author
Elias Cornelius
1758–1823
A Revolutionary War surgeon whose journal offers a vivid first-person account of capture, imprisonment, and survival in British custody. His writing has endured less as polished literature than as a gripping historical witness from the American struggle for independence.
1 Audiobook
Journal of Dr. Elias Cornelius, a Revolutionary Surgeon
by Elias Cornelius
About the author
Born in 1758 on Long Island, Elias Cornelius became a physician and served during the American Revolution. He is remembered for the journal published as Journal of Dr. Elias Cornelius: A Revolutionary Surgeon, which recounts his wartime experiences, including his capture and imprisonment in New York.
The surviving record presents him as a firsthand observer of the Revolution rather than a career literary figure. That is part of what makes his work compelling: the journal preserves the voice of someone who lived through danger, confinement, and uncertainty, giving modern readers a direct window into the human side of the war.
Cornelius died in 1823. Reliable pages found during this search confirmed the journal and basic life dates, but did not provide enough verified detail to safely add more about his personal life or education.