Bill Gurley's book, I Acted From Principle, is the diary of a Confederate army surgeon in the Trans-Mississippi, and is a fascinating source of information about the state of medical knowledge and procedures during the Civil War. Dr. McPheeters was more knowledgeable that most of his colleagues, but even he didn't know anything about germs and scepsis. He still used the standard procedure of bleeding his patients! If you ever get a chance to read this book, you'll find it one of the most interesting accounts you'll ever read.