The Haystack

It began in Philadelphia and might have ended there had it not been for the curiosity aroused by a remarkable dead horse (so unusual a horse that Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote about it and Alexander Gardner stopped to photograph it). That, in turn, led to the discovery of a dead man, which, under the circumstances, ought to have been utterly unremarkable. The finding of a body on a battlefield is hardly a surprise. Especially on September 19, 1862, between Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, two days after the bloodiest single day’s fighting in American history. In the fields and woods lay more than 20,000 dead and wounded of both sides. At first neither army had left the field, no territory had changed hands and, like two wounded animals, the armies lay there panting, unable to fight further and still unwilling to disengage. By the dawn of September 19, Lee had slipped away and saved his army. But among all the bodies, this one is different, at least according to Doctor James V. Dougherty, assistant surgeon of the 69th Pennsylvania. He convinces Medical Steward Sean McBrien of this, but will anyone else believe him? After all, Dougherty is 20 years old, fresh out of medical school and has been in the Army of the Potomac a mere two weeks. Hardly a record to inspire confidence. Yet he has one advantage. In his two years at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, he worked with Doctor Carl Gustavus Brownson, professor of anatomy and a leading expert in forensic medicine. Brownson drummed into Dougherty an appreciation of detail and a sense of responsibility for seeking justice for those who could no longer do so for themselves. The desire to learn the cause of death of a man who, Dougherty is convinced, should not have been on the battlefield at all, soon develops into a much deeper concern. In spite of the opposition of his superior officer, Dougherty is determined to learn the truth, but each glimmer of that truth plunges him more deeply into a plot that soon brings down upon him the unwelcome attentions of Allan Pinkerton, General McClellan’s chief spy. The combination of Dougherty’s expertise in forensics and McBrien’s years of experience in dealing with the army leads them to a solution. But it will not be found until Dougherty is literally within an inch of losing his own life. The whole story is told within the framework of the history of the Battle of Antietam and its aftermath. Part of the mystery is worthy of modern crime scene investigation techniques, but they did not exist at the time. Instead, the author finds the solution within the limits of the investigative techniques available in the nineteenth century. Fact and fiction are woven seamlessly together, ensuring that both Civil War buffs and mystery fans alike will be delighted with the outcome.

James J. Mulligan is a Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Allentown in Pennsylvania. His previous books have all dealt with topics in theology. He has written numerous articles and for some years authored a series of newspaper columns on medical-moral issues. He also taught theology and medical ethics at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary for almost 25 years. He has long been a fan of mysteries, historical fiction and, as a hobby has studied Nineteenth Century medicine and forensics. "The Haystack" makes use of this background as it follows the progress of medical doctor James V. Dougherty, a regimental surgeon in the 69th Pennsylvania Regiment.