He was one of the 12th Massachusetts regiment was a resilient soldier who endured multiple injuries during the American Civil War. At Antietam, Bemis suffered a fractured left humerus due to a musket ball, which eventually healed with minimal displacement and shortening. After being promoted to corporal, he sustained another injury at the battle of the Wilderness, where a musket ball struck his right iliac fossa. Bemis underwent treatment at Chester Hospital near Philadelphia, experiencing extensive sloughing around the wound before it ultimately healed. Remarkably, Bemis returned to duty after eight months and was injured once more at Hatcher’s Run near Petersburg. This time, a musket ball fractured his left temporal bone and lodged in his left cerebral hemisphere. Surgeons removed the ball and bone fragments on February 8, 1865. By July 15, 1865, the head wound was nearly healed, with only a slight discharge of pus remaining. Despite visible pulsations of the brain beneath the skin, Bemis retained full mental and sensory faculties. Corporal Bemis’ remarkable survival and recovery from multiple severe injuries exemplify the resilience and determination of soldiers during the Civil War. His case can be found in the Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, providing insight into the surgical practices and treatments of the time.
