2023 News

The Gettysburg Foundation will host a special evening program on Civil War medicine Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 6 p.m. in the historic barn at the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital. Retired healthcare professionals and Licensed Battlefield Guides Rick Schroeder and Fran Feyock will present “The Bigger Problem for the Soldiers.”

“The Bigger Problem for the Soldiers” offers guests the opportunity to explore Civil War era medicine focused on diseases in the American Civil War. The presentation features an in-depth discussion of the medical issues soldiers faced beyond the trauma of battle. Twice as many soldiers died of disease than of battlefield wounds. Schroeder and Feyock will discuss different types of diseases soldiers contracted and the treatment they would have received for pneumonia, consumption, dysentery, measles, malaria and others that Civil War soldiers faced in the midst of the war.

“Rick and Fran’s presentation is a unique opportunity to gain insights into Civil War era medicine from modern-day medical professionals,” said Paul Semanek, Spangler Farm Site Coordinator. “We are pleased to offer guests the opportunity to learn more about the treatment soldiers would have received for diseases, some of which they would have encountered right here in the field hospital at the George Spangler Farm in 1863,” added Semanek.

The special program lasts approximately 90 minutes and is limited to 40 attendees. The single general admission ticket price is $20. Friends of Gettysburg receive a $5 discount. Tickets are available for purchase in advance online at GettysburgFoundation.org or by calling Guest Relations at 877-874-2478.

Ticket holders for this program may drive directly to the property located at 488 Blacksmith Shop Road, Gettysburg, and park on-site. The gate will open at 5:30 p.m. for ticket holders to explore original buildings from the battle and the grounds of the 80-acre historic site. The program will begin promptly at 6 p.m.