Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-01-25


manner, making large number OF
| friends among those who called upon
| MIN for aid in time OF illness.
DR.. Hills. who was direct descend
ant of William Hills, one of the found
! ers of Hartford, was born at Lowell,
Me-. May u, 1889. His father was the
Rev. Israel Hills, who died at Bolton,
Sept. 6, 1874, and was buried in Wilt
mantle cemetery. Rev. Mr.. Hills had
Maine, and the doctor came from that
| state with him. locating in Bolton in
1854 the elder Hills health having be-
come impaired after twenty-five years
of combining ecclesiastical work.
DR.. Hills prepared for college at
East Windsor Hill academy, and hav-
| ing decided upon his life work, went to
IStaffordville and put in nine months
study with DR.. S. F. Pomeroy, who lat
! er moved to Springfield, Mass. DR..
Hills entered Yale Medical school, and
at the end Of the first course Of lee
lures became Office assistant to DR.. p.
A Jewett and DR.. T. B. Townsend, en-
inent surgeons, with offices at the Ton
tine hotel. DR.. Jewett was q professor
lof midwifery and diseases of women at
Yale, and both he and DR.. Townsend
had had large experience in surgical
work. DR.. JeWett was in charge of the
knight military hospital at New Ha=
ven and DR.. Hills was his assistant
there. Thus DR.. Hills had a most ex
cellent opportunity of securing valuable
surgical training, an experience that
was later put to most worthy use.
October 27, 1862. DR.. Hills received
his appointment as assistant surgeon
in the Twenty seventh Connecticut
volunteers at New Haven, and with
that regiment saw active service, and
hiorblZT cd fnT- his work
lat Fredericksburg, Charlottesville and
Gettys At the first named place
DR.. Hills was a member of the surgical
Operating corps in the hospital nearest
the battlefield and in an exposed posi-
ton. The doctor stood at the operating
table nearly all the time from 1890 a.
m Saturday until 9 o'clock Monday
evening, untiringly at work upon pa
tients brought in by the ambulance
corps. The last patient was taken
across the Rappahannock river Monday
night to the general hospital. At
o'clock the following morning orders
were received to move on, and then
the brave little band Of three surgeons,
three hospital stewards and three am
bulance drivers, started across the
pontoon bridge, that was destroyed be-
hind them.
Dr. Hills was dismissed from the
service February ?, 1863. In that year
he received his medical degree and
started for Norfolk, Va, in answer to a
call from the mayor Of that city for
physicians. He locked his Office door at
Norfolk in May, 1854 and became chief
surgeon and agent for Drs. Brown and
Alexander, government embalmers to
armies operating against Richmond. He
opened at Office for them at Bermuda
Hundred, City Point and later went
near the Petersburg front
On the dGy OF the fall of Richmond
DR.. Hills, having made up his mind to
locate there, accepted an invitation to
go from Bermuda Hundred to the fall
en- capital Of the Confederacy, on the
government side-wheeled tug Black
bird. the first craft to pass through
Dutch Gap and Up the James river
over torpedoes, through obstructing
spiling, between 'sunken vessels, and
past the recently destroyed monitors
of the Confederacy.
DR.. Hills was engaged in private
practice in Richmond for a year, and
was connected with Freedmen's bureau,
having charge of the Chimborazo hos
pitaL Becoming dissatisfied with those
lately in the rebellion because of their
spirit, he left the south and came to
WilIimantic, and had since resided
here.
DR.. Hills was member Of the Wind
ham County Medical society, and in
1887 was president Of the Connecticut
Medical society. His daughter, who is
a practicing physician in this city, en-
joys the distinction of having been the
first and only woman to become presi-
dent Of the Windham County Medical
society or any county medical society
in the state
In 1870 the doctor became a life
member of the American Medical assoc
citation, and in the same year became a
of the National Association Of
Railway Surgeons and was appointed
local surgeon for the New York New
Haven and Hartford. the New York and
New England, and the Central Vermont
railroads. Dr. Hills gave many years
Of service in this Office and performed
many operations.
In 1888 he caused to be erected a
large and I'D to date private hospital,
which stands on North street and has
been the doctors home and Office.
DR.. Hills married June 6, 1862, in
New Haven Mary Ann Hill of that
place. One child was born to them,
Minnie Morton. born December s, 1868.
who died ten days before her mother,
who passed away at Norfolk, Va, jan
uary 16, 1864. He married a second
item July Z, 1864, at New Castle, Del,
Laura S. Heath Of Magothy Anne
~ AAlAGA AOuhLgr -INl-s anu 10 LDlS ulllpl
there were born four children-Arthur
Thomas, who died at Baltimore in
1898; William Morton. who died in this
city in 1886; Mary Lucinda, now Mrs
Dickerson G. Baker, and DR.. Laura
Heath Hills, both Of this city.
Politically the doctor was always a
republican. He cast his first vote for
Abraham Lincoln, and he took great
interest in the party's success.
DIR. Hills had two ora dpbf1dren the
children of Mr.. and Mrs. D. G. Baker.
He was a member Of the First Congre-
gational church and the Willimantic
board of trade One Of his hobbies
was history, particularly the history of
this town and state, and he possessed
r large collection Of historical books
and documents. Gardening and horti-
culture also came in for considerable
the doctor having had a fine
garden just north Of Bolivia street for
q number of years, where he spent
much of his time when not engaged in
his professional duties. He owned
large orange grove in the south, where
he passed a number of winters. He
was one of the best read men in the
city, thoroughly posted on topics of the
DAY, and having an excellent knowledge
Of many of the deeper scientific sub
iects. He was universally known for
has genial courtesy and charity that
was far-reaching and judiciously dis
Oensed.
An Associates Tribute.
An associate pays him this tribute:
Thomas Morton Hills was the dean
IF the medical profession Of this vi
entity, having been a permanent resi-
lent here since 1866 in the uninter-
'upted pursuit of his chosen profession. !
He has made a speciality Of gyneciol-
'gy and surgery, being well equipped