Samuel H. Decker (1813–1894) was a Union artilleryman during the American Civil War who became famous for designing his own highly functional prosthetic arms after a devastating combat injury.
In October 1862, during the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, Decker was serving in the 4th U.S. Artillery when his gun prematurely exploded while he was reloading. The accident resulted in the traumatic loss of both his forearms.
Dissatisfied with the simple, non-functional prosthetics available at the time, Decker spent three years (1862–1865) conceptualizing a superior alternative. While he could not physically build them himself due to his injury, he sketched the designs and supervised their construction, reportedly guiding his wife or other skilled craftsmen to complete the mechanical limbs.
His prosthetics were mechanical and functional rather than merely cosmetic. They allowed him to perform delicate daily tasks, including feeding and dressing himself, carrying packages, and even picking up objects as small as a pin. Remarkably, he used the devices to relearn how to write legibly.
In 1867, the Army Medical Museum in Washington, D.C., invited him to demonstrate his invention, which was officially documented as “hitherto unrivaled for ingenuity and utility.”
Decker’s independence and the dexterity afforded by his prosthetics led to a long post-war career as a doorman (doorkeeper) for the U.S. House of Representatives. Historical accounts note that he was once a “formidable police officer” in the Congressional gallery, successfully handling disorderly individuals despite his disability.
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