Ill soldiers occupied the church for nearly six months. Mary Harris, who delivered food to sick soldiers, said, “The first death I saw was a Federal soldier in the Episcopal Church.” One Danville resident said that church members “were dreadfully distressed to think their church was being used as a hospital.” Another witnessed death in the sanctuary. Nearly 200 men convalesced at Trinity Episcopal.
#CIVIL WAR HOSPITAL DANVILLE KENTUCKY FULL#
The courthouse, churches, businesses and private homes became full of men suffering from dysentery, typhoid and other illnesses. Nearly 30 years later, however, the church was again hit hard when the Battle of Perryville raged just 10 miles away.Īs I explain in my book “Perryville Under Fire: The Aftermath of Kentucky’s Largest Civil War Battle,” the contending armies left thousands of sick soldiers in Danville. The 1833 cholera epidemic was Trinity Episcopal’s first brush with community illness. His original tombstone stands preserved outside of the building. He died from the disease on July 30, 1833.īuried on site, McMillan’s grave is now located under the church’s altar. During the cholera epidemic, McMillan fell ill after helping sick residents. Gideon McMillan was a native of Ireland who taught at Kenyon College in Ohio before moving to Danville. Smaller towns, including Maysville, Somerset, Paris and more, also suffered.ĭanville was no exception, and the epidemic took the minister of Trinity Episcopal. Lexington, for example, lost more than 500 people. In 1833, cholera swept across the commonwealth, killing hundreds. Located across from the county courthouse, its sharp steeple and bright red door make it a visible community landmark.Ĭalamity soon struck the congregation. (Centre College photo)īuilt in 1830, Trinity Episcopal Church stands on Main Street in downtown Danville. This image of Danville’s Main Street, circa 1875, shows the Trinity Episcopal Church steeple.
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