ABSTRACT
The Crimean War began in 1853 and pitted Russia against Great Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire, and others. European powers chose sides in this conflict, the United States maintained official neutrality. Russia and the United States enjoyed fairly tranquil relations their mutual official recognition in the first part of the nineteenth century. The Russians, especially, had had a long-serving group of diplomats in the United States in the first half of the century. Dr. Nikolai Pirogov, who supervised all foreign surgeons in Russian service in the Crimean War. Parke was born and raised in Parkesburg. Draper provided many observations of several aspects of his service while in Crimea. In Sevastopol in December of 1854, Draper reported that there were not many wounded Russian soldiers. Whitehead served directly under Dr. Nikolai Pirogov, who supervised all foreign surgeons in Russian service in the Crimean War. Whitehead and Parke expressed a certain amount of pleasure the opportunity to experience real surgery.
