Joseph K. Barnes

Joseph Barnes
Maj. Gen. Joseph K. Barnes
Birth name	Joseph K. Barnes
Born	(1817-07-21)July 21, 1817 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	April 5, 1883(1883-04-05) (aged 65) Washington, D. C.
Place of burial	Oak Hill Cemetery, Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1840–1882
Rank	Brigadier General Brevet Major General
Commands held	Surgeon General of the U.S. Army
Battles/wars	Second Seminole War Mexican-American War American Civil War

Joseph K. Barnes (July 21, 1817 – April 5, 1883) was an American physician and the 12th Surgeon General of the United States Army (1864–1882).

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a prosperous Federal judge, Barnes studied medicine at Harvard University, but left before finishing his studies due to ill health. He later studied medicine with Surgeon General Thomas Harris of the United States Navy, and received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1838. After graduation, he served a year as resident physician at Blockley Hospital and for another year as visiting physician for the northwestern district of Philadelphia.

Barnes appeared before an army examining board which was meeting at the time in Philadelphia and, pursuant to its recommendation, he was commissioned an assistant surgeon on June 15, 1840. he was assigned for his first duty to the United States Military Academy. After only a few months of duty, he was ordered to accompany a detachment of recruits to Florida, where hostilities were in progress against the Seminole Indians. For the two following years, he served successively at eight posts in that state, much of the time giving professional service to two or more posts at the same time, owing to the shortage of medical officers. Notable in his field service of this period was his accompanying Brigadier General Willam Harney's expedition through the Everglades during the Second Seminole War.