This field desk belonged to Dr. Edward Barry Dalton who served as surgeon of the 36^th New York, medical inspector of the 6^th Corps, medical director of the Department of Virginia, chief medical officer of depot field-hospitals of the Army of the Potomac and medical director of the 9^th Corps.

Wooden box meas. approx. 19.00 inches wide x 19.75 inches high x 11.00 inches deep. The exterior surface of the wood is covered with multiple colors of paint. The rear panel is plain wood with a black diamond with the number “9” at center. This looks to be old but not Civil War period. This rear panel is missing a 2 ½ inch vertical strip from one end. The side panels have hints of green paint with plain wood spotted with white paint. One side panel has a vertical strip of whitewash. Only one of the two iron side handles are present. Three-quarters of the top panel is painted white with the back third being done in green paint that has mostly worn off. This top panel has pictures and a description of the desk taken from an auction catalog taped to it.

The front panel has lightly rusted iron hinges that work well. Top center of the panel has a keyhole with lock present on the inside. There is no key. Above the keyhole, along the top edge of the panel, is an area of wood that has been worn down. Many, many years of fingers placed here to open the lid are responsible for the wear. The face of the lid is mostly natural wood color with moderate white paint splatter. Clearly visible in an arc is “E.B. DALTON” and in a straight line below this is “SURGEON, U.S.V.” The letters are done in gray paint shadowed in black and meas. approx. 2.50 inches high x 1.50 inches wide. The paint of the letters is strong and 100% except for small areas covered by white paint splatter which is minimal.

Upon opening the lid it becomes a desk top with a dark green painted surface. The interior of the desk has a rack of nine pigeonholes with a horizontal hollow at bottom and a vertical channel at the right side for holding larger books. Edges of pigeonholes painted dark green to match the writing surface.

"Appletons' cyclopaedia of American Biography,” Vol. II, New York, D. Appleton and Company, 1887" says:

"Dalton, Edward Barry, physician, b. in Lowell, Mass., 21 Sept., 1834; d. in Santa Barbara, Cal., 13 May, 1872, was graduated at Harvard in 1855, and at the College of physicians and surgeons, New York, in 1858. Dr. Dalton then settled in New York, and was resident physician of St. Luke's hospital when the civil war began. He at once volunteered as a surgeon, and served from April, 1861 till May, 1865. At first he was a medical officer in the navy, after which he was commissioned surgeon of the 36th New York volunteers, and subsequently surgeon of U.S. volunteers, serving as medical inspector of the 6th army corps, and as medical director of the Department of Virginia. In March, 1864, he was transferred to the Army of the Potomac, where he remained throughout the campaign of that year, from the Wilderness to City Point, having charge of all the wounded, and establishing and moving the hospitals. At City Point he was made chief medical officer of the depot field-hospitals, Army of the Potomac, till the final campaign in March and April, 1865, when he accompanied the troops as medical director of the 9th army corps. After his discharge he was successively appointed brevet lieutenant-colonel and colonel of volunteers. In March, 1866, he was appointed sanitary superintendent of the New York metropolitan board of health, in which office he remained until his resignation in January, 1869. In 1869 he originated the present city ambulance system for the transportation of the sick and injured. His health had then begun to fail, and, after trying various resorts, he finally visited California, where he died from consumption. He published papers on "The Disorder known as Bronzed Skin, or Disease of the Supra-renal Capsules" (1860); "The Metropolitan Board of Health" (1868); and "Reports of the Sanitary Superintendent of the Metropolitan Board of Health" from 1866 till 1869.

He was the brother to John Call Dalton, physiologist.”  [ad]

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