Entered the U.S. Army as an Asst. Surgeon in 1849.
Transferred to Fort Inge, Texas in February 1850, he would become the longest serving individual garrisoned at the fort, transferring out in August 1854 to Baltimore after the death of his father.
Commissioned a Major in April 1862, breveted Lt. Col. in March 1865.
Served as medical director of the Department of the Northwest in 1864, assuming the post of Medical Director of Prisoners of War in November.
Post-war assignment as Medical Director of the Department of Alabama in March 1866. Final assignment as post surgeon at Fort McHenry in Baltimore in July 1867.
Thomas Murray Getty was born in Maryland in 1824 to John Alexander Getty, a schoolteacher and administrator, and Jane (Hampton) Getty. Thomas attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a degree of “Doctor of Medicine” in 1848. Accepted by U.S. Army after a short tenure on staff at the university, he was appointed Assistant Surgeon from Virginia on 23 Nov 1849.
Dr. Getty’s first assignment would be to Fort Monroe in Virginia the following month. In February of 1850, he was transferred to Fort Inge, formerly Camp Leona, about 50 miles southwest of San Antonio, TX. The fort was named for Lt. Zebulon M. P. Inge, United States Second Dragoons, a West Point officer killed at the Battle of Resaca de la Palma during the Mexican American War. He would serve at this station until August of 1854, becoming the longest serving individual garrisoned at the fort.
Following the death of his father, Thomas would return to Baltimore for a three-month leave of absence to assist his mother in settling his father’s affairs. After a short tour of duty at Fort McHenry, Dr. Getty would spend the first half of 1855 traveling between short stints in Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Nebraska Territory, landing at Fort Laramie for a three-year tour of duty. In February of 1858, he was transferred to the 7th U.S. Infantry in Utah, serving through early 1860. In the Spring of 1860, Dr. Getty was reassigned to the 5th U.S. Infantry for a short tour near Albuquerque, New Mexico Territory. By November of that year, he was attached to the 3rd U.S. Infantry in Texas.
Back east at the outbreak of the Civil War, Dr. Getty was promoted to Surgeon, and received a commission as a Major on 16 Apr 1862. Little is known regarding his general service during the war prior to his appointment as Medical Director of the Department of the Northwest in 1864. In November of that year, he was reassigned yet again and appointed Medical Director of Prisoners of War under the Office of Commissary General of Prisoners. On 13 Mar 1865, Major Getty was breveted Lt. Col. for his meritorious wartime service.
Dr. Getty was assigned as Medical Director of the Department of Alabama in March of 1866 and would eventually return to Baltimore in July of the following year, accepting the assignment as Post Surgeon at Fort McHenry in Baltimore.
Dr. Thomas Murray Getty died on 30 Oct 1867, Fort McHenry from what was described then as “congestion of the bowels.” He was interred on 31 Oct in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore, MD next to his father. Thomas left his widowed mother Jane and four sisters to mourn his loss. He never married.
Marker procured Apr 2021.
