Image is a waist-up view of James W. Anawalt of the 11^th and 132^nd Pennsylvania Infantry. Anawalt is wearing a dark double-breasted frock coat with shoulder straps.

Image has good clarity and passable contrast. Top and bottom of mount has been trimmed. Paper and mount have light surface dirt.

Reverse has no photographer’s imprint. At bottom is a very nice period ink inscription of “RESPECTFULLY J. W. ANAWALT 11^th P.V.”

A succinct biography of Dr. Anawalt can be found on findagrave.com. It reads:

“James W. Anawalt was born in 1828, and, according to his pension records, he obtained a medical degree from Jefferson Medical College. On November 4, 1861, he enrolled in the Union army at the age of 32 as a first assistant surgeon of the 11th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry commanded by Colonel Richard Coulter. At the time of his enlistment, he was five feet seven inches tall and of fair complexion, with brown hair and bluish-gray eyes. On September 11, 1862, he received an honorable discharge to become surgeon of the 132nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry on September 12, 1862. He was mustered out on May 24, 1863, and became surgeon of the 11th Pennsylvania on May 27, 1863.

While on duty in Annapolis, Maryland, in February of 1862, Anawalt contracted chronic diarrhea with intermittent constipation. While he was at Camp Falmouth, Virginia, as surgeon of the 132nd Regiment in the winter of 1862-63, he contracted malarial fever which lasted for several months. In March of 1863, while at Falmouth, he experienced sciatica which caused recurrent hemiplegia of his left leg. He was sick in his quarters in Culpepper, Virginia, in April of 1864.

Anawalt was honorably discharged from the service at Hall's Hill, Virginia, on July 1, 1865. After the war he lived in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where he practiced medicine. He took in a medical student in the summer of 1886 who described Anawalt's severe rheumatism along with chronic diarrhea which required him to wear a "rectal pad." This student later practiced with Anawalt until his total disability in the fall of 1889 caused dissolution of the partnership. Dr. Anawalt's condition later required constant care of an attendant who assisted him with dressing and undressing.

Starting in 1888 Anawalt received a government pension of twenty-five dollars a month for chronic diarrhea and rheumatism.

James W. Anawalt died at the "Treas. Nat'l Mil. Home" on August 25, 1896”

Dr. Anawalt is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania.

While with the 11^th Pennsylvania Dr. Anawalt would have seen action at Cedar Mountain and 2^nd Bull Run. With the 132^nd Pennsylvania he would have been present for the battle of Antietam but due to his illness it is not known if he was present for Fredericksburg or Chancellorsville. Anawalt was back with the 11^th for the battle of Gettysburg as his name appears on the Pennsylvania Memorial showing that he took part in that action. As for his presence during Grant’s Overland Campaign a look at his military records is needed.     [AD]

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