James McHenry, Forgotten Federalist

THREE: “The Events of War Are Uncontroulable”

24 Surveying the tented fields of Cambridge, Massachusetts , in the summer of 1775, McHenry saw the rudiments of what was still a young army. In fact, its commander-in-chief, General George Washington, had only recently been elected by Congress to the position and had arrived on July 2, so he was merely beginning to make his imprint.1 The Continental Hospital was even newer than the army. “Continental Hospital” did not refer to a medical building but instead was a term Congress used for what one might call a “medical corps.” It functioned as a pyramid presided over by a director-general, with four surgeons, twenty surgeon’s mates, nurses, apothecaries , and storekeepers comprising the rest of the subordinate hierarchy.2 McHenry served first as a surgeon’s mate, the lowest position a doctor could hold.3 Fortunately, the camp at Cambridge was relatively healthy. Because of a lull in the fighting, most of the medicine McHenry practiced that fall was preventive. To avoid malnutrition, the army planted gardens and built company kitchens. Moreover, because many soldiers bathed only when ordered, doctors established regular washing days for both clothing and the body. The soldiers dug outhouses, and hefty fines or even courts-martial faced country boys who refused to use them. The soldiers did not always obey, however, and the camps were often filthy.4 Despite such measures, patients crowded the hospitals by November. “The principal diseases were autumnal remittents, typhoid fever and camp dysentery.” These were serious, as throughout the course of the war two men died of disease for every man killed in combat. Everyone especially dreaded smallpox, but inoculation remained experimental and against army policy. Fearing the pox more than the policy, however, many soldiers (and some surgeons) disobeyed orders and inoculated each other, sometimes causing three “The Events of War Are Uncontroulable” James McHenry “Events of War Are Uncontroulable” 25 deaths and the further spread of the disease. Washington reconsidered his policy in early 1777, as many of his soldiers now came through Philadelphia where the disease was common. He decided to have them inoculated and quarantined there before joining the army. Congress’s medical committee, chaired by Benjamin Rush, approved the procedure.5 Once a man was sick, McHenry could actually do very little. He would attempt to restore the body’s system to balance through bleeding and purging , which, of course, actually reduced the body’s ability to fight off the disease . If, however, the immune system rallied, McHenry’s nursing care could be a genuine aid to the patient. While McHenry practiced medicine, in early November a somber Congress learned that George III had refused their request, known as the Olive Branch Petition, that the monarch help find a way to avoid conflict and had instead declared the colonies to be in rebellion. In so doing, the king had made peaceful reconciliation all but impossible. With this rejection, colonists believed George III had breached his coronation oath. He was no longer acting as an impartial and just king, but was choosing sides. For numerous colonists this was the last straw, leading many to consider independence . It was a difficult choice, and, to make matters worse, neither side gained a clear military advantage. The patriot victory at Great Bridge, Virginia , was offset by Benedict Arnold’s defeat at Quebec. The cause found new energy, however, on January 9, 1776, when Thomas Paine published “Common Sense,” calling for independence. His essay, emphasizing as it did a readily understood, straightforward, and compelling logic, helped win countless converts to the patriot cause. The timing was excellent, for spring was near and warmer weather would mean a need for new recruits.6 Even James’s younger brother John considered signing up. He had felt restless for some time, and he wrote James of the three options he thought lay before him. He could join the army and the Revolution; he could return to Ireland with an eye to improving trade with mercantile houses in Great Britain; and, of course, he could remain in Baltimore tending to their trading house and aging father. James, however, still smarted from the loss of their sister and mother. He was not eager to “damp [John’s] military ardor” for the Revolution, but he believed “that one out of our little family was its full share.” James reminded John that he was effectively “hea[d of the] family,” and that James and their father Daniel greatly “depend on your management and prudence...