--- title: "Here’s why Civil War soldiers had wounds that glowed in the dark" description: "These glowing wounds helped Civil War soldiers survive during the Battle of Shiloh. Read more at We Are the Mighty. Read more on WATM" date: "2021-04-27" modified: "2021-05-02" authors: - name: "Bethaney Phillips" job_title: "Contributor, Veteran Spouse" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/bethaneyphillips/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/civil-war-soldiers-had-wounds-that-glowed/" categories: - "Civil War" - "History" - "War History" --- # Here’s why Civil War soldiers had wounds that glowed in the dark ![glowing wounds]() *Stories of the World, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5mrK0pFmQ8* During the Civil War, a strange thing happened at night. In the cover of darkness, the silence of hunkering down during war, soldiers’ wounds would glow. Open, bleeding wounds actually appeared to glow a light, subdued greenish-blue. Almost as though they were human chem lights, only decades before they were even invented. This phenomenon was noted at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, where both sides were met with heavy losses. Taking place in southern Tennessee, wounded soldiers were left in the mud and rain for as long as two days before they were helped by medics. Due to the sheer amount of wounded soldiers, hospitals were overwhelmed and it took days to reach everyone. This perfect storm of disastrous events meant that for two nights, soldiers watched their glowing wounds in the dark Southern background -- they named the phenomenon “Angel’s Glow.” However, the source of the glow was chalked up to a mystery and left as a strange war story that was passed down to new generations. Not to mention the fact soldiers lived in conditions which normally brought on painful infections and death. Therefore, a legend where Angels seemingly saved the wounded was born. But in 2001, the mystery was finally solved, once and for all. **The source of the glowing wounds** Two high school students decided to take on the tale for themselves. At the time, student Bill Martin was a Civil War enthusiast, having visited the battle site and learning about Angel’s Glow. Bill’s mother, Phyllis, worked as a microbiologist and happened to specialize in Photorhabdus luminescence, a soil bacterium that produced its own light. Along with his friend, Jonathan Curtis, Bill began researching the war wounds and the origin of their glow. Bill is noted as saying he remembered his mother’s work and wondered if that was the cause. Meanwhile, Phyllis encouraged the high schoolers to research their theory. ![]() *The bioluminescence of Photorhabdus luminescens. It was taken with film 72 hours after the bacteria infected Galleria mellonella (waxworms).(Image courtesy Todd Ciche/California Institute of Technology)* Their findings? P. luminescens, as they are often called, make their home within tiny, parasitic worms AKA nematodes in plants and soil. Not only do they glow a pale blue-green color, they make their home in moist, cool environments. Wounded soldiers would have likely had hypothermia. The worms survive by vomiting up bacteria to kill other microorganisms living in the area -- it’s a survival mechanism to fight off anything that could compete for food sources or living space. An example of the amazing intricate of science, the bacteria attracts worms with its glow. The worms then see the light and help regulate the environment by releasing its chemicals that kill off harmful substances. In other words, by finding this bacteria within their wounds, helped the wounded soldiers to fight off other, more harmful bacteria that could have caused an infection or another illness. This, of course, was important as soldiers were able to survive for days before receiving medical care, a phenomenon at the time. ![]() *Private Columbus Rush, Company C, 21st Georgia, age 22, was wounded during the assault on Fort Stedman, Virginia, on March 25, 1865 by a shell fragment that fractured both the right leg below the knee and the left kneecap. Both limbs were amputated above the knees on the same day. Wounds of this severity frequently caused death during the Civil War due to the high risk of infection.* *Photograph Courtesy of: The National Museum of Health and Medicine* The only discrepancy the pair found was how P. luminescens are unable to survive at body temperature, needing cooler temps to thrive. This was accounted for due to damp and colder conditions of the battlefield. Phylis Martin, Bill’s microbiologist mother, was quoted in support of their findings, particularly pointing out just how slim the odds were for the conditions to be just right. "These bacteria \[that glow\] don't grow at human body temperature. This had to happen at a particular time when it was cold enough that the body temperature would be lowered by hypothermia, but not so cold that the soldiers would freeze to death," she told [HealthDay in an interview.]() **Modern science in play** The two high school seniors worked alongside ARS Plant Science Institute in Beltsville, Maryland to create their theory for their project, "Civil War Wounds that Glowed." Their project took first place at the 2001 Intel International Science and Engineering Science Fair in San Jose, California. Of course, there is no way to prove the findings. The soldiers who experienced Angel’s Glow are long-gone and lab samples were years from being developed during the Battle of Shiloh. However, it’s the best explanation we’ve got. And it’s hard to deny the logic that this glowing bacteria fits the bill. ## Author Bethaney Phillips has contributed to We Are the Mighty and MilSpouseFest since 2015, covering history and military family topics. She also served as the Interim Content and Digital Manager at MilSpouseFest in 2021. Now a veteran spouse, she spent six years in an active duty family and served as an SFRG leader. With a bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing, she has more than 15 years of experience in digital and print writing, focusing on researched pieces and human interest stories. She is also a regular contributor to Business Insider, covering family and parenting topics. Her work has been included on Business Insider, Yahoo, Military.com, and Manhattan Magazine. While continuing to freelance, she works as the founding editor of the Clay County Regional, a print and digital newspaper delivered to more than 5,500 recipients. She also serves as the Digital Director/News Director for Taylor Communications out of north-central Kansas. Bethaney spends her free time chasing her two elementary-aged boys, raising chickens, and reading fiction. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [WWW]()