Description
This is a very nice, freshly discovered honest example of a U.S. Hospital Department marked surgical amputation kit as picked up on the Battlefield of Cedar Creek, Virginia, by Major John C. Patterson (1834-1918) of New Jersey. The set is in the original 3-tier case and several instruments marked U.S.A. Hospital Department. The maker, Hernstein, is fully documented as having contracts with the US Government for surgical kits during the Civil War. It is missing 3 drain tubes but otherwise contains all of the original instruments plus a few extra!
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, was fought on October 19, 1864, during the American Civil War. The fighting took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia, near Cedar Creek, Middletown, and the Valley Pike.
Location: Shenandoah County, Frederick County, Warren County
Patterson served in the Union Army during the Civil War as an officer in the 14th Regiment of New Jersey Volunteers. He was elected 1st Lieutenant upon enlistment before rising to the rank of Major.
Key Details regarding John C. Patterson (NJ):
Unit: Company F, 14th Regiment, New Jersey Volunteers.
Rank: First Lieutenant (initial enlistment), later Major.
Record: Documented in local history, including his time in Ocean Grove, NJ.
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Patterson gave the kit to his family physician, Dr. William W. Beveridge 1864-1928 (Married Emma Johnson, daughter of Dr. Samuel Johnson, 1910) Dr. Beveridge lived at 1000 Grand, Asbury Park, Monmouth, NJ.
The set was later given to Dr. George Whittle by Richard E. Kelly in 1969.
Info: Dr. George Traver Whittle
Birth: 1 Jan 1927 Lakewood, Ocean County, New Jersey, United States of America
Death: 7 May 2017 Stuart, Martin County, Florida, United States of America
Richard E. Kelly
Parent: Arthur Kelly
Birth: abt 1929 East Orange, Essex, New Jersey, USA
Death: Abt 1972 Long Branch, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA
Residence: Wanamassa, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA
The set was offered for sale on 2/10/2026 by Dr. Whittle’s step grandson, Frank, who inherited it from his great step-grandmother.
