Private Joseph Harvey of Company C, 149th New York, suffered severe injuries at the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 3, 1863. A fragment of a shell destroyed his right eye, fractured his right superior maxilla, chipped off a piece of his lower jaw, and extensively lacerated his right cheek. Harvey was captured by the enemy and remained a prisoner for 11 days. In June 1863, he was admitted to Mansion House Hospital in Alexandria. By August, exfoliated bone fragments were removed from his wounds. A ferrotype, a photograph-like image, captured the appearance of his injuries at that time and was sent to the Army Medical Museum. On May 7, 1865, Harvey was discharged from service due to physical disability but later found work as a night-watchman at the Commissary Hospital in Alexandria. When his photograph was taken on June 22, 1865, the loss of substance in Harvey’s cheek remained unrepaired, causing liquids and saliva to escape from the wound. He also experienced slight deafness and partial facial paralysis on the right side. Harvey received a pension for his service-related injuries, but his death was reported on December 9, 1868, from an unknown cause. Private Harvey’s case, documented by George A. Otis, is a testament to the resilience and determination of Civil War soldiers who endured life-altering injuries on the battlefield.
