Henry Wheaton Rivers

He first practiced medicine in Providence in 1839. He was appointed Assistant Surgeon of the First Rhode Island Infantry on 2 May 1861, and promoted to Surgeon on 7 June. He enrolled as Surgeon, 4th Rhode Island Infantry on 1 September 1862 in Washington, DC. He was detached to General Parke's staff April - July 1862.

He was Medical Director, 3rd Division, 9th Army Corps in September 1862.

He was Medical Director at Harpers Ferry in October 1862 and assigned as attending surgeon, HQ Army of the Potomac to January 1863, then attending surgeon to General Burnside at HQ AoP to June 1863. He was Medical Director, 2nd Division, 7th Corps to September 1863, and in the 18th Corps to October. He was detached until February 1864, when he was Medical Director of Heckman's Division, 18th Corps (to April). He was on a board of examination to May, then on General Kautz' staff. Discharged 26 August 1864 at the expiration of his term of service. He was honored by brevet to Lieutenant Colonel 13 March 1865.

Basic information from Dyer1. Life dates from his gravesite at Findagrave. Further details from Francis Henry Brown's Harvard University in the War of 1861-1865: A Record of Services Rendered... (1886) and his death notice in the Medical and Surgical Reporter (12 Dec 1868).

09/21/1814; Providence, RI

12/03/1868; Providence, RI; burial in North Burial Ground, Providence, RI