James Edward Hanger James Edward Hanger ( February 25 , 1843 – June 9 , 1919 ) was a Confederate States Army veteran of the American Civil War , a prosthetist and a businessman . It is reported that he became the first amputee of the war after being struck in the leg by a cannonball . Hanger subsequently designed and created his own prosthesis , then went on to found a prosthetic company that continues in business today . Early life and war service . Hanger was born at Mount Hope , his father ' s plantation near Churchville , Virginia . His parents were William Alexander Hanger and Eliza Hogshed Hanger . He attended local elementary schools and , in 1859 , enrolled at Washington College in Lexington , Virginia , to study engineering . He was an 18 - year - old sophomore when he decided to leave school and join the newly formed Churchville Cavalry , which was under the command of Captain Franklin Sterrett . Two of Hanger ' s brothers and four of his cousins were already enlisted with the company , and as he prepared to join them , his mother packed food and clothing to send along for her sons . An ambulance corps carrying supplies for the Confederacy passed through town , and Hanger joined with the group , traveling to Philippi , Virginia ( now West Virginia ) . He arrived on June 2 , 1861 , and after enlisting , spent the night in a nearby stable with a small group of untrained and badly equipped Confederates . While on guard duty the next morning , Hanger heard gunfire , and ran into the stable to get his horse . At that moment , a Union cannonball ricocheted inside the stable , striking his left leg below the knee . This was the beginning of the Battle of Philippi , also known as " The Philippi Races " . Author Robert J . Driver , Jr . , in his book " The 14th Virginia Cavalry " , documents Hanger ' s firsthand account of this experience : The first two shots were canister and directed at the Cavalry Camps , the third shot was a 6 pound solid shot aimed at a stable in which the Churchville Cavalry Company had slept . This shot struck the ground , richochetted ( sic ) , entering the stable and struck me . I remained in the stable til they came looking for plunder , about four hours after I was wounded . My limb was amputated by Dr . James D . Robinson , 16th Ohio Volunteers . Hanger ' s shattered leg was amputated about seven inches below the hip bone . This loss of limb is said to have been the first such occurrence of a war that saw more than 50 , 000 additional amputations performed . Hanger remained in Philippi for several weeks and then was sent to Camp Chase in Ohio . In August 1861 , he was returned to his family home in Virginia in a prisoner of war exchange . Recovery and invention . Dissatisfied with both the fit and the function of his above - knee prosthesis , Hanger designed a new prosthesis constructed of whittled barrel staves and metal . His design used rubber bumpers rather than standard catgut tendons and featured hinges at both the knee and foot . Hanger patented his limb in 1871 and it has received numerous additional patents for improvements and special devices which have brought international reputation to the product . The Virginia state government commissioned Hanger to manufacture the above - knee prosthesis for other wounded soldiers . Manufacturing operations for J . E . Hanger , Inc . , were established in the cities of Staunton and Richmond . The company eventually moved to Washington , D . C . . Other inventions credited to Hanger include a horseless carriage ( used as a toy by his children ) ; an adjustable reclining chair ; a water turbine ; a Venetian blind ; and a lathe used in the manufacturing process for prosthetic limbs . Hanger married Nora McCarthy in Richmond in 1873 . The couple had two daughters ( Princetta and Alice ) and six sons ( James Edward , Herbert Blair , McCarthy , Hugh Hamilton , Henry Hoover and Albert Sidney ) . The family moved to Washington , D . C . , in the 1880s , and their home near Logan Circle still stands today . All of Hanger ’ s sons worked in the family business as adults . Hanger retired from active management of the company in 1905 , however he retained the title of president . In 1915 , he traveled to Europe to observe firsthand the latest techniques of European prosthetists . As a result , the company received contracts with both England and France during and after World War I . At the time of Hanger ’ s death in 1919 , the company had branches in Atlanta , St . Louis , Philadelphia , Pittsburgh , London and Paris . Hanger ’ s children and grandchildren , along with in - laws , cousins and other associates , continued operating and expanding the company . By the mid 1950s there were 50 Hanger offices in North America and 25 in Europe . In 1989 , J . E . Hanger , Inc . of Washington , D . C . , was purchased by Hanger Orthopedic Group , Inc . and became part of their wholly owned subsidiary , Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics . According to the company ' s 2007 annual report , net sales for this patient care services segment were $ 571 . 7 million . As of 2008 , Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics sees about 650 , 000 patients annually .