Father: Charles Palmer
Mother: Mary Jane Randolph Lewis
- Attended Berkeley's School, Hanover Co., VA
1838-1840 - Attended University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
1841 - Lived in Richmond, VA
1841 - 1st M.D. degree, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
1842 - 2nd M.D. degree, University of Pennsylvania, Medical Department, Philadelphia, PA (from: VA; thesis: "Irritable Uterus")
- Finished his medical training in a hospital in Baltimore, MD
1859 - Served with the Richmond Howitzers, Harpers Ferry, VA, after John Brown's raid
1860 - Practiced medicine, 2nd Ward, Richmond, Henrico Co., VA (lived in a boarding house with 28 other men)
06/30/1861 - Sgt., Capt. Shields Howitzer Battery [VA]
08/06/1861 - Lieut., 1st Co., Howitzer Battery, [VA] Light Artillery, Centreville, VA
11/16/1861 - 1st Lieut., Richmond Howitzer Battery, VA Light Artillery
11/17/1861 - Elected Capt., Capt. R. M. Anderson's Co., VA Light Artillery
03/04/1862 - Capt., Howitzer Co, [VA] Light Artillery
04/30/1862 - Capt., Capt. R. M. Anderson's Co., VA Lt. Artillery
05/17/1862 - "Surgeon William P. Palmer will report to Brigadier-General Humphrey Marshall, commanding, &c., for duty with the Fifty-fourth Regiment Virginia Volunteers." [S.O. 113/4]
05/19/1862 - "Paragraph IV, Special Orders No. 113, current series, is hereby revoked, and Surgeon W. P. Palmer will report to general commanding at Drewery's [sic - Drewry's] Bluff for duty with the Fifth-sixth Regiment Virginia Volunteers." [S.O. 114/32]
06/19/1862 - "Surgeon W. P. Palmer is relieved from further duty with the Fifty-sixth Regiment Virginia Volunteers, and will report for duty to Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Shields, commanding at Camp Lee, near this city." [S.O. 141/12]
06/19/1862 - Surgeon Robert M. Evans replaced Dr. Palmer as Surgeon, 56th VA Infantry
08/16/1862 - Appointed Surgeon, Provisional Army of the Confederate States, to rank from 05/13/1862
09/26/1862 - Confirmed as Surgeon by the Confederate States Senate
10/11/1862 - Surgeon, Camp of Instruction (subsequently, Camp Lee), VA
01/00/1863 - Surgeon-in-charge, Post Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
07/00/1863 - Surgeon-in-charge, Post Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
08/31/1863 - Surgeon-in-charge, Post Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
10/01/1863 - Surgeon-in-charge, Post Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
12/00/1863 - Surgeon-in-charge, Post Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
02/00/1864 - Surgeon-in-charge, Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
03/00/1864 - Surgeon-in-charge, Post Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
09/07/1864 - Surgeon, Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
10/00/1864 - Surgeon-in-charge, Post Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
12/14/1864 - President, Confederate Examining Board, Camp Lee, VA
12/14/1864 - Surgeon-in-charge, Post Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
01/07/1865 - Surgeon, Post Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
03/00/1865 - Surgeon, Post Hospital, Camp Lee, VA
04/03/1865 - Captured, Richmond, VA
04/20/1865 - Paroled, Richmond, VA
1870 - Practiced medicine, Madison Ward, Richmond, Henrico Co, VA
1871 - Judge, Virginia State Fair
1875-1885 - Compiler and editor, "Calendar of State Papers" [Virginia]
1880 - Practiced medicine, Richmond, Henrico Co., VA
- Member, Executive Committee, Virginia Historical Society
- Corresponding Secretary, Virginia Historical Society
1896 - Vice-President, Virginia Historical Society
03/03/1896 - Died, Richmond, VA, "on the evening of the day President Cleveland sent to congress his Venezuelan message Dr. Palmer visited his rector, Rev. D. Gravatte. They were discussing the message and the doctor became excited and condemned in strong terms the president's utterances. He suddenly lost all power of speech and was removed to a hospital. He never recovered his speech." [source: Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA, March 4, 1896, page 8. Thanks to Graves, a.k.a., Gravetrotter]

Note: Several sources cite Dr. Palmer's birth as 08/14/1821 while his gravestone has 08/17/1821.

Bob Krick, R. E. L. Krick, and Graves provided input to this biography

This biographical sketch is from:
Hambrecht, F.T. & Koste, J.L., Biographical
register of physicians who served the
Confederacy in a medical capacity.
02/19/2014. Unpublished database.