What Happened to Wounded Soldiers on 18th Century Battlefields?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2020
- The narrative of the 18th Century military hospital is just as popularly known as that of the battles which sent them there. But, what is often less discussed, is the space in-between. Once a soldier had been shot or otherwise wounded, how did they get to that hospital? Were there formal means of medical transportation during the 18th Century, or were more irregular methods applied for their evacuation? When systems eventually did change for the better, why did it take so long? -
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I've only just realized that the transitions on this video are all wonky. Rather than rapidly and seamlessly fading into each other, they each go to full black and then come back. I don't know what I did to make that be the case- I was fiddling around with a few settings in Vegas Pro and must have altered something I didn't mean to. Sorry it looks a little off for that reason- know it wasn't a stylistic choice, and I'll be putting it back to how it was for the next video!
Ah yes, that pesky Sony Vegas. Amazing software, but woe betide he who tinkers with the settings!
I don't think I noticed, Brandon, despite my unnaturally high attention to detail. It speaks well of how engaging your content is!
Actually.
I really liked them and made me pay more attention to it.
Made IT more clear when smthg New was about to happen.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
I thought the video was perfect. You did good job from my point of view.
21st century: "Infantry Logistics"
18th century: "A System for the Complete Interior Management and Economy of a Battalion of Infantry"
gotta love 18th century manual titles.
Alien: Gee, I bet these precise-speaking people have incredible technology, much greater than that other society.
*checks*
Alien: Nope, they're nigh-on medieval. Humans are just weird.
You mean my essay?
Word quotas on school essays be like
My word Brandon, Lloyd will be very proud of that Scholar's Cradle you're pulling in this video
Just the wrong shirt color
@@felixtheswiss Ah yes, but improvements can always be made haha
Yep
Fionn Ó Faoláin his hand gestures are pretty good too.
@@enema6222 you got him good with that one
The U.S. was forced to create an ambulance corp during the U.S. Civil War as in early battles units would see their strength dwindle rapidly as men fell out to help the wounded.
During the Seige of Petersburg, there was a case where a Union picket could not stand the cries of the wounded anymore, having heard them for two days. He laid down his rifle and walked out onto the field and began offering the wounded a drink from his canteen. Both sides watched for about 15 minutes, until a Confederate sharpshooter's rifle broke the silence and the picket fell over dead. Enraged, Union soldiers began to form up into assault columns without any orders from officers. As they began to leave their works, the Confederates opposite them ran out onto to field waiving their arms in the air, exclaiming "The bastard's dead, we hung him already!" Afterwards, agreements were made to collect the wounded men shortly after any battles that would follow.
That's... Grimly hilarious.
Dude if you could find the source pls post it. I do not mistrust you, I can very much see that kind of stuff actually happening, I just want more details than those that a TH-cam comment can offer
sauce, my kamaraden
@@panagiotispotamitis9872 I'm almost certain it's from "A Ciclvil War Treasury of Folklore, Legends, and Tales"- which, despite its name, is fairly well-cited. I shall edit this comment if I can dig up the specific story.
I do not doubt the logic of feeling, so to speak. But I strongly doubt the practicality of hanging a man so fast, and of choosing rope when so many other instruments of death are to hand.
There British did not have very effective medical services in these times. The French had an ambulance system during Napoleonic times. If you read the account of Lord Uxbridge after Waterloo it's quite remarkable. The British dark humour towards junior officers was renowned. They would often tell an ensign that he would make a good field Officer, meaning he would soon be buried under it.
Very true and messed up
The British army continues the dark humour to this day
I dont get it, what was the joke
@@olgagaming5544 Field
Officer
Brandon mentioned mulitple times in the video,
that by the time of the Napoleonic wars, there were changes to develop more formalized means for dealing with the wounded.
Such as dedicated stretcher bearers & ambulances.
So I imagine much of the same general information was true for French armies too, as it was for the English.
Even if the French began to change things for the better,
sooner than, the English.
OK, but Byfield is seriously a brave soul, imagine the wound. Musket balls were hot, so it was already burning, it struck a major part of his body which led him to bleed terribly, his Sergeant offers him help. He declines the help for the mutual benefit of his comrades. He then has to trudge his way through crying and bleeding men behind him. Only to wind up at a makeshift barn hospital. Where he is under threat of being overrun by the enemy.
Truly a great soldier, I definitely want to read his book.
It's a great read, and pretty short! You can find it for free online, just search the name.
Brandon F. Wonderful! I'll give it a read, if your curious about the war of 1812 btw, (which is what Byfield fought in.) I'd recommend "The Invasion Of Canada." By Pierre Berton.
@@feldmarschallvonbraunschwe4463
Yes. That went well!
-Murica!
As a Michigander: "We built one more boat than you! We win.....Putin Bay.....wait a minute.....
Musket balls were hot but not as bad as as modern day assault rifle rounds which were also as hot.
@@BrandonF Will you ever make a video on me ? :(
Oh. Oh you weren’t lying about the impact of the teleprompter. This is good. Very good.
About wounded people walking back to aid stations back in the day - I had a near fatal ski accident years back. I was seriously messed up with my leg doing a 90 bend mid femur. With shock and whatever my body dumped into myself endorphin-wise for survival mode, after the ski patrol had hovered over me for 20 minutes waiting for paramedics to arrive (I was looking at my watch and wondering how long I needed to just lay in the snow) I actually tried to get up thinking I would walk the 300 yards to the first aid station at the lodge so I would be closer to the parking lot when the ambulance finally arrived. I couldn't, my legs didn't work. But in my mind I was totally willing and ready to take action to "help" myself. It was maybe 45 minutes later when I came out of shock and was in an ambulance that the incredible pain from my injuries finally hit me. So I can totally see soldiers back in the day that had fairly bad wounds walking themselves back to aid stations.
M
Yes, a similar experience. I fell in a large parking lot and broke my shoulder. The ambulance took an eternity to arrive (1/2 hour). Despite the agony of the slightest movement, standing around doing and doing nothing was likewise intolerable. So I inched my way to the parking lot entrance to save the ambulance crew the extra few minutes it would have taken to locate me. I can understand how wounded soldiers might walk to an aid station, extra pain notwithstanding, to avoid the feeling of helplessness.
Are you legs back in working condition good Sir?
That's crazy. I'm glad you kept your wits about you in a scary situation. I bet with the adrenaline on the battlefield and desire to get away from the battle, soldiers did walk back. This video addresses something I knew must have happened but never thought too much about it
The specter of a retreating army must have been an awful sight. Now the whipping's you mentioned in previous videos make even more sense. It must have been gut wrenching having to leave your wounded comrades on orders of your commander. There is no way this happened without incident and insubordination, especially when you think of units mustered out of whole communities. Thank goodness for the ambulance corps and medical reforms brought on from such an environment.
It's human nature to help someone who is in distress. Seeing a friend fall in combat, your good neighbor's home go up in smoke, etc. You want to help....
There was an early settler in my town who was wounded in the 1777 Battle of Bennington and survived. He was shot while falling back and had a musket ball go strait through his body, and also wound his wrist as he was reloading his musket while falling back. A town history book states "Not long afterwards, those who were sent out to pick up the wounded, came to Mr Haynes and offered their assistance ; but he told them he could live but a short time, that they had better look after those who could be saved. They left him ; but as they came around about ten o'clock in the evening of the same day to pick up the dead, they found Haynes still alive and brought him in. Incredible as it may appear he lived."
Soldiers in 18th century: walk to hospital after being shot
Me in modern day: decides to call it a day when I knock my knee
One of my great...grandfathers in very early 1810s had to walk for days through enemy occupied land with a musketball in his leg (and prize on his capture) after battle (he still wore uniform and carrief his musket). finaly arriving home feverish and in very bad shape, his wife cut it out while he was held down.
@@najroe ... did he live?
@@najroe must be painful, which country was he fighting for? France? Britain? Prussia? Russia? Austria? Sweden?
I served as a Combat Medic in the modern war and good lord I couldn't even imagine trying to be a field medic/surgeon/etc back in the ball & musket era. The Army base 'Fort Sam Houston' in San Antonio TX (where they train the Army medical personnel) has an Army Medic Museum on-site and I remember one of the exhibits was a set of medical tools from I think the American Civil War era and by god it looked like some of the most barbaric tools imaginable. Like, you'd look at this case and it could be something from the set of 'Hostel.'
Brandon, I really liked that 'poetry' beginning. So dark but cool... MORE!
What a masterful video Brandon. Plus I loved your two parter on the Boston massacre.
Edit: here follows an extract from the autobiography of Sgt. William Lawrence of the 40th Foot, veteran of the Peninsular War and Waterloo titled A Dorset Soldier. It covers him being wounded at the Siege of Badajoz and the aftermath.
'My wounds were bleeding and I began to feel weak. My comrades persuaded me to go the rear, but it was difficult because, when I arrived at the ladders, they were filled with the dead and wounded. Some were hanging where they had fallen, with their feet caught in the rounds, and all around I could hear the implorings of the wounded. I hove down three lots of ladders, and on coming to the fourth, I found it completely smothered with dead bodies. I drew myself up over them as best I could and arrived at the top. There I almost wished myself back again, for what greeted me was an even worse sight - nothing but dead lying all around, and the cries of the wounded mingled with the incessant firing from the fort. I was so weak I could hardly walk; on my hands and knees I crawled out of reach of the enemy's musketry. I hadn't gone far when I encountered Lord Wellington and his staff. He wanted to know the extent of my wounds and what regiment I belonged to. "The Fortieth" I said and told him I had been one of the forlorn hope. He enquired whether any of our troops had got into the town. I told him no, and that I did not think they ever would, because of the cheval de frise, the deep entrenchment, and the constant and murderous fire from the enemy behind them. One of his staff bound up my leg with a silk handkerchief and, pointing to a hill, told me that behind it I would find a doctor to dress my wounds. And so I did - my own regimental doctor'.
Wow! An extraordinary account. I really do need to read the whole original thing
@@BrandonF It's a very good read. Highly recommend it. The way it reads you forget he's talking from two hundred years ago.
Thanks for the sauce man I look forward to reading his account!
I remember a story of a private McMullin of the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot being severely wounded Waterloo who was helped off the field by his heavily pregnant wife who was also wounded in the process. According to period copies the Belfast Newsletter the Duke of York took some interest in their story as he agreed to become Godfather to their newborn daughter who was named Fredricka Waterloo McMullin.
In the Peninsular Campaign the Royal Waggon Train was often used to help evacuate wounded, it was found that their sprung wagons were suited as makeshift ambulances, they also did this in the Waterloo Campaign all be it this role was only performed after the battle. Given that transport arms in the British Army were undervalued and neglected for most of the 19th Century they probably weren't too effective. However this formed a close relationship between the Army's medical and transport arms and to this day in the British Army Ambulance units are not organised as part of the Medical Corps but the Royal Logistics Corps (all be it with RAMC personnel attached when deployed on operations).
The British army of the time allowed sometime like 10 women per regiment free passage, food and lodging over seas. The women filled rolls like nursing, cooking and washing, mostly they were the wives and daughters of the men. More could come along if the men paid. Most armies had such camp followers and they were part of the logistics system. Not sure what the British called them, the German's called them Matilda and the US Mollys or Molls
Your one of the best history TH-camr
Well thank you!
Well it’s true
I'm really interested in the time when the muskets were used, thank you for providing information on these times
This is a very under-appreciated aspect to historical warfare, for that reason alone I really like this video! And it’s very detailed, as a huge Francophile I really like you mentioning the reforms of Baron Larrey, for his ambulance and triage system, and Baron Percy, for his stretcher and first aid teams.
Bears mentioning that the British wouldn’t introduce a similar system until 1875. In fact they’d rely on French ambulances and stretcher-bearers to evacuate their wounded in the Crimean War, which became the impetus for their belated adoption of the ambulance system. I believe google books even has the original manual for the training of British stretcher corpsmen!
After 1812, the British Army's Army Medical Department (AMD) achieved a degree of competence and reputation in the Peninsular War following improvements by Dr James McGrigor and others, including mobile field hospitals. Following Waterloo, these lessons would be forgotten until Crimea.
YT history guys like yourself are a true blessing.....I’ll never go back to television.
"Dude just saw his limb off lmao.."
Hey youre from that JibJab video about George W Bush
@@bootdude7527
JibJab as in the guys who did the “year in review” songs?
In the Austrian Imperial Army of the 18th and 19th century, wounded were often taken care of by the military musicians as most of them (except drummers) were available during battle.
Same in the US Civil war
@@wyvernquill2796 Don't think their medical training was good. At least these guys could enjoy some music while their wounds slowly killed them.
@@chrismath149 Definitely. While most armies had some sort of medical professionals (surgeons etc.) as well as stretcher barriers in their forces, it is important to remember that really organized, trained & doctrinally integrated medical services only started to becoming a thing between the Crimean war and WW1. There is a reason why the Red Cross was created at the battle of Solferino with the mission to aid wounded soldiers no matter the sides.
It made sense for the time of course given that illiteracy was still high and that certain technologies critical to effectively run organized military medical services where still not etablished. Having an organized and professional medical corp made a lot more sense in WW1 and later where you had certain medical standards etablished, and had the means to transport patients with cars to somewhat propper hospitals at the rear line with cars before they died.
Until then, giving musicians this task actually made a lot of sense, since they where more likely to be avaliable after a battle instead of regular riflemen, who would be needed to pursue the enemy or etablishing security on the flanks etc.
@@Jan_2000 Yes, it did make sense. The issue with musicians was that most of them were transferred there after becoming infirm.
I can't find the source right now so I am not sure anymore if I am not confusing them with the Russians or if both armies operated such a system before reforms were undertaken - the problem is my current knowledge has quite a lot of holes.
If I remember correctly this changed slowly in the course of the Napoleonic Wars
Regarding literacy: If we go a bit further back to the middle ages the profession of a surgeon became a practical one so they were trained as craftsmen while physicians were purely responsible for sicknesses and trained in universities (before that some monks in abbeys conducted surgery and autopsies - read that in a book out of my university library, it was in German about medical care in the middleages).
Yet in a lecture it was mentiond that the survivability rate was not that terrible since the surgeons had discovered practices that worked (while often not having any understanding of why it worked - see sliver being antiseptical). There were spaces they could not operate on (the lung for once since it could collapse).
So while not having any prove of this it would not be too far fetched that some knowledge was available to those soldiers and they could provide some relief due to best practice having been established.
Well of course they just get up after the battle finishes, shake eachother's hands and go home to laugh at farbs
My grandfather was shot in the left arm by a Mauser in WW1. He made his way to an aid station, seeking help. He was so appalled by how medical care was being carried out that he obtained some medical equipment and took care of it himself.
As an EMT, listening to the bit about the flying ambulances and medical triage was incredibly similar to how modern day ambulances work. Even down to hospital triages and basic to occasionally advanced levels of care in the ambulance to higher levels of care in the hospital. really interesting how even before any traditional EMS system was made we did it nearly the same way as we do now.
They would be dragged by their sashes. That was their purpose after all.
You stop that.
Omg XD
Lol, I think thats 17th century, the officers had bloody wide sashes, they were used, kind of like hammocks, .........right?
Didnt get the joke
@@b0leg23 look up an historicaally inaccurate children's book
0-2:50
My dude... You NEED to voice some kind of twenty minute historical fiction story for us to listen to.
That was dark and beautiful all in one and it actually kept my attention. :)
This intro is completely underrated. The poetry-esque story made the viewer immersed, and able to understand such horrors. Amazing.
Well they would wait for the doctor to use his perfectly starlized equipment to make sure you don’t die from infection. That’s why medicine was so good back then.
The humours......the humours.....
You laugh now, but in 300 years people will probably be laughing about modern medicine 😕
@@kentknightofcaelin4537 kinda but not in the same way since our grasp on how the body works is quite accurate they however (if no massive fuckshit goes down) will probably completely understand not only our own bodies but even other animals and especially the little fucks that fuck us over
@@alexcunningham1647 Well few decades ago surgeons cut of organs like thyroid if they were infected because they were thought to be mere useless relics evolution had created.
Like the civil war surgeon who told Louis Pasture "I can take a man's leg off in 13 seconds there is no time for any bug to get in not even your invisible bugs"
Trapped on the toilet, I'm glad this was uploaded
@Apostolic Nuncio to Kekistan thanks bro
Some men have to deal with 24lbers being fired at them, others have to deal with 24lbers coming out of them.
Brave men all around.
I read Joseph Plumb Martins Memoir. I truly enjoyed it, finding some moments hysterically familiar and sadly found a great many negative similarities with the US army today. Just shows over time, many things still have not changed in the army. Including the bit about officers respect, you can tell which officers have the men's loyalty and those who don't. The short rations, terrible duties etc etc.... I'd still do it all over again.
I'm new to your channel and think you're outstanding by the way. Thank you. I used to be a combat medic in the US Army so this video was super interesting to me.
Very well done sir , truly a wonderful depiction of history. With vivid expression to the true nature of war in its atmosphere. With the terror in the fields of battle. With the memory of its reflection made true by gift in relaying the words of the book with your artmanship.
I am truly grateful for you Brandon continue your passion of history. We will continue to be your most loyal & grateful community.
I'm struck by Wonder by your gift in literature and expression in life. Please continue from a grateful member of the community.
This really speaks of the human condition. Imagine cradling a dying man in the middle of a battlefield. That's a powerful image of humanity.
Thank you, Brandon, for this fascinating video essay on a subject I knew little about. ☝️😎
You look exactly as I pictured you, from your voice narration's Sir!
That doesn't often happen lol!
I appreciate your proper, and even eloquent use of the English Language.
It's amazing the vocabulary one aquires, when you actually read books.... Sigh****
Keep up the good work fella.
Was recommended this channel by an online friend (From Empire Total War lmao ) and I have went down the rabbit hole. Great quality content!
Brilliant video. As someone who only does Medical living history impressions this was incredibly informational & useful. Thank you
I really enjoy your vids thank you for excellent content
Well thank you!
Well in the modern Day there's too much attention to the wounded (up to 4 Men attending a single casualy. We were trained that Men Who are lightly wounded and are capable of fighting must continue fighting. If they have an artery bleeding- they must attend themselves first and then continue fighting. If they cannon bandage and apply torniquet by themselves (hand wound, penetrating body wound, neck wound, head wound, unconcious) than squad Combat Life Savior (CLS) attends the casualties. Combat life Savior is the only person in the squad allowed to attend the wounded. While transporting immobile casualties into the rear no more than 2 soldiers per casualty. In the offence forces are supposed to leave the wounded behind for the batalion's sanitary company to collect them.
Quite enjoyed this one do far Brandon, only half way through but it’s a brilliant video!
Fantastic video! Loved it and all the history. Please more
Beg your pardon my lord but I must request nay demand more of this
-your dearly duck of Australia
Thank you for the video! Military medicine is one of my favorite niches of history, so it is refreshing to see videos on this topic. I can imagine it is rather hard to do historical research in this field when it comes to pre-WW1 armies, especially since it doesn't necessarily fit well in the "gloriously dying for your country"-narrative that I believe was very common in sources created back in then.
It's amazing what young men can do when they have to in order to survive. I walked 4 miles holding my bad arm up from a broken collar bone after a biking accident. And that was nothing compared to a battlefield injury described in this vid.
Wow. I'm so early to this video that the announcement for it hasn't even been made in the Discord!
I’m so late, America isn’t a colony anymore.
Tom Sanders Do you kill jokes for fun, or are you genuinely confused?
Could you do a video on that Barry Lyndon scene?
This channel is underrated.
I will have to say, this is the best video you have made. The use of primary sources is excellent and definitely backs up your research. Huzzah!
hows the new teleprompter treating you brandon? Has it made making videos easier? By the way I loved this video as it did answer one of my biggest questions.
Imagine the fear these soldiers felt when they were wounded
Great video Brandon as always. But one question what happens when an officer or NCO leading a regiment or company gets wounded or killed does that company or regiment go to another officer or NCO?
Much like in modern structures, it goes to the next rank available to command. If a Division/Company loses its Captain, it'd probably go to the senior Lieutenant, and so on.
@@BrandonF thank you my Lord for answering my question. As always I will be at your humblis of service, and charge through the battlefield screaming long live Brandon
I recall when reading the biography of a Russian General in the Napoleonic era for college I learned in the Russian Army it was the responsibility of individual Colonels to arrange medical services for their regiments, hiring and supplying medical officers out of a grant given from the Tzar's coffers. Many officers used these grants to line their pockets and aquire cheap doctors and equipment. I imagine the same kind of system (with small differences across Europe) was in place by most armies of the age.
Since officers appear to have marched in front of the formation to lead it, were the casualty rates of the officers higher relative to the ranks casualty rates?
Lindybeige talks about this for about forty minutes, actually. Search up the video "British officers don't duck". Short answer: yes.
@@TheKingOfJordan1 This was true even to World War 2, and maybe beyond. The casualty rate of lower rank officers was higher than for the enlisted they lead. This was because the platoon and company officers needed to dart back and forth to the platoons and squads, so they presented themselves as targets in the process.
IF, IF you survive a musket ball hit, then you will probably die of infection or blood loss, so I think it is kind of a lose lose situation if you are wounded in the 17-18-19th centuries
Probably but if you get lucky maybe not
Very interesting video! Well done, Brandon! :)
the exchange of "Byfield is dead!" and what basically amounts to "Yes, I am" is pretty fucking funny considering the circumstances
Moral of the story: don't get wounded in an 18th century battlefield. If you are gonna get wounded, be an officer who treats his men well. If you can't be an officer, then get hit in the right parts so you can walk home.
Awesome opening Brandon!
I read about hundreds died at Waterloo from lack of water and blood loss on the battle field, let alone the poor souls in the field hospitals....
Also, did you write that account recited at the beginning? It's incredibly visceral and impressive.
I did! I enjoy writing little creative blurbs like that.
Hey Brandon, Hamilton has Redcoat and Continental Uniforms that are used in the musical! You should review Hamilton.
Was Hamilton good? I haven’t watched it
Austin Walden it was alright
Pole Tooke thanks
With the Byfield case, I would rather take it that the sergeant wanted to get off the field of battle himself without the chance of being court martialled. ;-)
Excellent video! I have always wondered what happened to the wounded and dying on the field. I had always thought that there was medic that followed the men around and helped them, but I guess that is a modern application.
Man, your videos really make a great listen while playing mount and blade lmao
Wow thanks, you just answered my questions I had from your other video. Thanks again.
Scholar's Cradle achievement unlocked!
the camp followers in a lot of battles looked after the wounded would try to care for the wounded and sometimes the wounded recived better care from them.
Fun Fact
Byfield's Regiment (The 41st of Foot) is the same regiment than Confederate Officer Patrick Clayborne served in before the Civil War
Well, they probably died from infection, and for sure lost limbs.
The introduction of the triage system must have been quite a shock to the officer corps, as they were well used to the preferential treatment that the long held caste system had always guaranteed them.
Another problem for the wounded, left on the field, was the camp followers and locals. If you were there overnight likely they'd be there too, looting the dead and wounded.
You just don't want to be injured in these time periods.
What a storyteller
Great! One question is what awaited the wounded soldier at the aid station. Il always remember the scene in "Dances With the Wolves" where the wounded soldier, once he has seen what the treatment for wounds was, got up and went back to his old unit. They didn't have penicillin until the early part of the 20th Century and "doctors" had little understanding of what made the body work. Going to the aid station, in my opinion, was a death sentence.
Hey Brandon have you heard of the TV movie series Horatio Hornblower? It is about an officer in Napoleonic War era British Navy. It is an incredible series, it is entertainment, but it is very accurate and there are very few historical errors. Might be worth checking out, a real fresh breath of air as far as historical accuracy goes!
Very good video. Very informative. As a native of South East Michigan, and not wanting to read all of the comments, I can assure you that you did pronounce River Raisin correctly.
Even in later conflicts after official Ambulance Corps had been established, they were not always utilized effectively, often with appalling results. My mind is always cast back to the catastrophic Nivelle Offensive of the First World War where, among its myriad other failings, French General Robert Nivelle underequipped his ambulances in preparation for the battle; as it was meant to be a short sharp strike along what he (and only he) thought was a weak part of the German line, he deemed a buildup of rear-line personal such as medics to be unnecessary. Thus, in the opening days of the assault, the number of wounded being taken into field hospitals was surprisingly low, giving Nivelle the impression that the battle was going very well. The reality though was that thousands of French troops were being cut down and left on No Man's Land where they were forced to wait for medics to hopefully get to them. And having been stripped of their winter rain capes, another necessity deemed superfluous by Nivelle in the quest for more speed, many wounded troops left lying in the rain died of hypothermia long before medics could reach them. Given the masses of countrymen lying dead or dying upon the field, acting as the final straw on the back of the bloodbath of Verdun, it's no wonder that the French Army began to down arms and refuse to fight until Nivelle was removed and someone replaced him with an idea better than "needlessly, uselessly slaughter more Frenchmen".
I always wondered! Thanks Brandon!
Great video on this topic, thanks for your work.
Byfield’s mate “Between the Woods” refers to a set of crutches I think.
Thanks for making this thought provoking video, Brandon!
You mentioned that the large volume of soldiers and casualties during the Napoleonic wars necessitated a revolution in battlefield/combat medicine. It made me wonder how other regions of the world handled these matters in massive historical conflicts as well. First one that came to mind was the Yellow Turban Rebellion (184-205ce) which claimed the lives of anywhere between 3 to 7 million people. I can't imagine how people managed any logistics in such a tragedy, do you have any insight on this?
thank you very much for yet another interesting video
This video makes me miss reenacting. Our whole season had to be canceled.
Solider of the 18th Century:
Me legs been blown off by a cannon ball. Well I still have one good leg to get me back to camp.
People in 2021:
Oh my God!!!!!! My mask slipped off my nose!!!!!
That opening monologue though... awesome
Thank you, great information that I can add to my impression.
Thanks!
Thank you! That is very generous- and on such an old video, too!
Well done on the video Brandon. Terrifying to imagine what a chaotic place the battlefields and their surrounding areas must have been even after the battles were over. You mentioned that Byfield had received orders to help burn the dead. Was this a common practice at the time or perhaps only done out of some necessity?
Could you do a review on the musical Hamilton?
Bad
Fascinating and informative
One of your best.
Great description of how it happened.
I think, in the Napoleonic wars, the French, having their revolution with their "liberté, fraternité et egalité" had the best chance of approching the modern way of handling the wounded on a battlefield - aside from the naval battles, which are not covered in this video. A lot of French officers - being of nobility - had been cut down by the guillotine previously and their ranks been replenished by common people. The noble officers might not have cared as much for their inferiors, but the common class officers did. Also, imagine the effect the crying of the wounded can have on the fighting men. A guy like Napoleon surely would notice this and would want to have the wounded men removed as soon as possible in order to keep the morale as high as possible among the figthing men. And it is not only the crying of the wounded - it is also the fighting men knowing that those wounded comrades will be brought back to (relative) safety, that those were cared about - which in turn would make men fight more fiercly and with less anxiety. There are always to sides of a medal. And when it comes to helping the wounded on the battlefield, it might show a really good boost of the morale of the fighting troops when they believe that their wounded comrades are cared for. It will cost you much less men to win such a battle and the wounded might recover more easily and quickly and with less severe consequences when being retrieved early in the battle - meaning also that those men would be more likely to re-join the ranks of the soldiers after they have recovered from their injuries. The amount of men used for retrieveing the wounded will surely compensate for the losses - and that is what the Napoleonic generals learned to think of. For them it was a win-win situation - even if they would lose a battle, their soldiers would stick to them, knowing (or at least believing) that they would not be left behind.
I am drawn to think about both the Battle of Solferino in 1859 and the Crimean War.
The Battle of Solferino saw the locals going in to help the wounded as the armies themselves did not do much to help. The locals did not discriminate between friend and foe.
An event which was instrumental in founding the Red Cross, which would finally see medical service at an increased organisational level. (Internationally speaking)
And the Crimean War, of course, saw men sent to the hospitals under gruelling conditions where you were practically more like to die of an infection in your hospital bed than on the battlefield. This is illustrated wonderfully in Florence Nightingale's pie chart, especially before and after she introduced basic hygiene.
Remember gentlemen(and ladies) this was only just around 150 years ago. Such a notion as washing one's hands has still not crept into the entire population. My maternal grandmother being a retired nurse pointed out the following fact when corona started:
"When everyone had to start focusing on washing their hands, the number of general infections fell drastically. Now, what does this tell us of the general hygiene of people?"
I thought you would just cut their leg off and say "oh well, we tried!"
Pain, agony even, suffering if you will
Getting your pal to the surgeon: well, that's soldiering! :)
Very well told
In twentieth century war, it was considered better to wound an enemy soldier, as it took at least two soldiers out of the battle, as the wounded solders mate helped him to get first aid. The Germans in I WWII discover that a land mine that wounded a solder, by blowing off his foot, took three men out of the battle, as the wounded solder needed to be stretchered off the battle field.