Show A forgotten hero of the revolution W p by ELMO SCOTT WATSON FTER more than a cen tury of neglect of his unmarked grave tardy honors have at last been paid to a forgotten hero of the american revo H A gutlon whose services 4 w ere of inestimable val ie to the cause of liberty a man who was one of george closest personal friends and to whose lot it fell to close the dying eyes of the father of ills country this man was dr james chalk chief physician and surgeon of the continental army after doctor chalk a death in 1814 he was burled in the churchyard of the old presbyterian meeting house in alexandria va with the passage of years the old burying ground was neglected weeds cohered it and finally all trace of doctor chalks grave lost several years ago a movement was started to locate the grave of this patriot and erect a suitable marker this was done and a email brass tablet was pro tided by the alexandria chamber of commerce through an error how ever this tablet was placed in the wrong spot but last year the project was taken up by the presbyterian meeting house restoration committee of alexandria and as a result an imposing granite monument paid for by his descend ants was recently unveiled over doctor chalk s grave doctor chalk bad had a dished career even before he became chief medical officer tor the patriot army in the revolution what that career was Is shown by the following sketch of his life provided by the restoration committee upon the organization of the virginia provisional regiment in 1754 chalk was appointed surgeon the command was at the same time ten dered to maj george washington who modestly declined but accepted the lieutenant colonelcy the command going to col joshua fry the regiment was not brought together until upon the death of fry at wills creek washington succeeded to the leader chip and the headquarters joined him at fort necessity biere was begun that lifelong intimacy between wash ington and chalk so much treasured by both chalk as medical officer of his mcgl nent was present at the battle of great meadows in 1754 and rendered aid to the wounded in that action his service extended also over the period of the fated expedition of braddock toward fort quesne and he participated in the battle of the monongahela where he dressed the wounds of the comander of the british forces and many others of the injured upon that bloody field here he witnessed the lar impunity which attended his youth ful chief as be performed his duties first aa aide and later as commander of the dis heartened remnants of the british troops I 1 when then on august 14 1755 gome six weeks after the operations on the monongahela washington was appointed to the command of the virginia provincial army and assigned to the duty of protecting the virginia and maryland frontier from the french and indians doctor chalk still remained as his chief medical officer the operations thus begun continued or more than three years during which all the hardships and pelva alons of the hardy frontier troops were shared by the young surgeon whose service ceased only upon the disbandment of the little army after the capture of tort patt on novem her 25 1758 upon his retirement from the virginia provincial service chalk pur chased an extensive plantation at port tobacco in charles county maryland and erected upon it a spacious man slon which was described by his grandson daniel jenifer in 1849 as even then one of the largest most comfortable and agreeable residences in the country here on the of november he brought his young bride nee mariamne Marl amne ewell of belle air in prince william county and here lie passed in active medical practice the years which elapsed until be again followed bis friend at his count rys call during this time the cricks and the never relinquished ed their intimacy and the in of visits between port tobacco and mount vernon were the source of the sincerest pleasure to both when the occurrences arose which culminated in the war for In depend ence doctor chalk was an active pa ariot triot As early aa 1774 te was con in a meeting of the citizens of his county at port tobacco at which were adopted a series of resolutions in which the people pledged themselves stat if the act of parliament to blockade the port of boston was not promptly repealed the inhabitants of the county would join with the several counties of maryland and the principal colonies of america to break off all commercial cation with great britain and the west indies chalk was a member of tle committee of correspondence selected to carry out these resolutions so valuable to the cause was the presence of chalk in maryland and so deeply were planted the rootless rootlets root lets 0 his social and professional relations that washington hesitated a consider able time after assuming command of the american forces to ask his old friend to again place bis medico mil gitary experience at the disposal of his country but in april 1777 in a most cordial letter he tendered to him bis choice between alie positions of ie alor physician and surgeon of the hospital with pay of 4 and six ra alons per day and forage for one horse and assistant director general with pay of 3 and six rations per day and two horses and traveling expenses found in the middle department the latter position the doctor accepted and soon entered upon his du ties on the arrival of count roch ambeau and bis forces chalk was ordered to join them at newport R L and to organize their hospital department a task which le accomplished with the most complete success on the reorganization of the cal department october 0 1780 doctor chalk was appointed the senior of the four chief hospital physicians and surgeons being the third officer in rank in the medical corps and up on the resignation of director gen era and the promotion of dr botn cochran chief physician and surgeon of alie army lie was ad danced to the second place under the latter title this position he held un ul mustered out at the end of th war in 1783 after personally in many of its most important events including the capitulation a yorktown at the cloe of the war be returned to his home at port tobacco but shortly after at the earnest solicitation of his late chief be removed to alexandria near mount varnon le continued in agreeable association with the until his death in 1708 w hen war with france seemed inevitable and washington was again summoned to lead the army he made the appointment of chalk at the head of the medical department one of the conditions of his own acceptance of the command remarking 1 I have al ready been applied to by a gentleman to recommend him for director of tto hospital which I 1 have refused as well on general grounds as because I 1 should prefer my old friend doctor crall ft ho from forty years expert ence Is better qualified than a dozen t them together chalk was accordingly commas stoned physician general of the army july 19 1798 with the pay and emalu ments of lieutenant colonel but without rank with the proverbial negligence of military legislation the act organizing the provincial army pro elded only for regimental surgeons and surgeons mates fortunately to wever james mcinenry the secretary of war had himself served as a medical officer during the revolution and in him chalk found a strong support in developing a properly organ iced medical establishment an act for the materialization of which was passed by congress march 2 1799 the determined attitude of the united states her prompt resort to arms and the reappearance of her 11 soldier at the head of the army however was sufficient to re press the warlike ardor 0 france and peace speedily prevailing between the two nations the army was als banded physician general chalks services officially terminating on june 15 1800 long before the latter date how ever he had returned to hla beautiful virginia home where in december 1799 it fell to his lot to close his own hand the dying eyes of bis faithful and famous friend general washington of that solemn hour chalk himself wrote 1 I who was bred amid scenes of human calamity who had so often witnessed death in its direst and most awful forms believed that its ferrora were ton familiar to my eye to shake my fortitude but when I 1 saw this great man die it seemed as if the bonds of my nature were rent asunder and that the pillar et my coun arys happiness had fallen to the ground own testimony to tho relations between them was witnessed by the clause of his will which specified blat to my compatriot in arms and old and friend doctor chalk I 1 give my bureau or as the cabinet makers call it tambour secretary and the circular chair an appendage of my study doctor chalk survived this event 18 years the latter portion of tho time in honored retirement being remembered by his grandson at this period as a stout hale cheery old man perfectly erect fond of company and of children and arousing himself with light work in the garden remained vigorous to the last and passed away february 6 1814 at tte age of sixty four |