The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-08-24
AN ACT OF TARDY JUSTICE.
An appointment Which Garfield Would
Have Made But for Guiteau's Bullet.


The nomination of DIR. Jededah II. Baxter
to be Surgeon General of the Army, blitny an
nounced in THE HERALD of last Sunday, was
act of tardy justice to faithful and ca
pable Official which President Harrison ought
to have been glad OF the opportunity to per-
form. Connected with the appointment there
is a story Of more than ordinary interest," going
back to the painful days of the summer of 1881.
Among the minor results of the fatal shot which
Guteau fired on the % of July of that year
was the destruction of DR.. BaXter's prospects
of becoming Surgeon General. President Gar
field only the day before he was shot had prom
ised to send DR.. BaXters name to the Senate,
as he knew the Doctors fitness for the place
and recognized the justice of the claims
which his friends made that he should
receive the appointment. But Pres
ident Arthur, owing to some personal feel
ing, declined to fulfill the promise made by his
predecessor. Dr. BaXter's friends urged Mr.
Arthur not to allow this feeling to interfere,
but without success. The President as much
as admitted that the Doctor had the quaifca-
tions and rights which should entitle him to
that promotion The Doctor was thus com
PEELED to wait for years for what was acknowl-
edged to be his just dues. Drs. Crane, Murry,
and Moore have each had the honOTs of the DO
sition of Surgeon General over DR.. Baxter's
head. The press throughout the country has
spoken in the highest terms of DR.. Baxter as
gentleman and man fully qualified in every
particular for the high office to which he has
been nominated.
Dr. Baxter was a self-made man and man
who has always been known for his determined
WILL never undertaking anything that he did
not succeed in accomplishing. lie was born in
Vermont, and graduated at the University of
Vermont, located at Burlington, in 1860. He
then took a course in the College of Physicians
aad Surgeons of New York. He entered com
pettive examination with class of twenty-five
surgeons for a vacancy in Bellevue Hospital,
New York City, and came out with first honors.
In the early part of 1861 his father, without his
knowledge, obtained commission for him as
assistant surgeon, u. S. ", and was very much
surprised, and his friends likewise, when he de-
clined the commission, on the ground that it
would be said that it had been obtained for him
through his fathers influence rather than by his
own merit. He made an application in his own
behalf, and appeared before board of surgeons
and stood Il most rigid examination and was
commissioned surgeon of the Twelfth Massachu-
setts Infantry June 26, 1861. In April, 1862 he
again entered competitive examination with
one hundred Others for the position OF brigade
surgeon u. S. Vols, in which rank there were sew
eral vacancies. The records of the Surgeon
Generals Office, referring to this examination,
state that owing to the severe and rigid eXami-
nation only eighteen passed. Dr. BaXter's name
appears third on the list.
In September 1862, DIR, Baxter was assigned
the task of establishing what was to be known
as Campbell Hospital, which covered the greater
part of what is now lie Droit Park. Campbell
Hospital was considered one of the model hos
pitfalls in Washington, made SO by energy, perse-
verance, and good management, and the able
assistants which DR.. Baxter had selected.
Nothing was considered too much trouble that
would add to the comfort and amusement of
the patients A theatrical company was formed,
much to the displeasure of the Surgeon Gen
eral, likewise band which was composed of
the attendants and inmates of the hospital.