Dr. Bodo Otto
Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Site of the home of Dr. Bodo Otto, Military Surgeon in Continental Army, 1775-82. Served as Surgeon-in-Chief at Valley Forge, 1777-78; Physician and Surgeon of the Continental Hospitals. Died, 1787.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
This was the home of Dr. Bodo Otto, a military surgeon who served the Continental Army from 1775 to 1782. As surgeon-in-chief at Valley Forge during the brutal winter of 1777–78, the aging physician tended troops battling smallpox, exposure, and starvation in the encampment that became a symbol of American endurance.
Why it matters
Otto's care for the sick and wounded at Valley Forge helped the Continental Army survive its darkest winter and emerge as a fighting force capable of winning independence.
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Related people
- · Bodo Otto
Related events
- · Valley Forge encampment
Themes & tags
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