Simon Baruch

Born in Prussia (later part of Poland), he came to the US in 1855 and worked in a relative's store in Camden, South Carolina. In 1860 he attended the South Carolina Medical College and then the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond. He graduated with an M.D. in early 1862 and accepted a commission as Assistant Surgeon of the 3rd South Carolina Battalion on 4 April of that year. The Battalion saw their first action near Yorktown and fought at Second Manassas before going on the Maryland Campaign.

On 14 September 1862, the Battalion and the rest of Drayton's Brigade, part of Longstreet's Command, were thrown into Fox's Gap on South Mountain by General D.H. Hill in a desperate defense against the assault of Federal General Reno's IX Corps. The Battalion was severely damaged that day, suffering about 50% casualties, providing strenuous work for the surgeons in treating those wounded men who were not left behind on the battlefield.

The following July they were at Gettysburg, where Baruch was assigned to McLaws' Division hospital in the Black Horse Tavern. Baruch and the other hospital staff remained behind with the wounded when the Confederate Army retreated on 4 July 1863, and surrendered to the Federals at 7 a.m. on the 5th. He continued to treat the wounded there for about six weeks, and was then imprisoned at Fort McHenry in Baltimore. He was paroled in October and returned to his unit in December.

At some point following, probably in the Spring of 1864, Baruch was relieved or resigned his commission on account of health, but he was back in service by summer and after August served as (full) Surgeon for the duration with the 13th Mississippi Regiment.

After the War, he returned to Camden and was in practice as a physician for the next 16 years. Apparently not content with his rural practice or the trends in modern medicine, Dr Baruch moved his family to New York City in 1881, where he practiced on West 57th Street and became a force in the public health causes of bathing and hydrotherapy.

Details of Baruch's history from Ward1, and his NY Times obituary of 4 June 1921. The portrait of Simon above is from the collection of the Camden Archives and Museum. It was used on the cover of the Ward book. Legend has it that Belle Wolfe, later Simon's wife, painted him in 1862. Perhaps this is that piece.

See more about Simon Baruch in a post on behind AotW.

07/20/1840; Schwersenz, PRUSSIA

06/03/1921; New York City, NY