wheeling Hospital, founded in 1850 by Bishop Richard V. Whelan and Dr. Simon Hullihen, was first located in a building near the Visitation Nuns convent before Bishop Whelan purchased the Metcalf property at 110 15th Street in 1853, when six Sisters of St. Joseph arrived from Missouri as nurses. In 1856, the hospital outgrew that building and moved to the former Michael Sweeney mansion in North Wheeling, its home for the next 119 years. The hospital first came under military use after the Battle of Gettysburg, when the U.S. Army rented one wing for sick and wounded soldiers. As casualties mounted in spring 1864 from the Battle of the Wilderness and Sigel's Shenandoah Valley campaign, the Army designated the entire institution a "post hospital," with Dr. John Kirker in charge. Even so, the sisters and orphans continued using much of the building until July 26, 1864, when roughly 200 additional wounded soldiers arrived unexpectedly, forcing the Army to commandeer the entire building. The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer reported the aftermath two days later, on July 28, 1864, noting Capt. Over's order authorizing Dr. Kirker to take charge of "the whole of the North Wheeling Hospital for government use." The hospital was officially a U.S. Army General Hospital from November 1864 through June 1865. Afterward, the Sweeney mansion was enlarged, growing to 225 beds by 1914, before being rebuilt in 1933 and relocating to Medical Park in 1975.
To learn more: Wheeling Daily Intelligencer - North Wheeling Hospital commandeered (https://tinyurl.com/5d4mtkp7), Wheeling Daily Intelligencer - The Atheneum (https://tinyurl.com/5d4mtkp7), Ohio County Public Library – Wheeling Hospital History (https://tinyurl.com/39kk2vd6), Ohio County Public Library - Dr. John Frissell (https://tinyurl.com/mr3s77pe), Historical Marker Database - Wheeling Hospital Civil War marker (https://tinyurl.com/2x4ydeas), Historical Marker Database - Wheeling Hospital (https://tinyurl.com/33wfaasm), WVU – Post/Central Hospital, Wheeling, WV Civil War Records (https://tinyurl.com/2z5jprzw), Archiving Wheeling - The Dr. John Frissell Collection (https://tinyurl.com/3vucp2u9), Wikipedia - Ewald Over (https://tinyurl.com/ypnv4y3z), Grokipedia - Ewald Over (https://tinyurl.com/4wtu8x4k), Flickr - Ohio County Public Library - Wheeling Hospital (https://tinyurl.com/72zf5yte), Ohio County Public Library - Wheeling Hospital, Wheeling Daily Intelligencer Article, November 26, 1891 (https://tinyurl.com/2s3h6pdw), Ohio County Public Library - Wheeling Hospital: North Wheeling Hospital, 1875 (https://tinyurl.com/4rk3mkfj)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; The Historical Marker Database, Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, Wikimedia Commons, WVU Medicine - Wheeling Hospital
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