‘Bite the Bullet’

Civil War medical history talk Monday at Reflection Riding

Friends of Moccasin Bend will host the second talk in its Fall Lecture Series on Monday, Oct. 2, when Dr. Anthony Hodges speaks on “Bite the Bullet: Myths and Realities in Civil War Medicine.”

In keeping with this year’s place- based approach to l earning, Hodges’ presentation will begin at 7 p. m. on the grounds of Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center, 400 Garden Road. Guests are invited to arrive early and join Jim Ogden, National Park Service chief historian, at 6 p. m. for a guided tour and discussion of Civil War activity around Reflection Riding.

Fall Lecture Series continues an overview of techniques used by mili- tary physicians in the 19th century to treat wounds and disease during the War Between the States. Hodges will use original medical instruments to illustrate medical and surgical treatments used by the Union and Confederate military. He’ll speak on those treatments’ results and how Civil War methods contrast with modern military medical techniques. Additionally, he will explore Chattanooga’s history as a hospital and treatment center for Confederate and Union armies.

Hodges is president of the Friends of Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park and the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association. He has spent decades collecting artifacts and studying the Civil War, and served as a National Park Service living historian.

The third lecture in the series is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 6, at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Dr. Anthony Hodges is the next speaker in Friends of Moccasin Bend’s lecture series.