In May 1862, Jackson's army captured Winchester, Virginia. Among their captured prisoners were seven U.S. army physicians (then called "surgeons"). McGuire wished to see medical personnel treated as non-combatants, so he convinced Jackson to set a precedent by releasing the captured surgeons. With Jackson’s approval, Dr. McGuire drafted an agreement (known afterwards as the "Winchester Accord," which the Federal surgeons signed, saying: “We surgeons and assistant surgeons, United States Army, now prisoners of war, do give our parole of honor on being unconditionally released to report in person, singly or collectively to the Secretary of War in Washington City as such and that we will use our best efforts that the same number of medical officers of the Confederate States Army now prisoners or may hereafter be taken be released on the same terms. And furthermore we will on our honor use our best efforts to have this principle established – the unconditional release of all medical officers taken prisoners of war hereafter.” The released surgeons honored their agreement to take the message to Washington and almost immediately it had the desired effect. On June 6, 1862, the United States immediately and unconditionally released all Confederate surgeons being held as prisoners of war. Thereafter, for the remainder of the war, all captured medical personnel were immediately released so as not to impede their live-saving work, saving an untold number of lives. As the National Museum of Civil War Medicine puts it on its website: “Thanks to Dr. Hunter McGuire’s idea…the safety of medical personnel drastically improved. With the safety and quick release of doctors, assistants, and nurses ensured, care of the wounded progressed. It could be argued (that) Dr. McGuire revolutionized American battlefield medicine by humanizing the battlefield and giving injured men a better chance to receive the care they needed to survive.”