Driving through the small town of Churchville, Virginia, it is easy to miss the historical marker dedicated to James Hanger. The house where he lived is gone. People whizz by on U.S. Highway 250, unaware of the man who changed the lives of thousands of wounded warriors. Hanger was born on February 25, 1843, and enjoyed a rather normal boyhood. Exhibiting a talent for engineering, he enrolled in 1860 in Washington College (now Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia).
He was on his way to a promising career, excelling in his studies, when the Civil War broke out. Heeding the call of duty, he left school. James, his two older brothers, and four cousins enlisted in the Churchville Cavalry. It was in the first land battle of the war—the Battle of Philippi in West Virginia—that Hanger was seriously wounded. A 6-pound cannon ball struck his left leg near the knee, severely mangling the leg. To make matters worse, the injured young man was captured by Union forces and became a prisoner of war.
