Gatesville in Coryell County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Dr. John Calhoun Bates

(1822-1872)

Photographed By James Hulse, March 2, 2023

1. Dr. John Calhoun Bates Marker

Inscription. Born in Warren County, Ohio, to Asahel C. and Meeky (Bobo) Bates, John Calhoun Bates completed his medical study at the Eclectic Medical Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1850. He then moved to Florida where he began practicing medicine. Dr. Bates married Martha Ann Peeler circa 1855. Accompanied by his wife and her family, he then moved to Georgia, where he opened a medical practice and pharmacy.

On August 8, 1864, while serving at the City Hall Hospital in Macon, Dr. Bates was arrested by a Confederate Lieutenant and held in prison on unknown charges. He was given the choice of serving in the Confederate Army as an acting assistant surgeon or being drafted as a regular soldier. Dr. Bates chose the surgeon position and was sent to the Camp Sumter Military Prison Hospital in Andersonville. While there, Dr. Bates witnessed unspeakable atrocities against the Union prisoners of war and later testified at the 1865 war crimes trial for Andersonville commanding officer Capt. Henry Wirz.

Ready for a new start, the Bates and Peeler families moved to Texas, arriving in Milam County in 1866 and purchasing land. In 1868, Dr. Bates purchased property in Gatesville and resumed his medical practice here in 1869. He joined the local Masonic Lodge #197 as a Master Mason and the family became active in community social events. Sadly,

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his life was cut short when he died in 1872 at the age of 49. Dr. Bates was one of the first burials in the newly established I.O.O.F (Odd Fellows) Cemetery. Like so many others after the Civil War, Dr. Bates and his family sought solace and a new life in Texas.

Erected 2019 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 22458.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Science & Medicine • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is August 8, 1864.

Location. 31° 26.12′ N, 97° 44.043′ W. Marker is in Gatesville, Texas, in Coryell County. Marker is on North 22nd Street, 0.1 miles north of East Main Street (U.S. 84), on the right when traveling north. The marker is located in the southwest corner of the I.O.O.F Cemetery by the road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 104 North 22nd Street, Gatesville TX 76528, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Restland Cemetery Memorial (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Jesse Graham (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cotton Belt Depot (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Baptist Church of Gatesville (approx. ¾ mile away); Gatesville (approx. 0.8 miles away); Hammack Building (approx. 0.9 miles away);

Dr. John Calhoun Bates Gravestone and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, March 2, 2023

2. Dr. John Calhoun Bates Gravestone and Marker

Coryell County Courthouse (approx. one mile away); 1904 Leon River Bridge (approx. 1.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gatesville.

Also see . . . The Deadliest Ground of the Civil War – Medicine at Andersonville Prison. The National Museum of Civil War Medicine - CivilWarMed.org

Each surgeon was paired with an assistant, usually a paroled Union prisoner, which brought the hospital staffing to a minimum 30 person medical team. According to Dr. Howell, each surgeon was assigned to examine around 500 prisoners each, per day. They were only allowed to admit roughly 200 prisoners to the hospital every day, leaving hospital staff to turn away many who desperately needed medical attention. The hospital itself was haphazardly divided into wards with each one filled past capacity. Those who were admitted into the hospital were the sickest of the sick and their next destination was often the prison cemetery.

(Submitted on March 4, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The view of the Dr. John Calhoun Bates Marker in the cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, March 2, 2023

3. The view of the Dr. John Calhoun Bates Marker in the cemetery

Credits. This page was last revised on March 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 4, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 99 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 4, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.