CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA., March 1, 1863.
GENERAL: In compliance with the directions contained in your communication of January 20,
1863, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the
medical department of this army from July 4 to November 7, 1862, viz:(*)
* * * * * * * * * *
From the date of the embarkation of the troops at Fortress Monroe up to the time when the general was placed in command of the defenses of Washington, I know personally but little of the medical department of the Army of the Potomac. It was not under my control. On the 2d of September, when the general was placed in command, it came once more under my direction, and I found it in a most deplorable condition. The officers were worn down by the labors
they had in the mean time undergone; a large portion of their supplies, as I
have stated, had been left at Fortress Monroe, and even much of that which they
had brought with them was thrown on the roadside, I have been informed by
commanding officers, whilst on their way to join General Pope. This state of
things, taken in connection with the effects upon the medical department arising
from the campaign of that officer, left it in a condition deeply to be deplored.
The labor expended at Harrison's in rendering it efficient for active service
seemed to have been expended in vain, and before it could be in a condition to
render such service again it was necessary that it should be
completely refitted. The circumstances under which the army was then placed made
this simply impossible. There was not time to do it, for as soon as the troops
reached the defenses of Washington they were marched into Maryland, and no time
could be allowed for medical officers again to equip themselves with the
medicines, instruments, dressings, and stores necessary for the campaign in that
State.
In a few instances the medical officers who returned with the first
troops were able to obtain a few supplies, but these opportunities were few.
Some corps which did not belong to the Army of the Potomac whilst it lay at
Harrison's Landing were also marched rapidly into Maryland, of the condition of
whose medical supplies I could know nothing except on the way to meet the enemy.
The medical department had to be, as it were, reorganized and resupplied, and
this had to be done while upon a rapid march over different roads, in different
sections of the country, and almost in face of the enemy. Before leaving
Washington I had ordered a number of hospital wagons from Alexandria, Va., which
reached me at Rockville, in Maryland, whence they were distributed to the
different corps. While at this place I directed the medical purveyor in
Baltimore to put up certain supplies and have them ready to send to such a point
as I should direct. Upon our arrival at Frederick on the 13th of September
(having left Washington on the evening of the 7th), directions were given for
the establishment of hospitals at that place for the reception of wounded in the
anticipated battles, and additional supplies to a large amount ordered to be
sent from Baltimore at once. The Confederate troops had been in this city but
the day before our arrival. Almost all the medical supplies had been destroyed
or had been taken by them. Just previous to our arrival in Frederick, 200
ambulances were received from Washington, which I distributed to the corps as
rapidly as the movements of the troops would permit. The failure of the railroad
company to forward the supplies caused serious annoyance. The railroad bridge
over the Monocacy Creek between Frederick and Baltimore having been destroyed by
the Confederate forces, made it necessary to have all the supplies of the
quartermaster's and commissary as well as the medical departments removed from
the cars at that point. A great deal of confusion and delay was the consequence,
which seriously embarrassed the medical department, and not from this cause
alone, but from the fact that cars loaded with supplies for its use were on some
occasions switched off and left for some time upon the side of the road to make
way for other stores.
The battle of South Mountain took place on the 14th.
The village of Middletown, about 4 miles in rear of the scene of action, was
thoroughly examined before the battle began, to ascertain its adaptability for
the care of the wounded. Churches and other buildings were taken as far as were
considered necessary, and yet causing as little inconvenience as possible to the
citizens residing there. Houses and barns, the latter large and commodious, were
selected, in the most sheltered places on the right and left of the field, by
the medical directors of the corps engaged, where the wounded were first
received, whence they were removed to Middletown, the Confederate wounded as
well as our own. The battle lasted until some time after dark, and as soon as
the firing ceased I returned to Middletown and visited all the hospitals, and
gave such directions as were necessary for the better care of the wounded. On
the following morning Assistant Surgeon Thomson, U.S. Army, was directed to take
charge of all the hospitals in the village, and three skillful
surgeons were sent to consult together and with him, and perform such operations
as the cases demanded. The object in sending these officers was to have all
necessary operations done as soon as possible, as it would be impossible for the
surgeons in charge of the different hospitals to perform them all in season and
at the same time attend to the other duties required of them. The work of these
officers was very satisfactorily performed. The hospitals were soon put in good
condition and the men well attended to. Supplies of medicines, &c., were in
part obtained from the supplies in the army and in part from Frederick, from
which place, owing to the causes already alluded to, it required no little
exertion to obtain them. The difficulty was, however, overcome, and such as were
needed were from time to time procured. The task of providing food for the
wounded was one of still greater difficulty, but that was also accomplished by
having it brought from Frederick and by purchasing from the people living in the
village and in its vicinity. As was anticipated, the wounded, under the
supervision of Dr. Thomson, who labored unceasingly, were attended to with great
care and the hospitals placed in excellent condition. Great kindness was shown
by the citizens, and especially the ladies, to our wounded, until the hospitals
were broken up.
The battle of Crampton's Gap took place also on the 14th, at
the same time that of South Mountain was in progress. The hospitals for the
wounded were located in Burkittsville, about a mile in the rear of our troops.
As in the village of Middletown, churches and other buildings were here
appropriated for hospital purposes. A sufficient number of surgeons were
detailed by Surgeon White, U.S. Army, the medical director of the Sixth Corps
(which was the only corps engaged), who had charge of the medical department in
this action. There was but short time given to prepare hospitals in either of
these villages, as the troops left Frederick and fought both battles the same
day. By the exertions of the medical officers in charge, the hospitals in
Burkittsville were in a short time put in good order, and every care taken of
the men brought to them. The surgeon who was placed in charge, having been
guilty of improper conduct, was displaced and afterward dropped from the rolls,
and Assistant Surgeon Du Bois placed in charge, under whose administration
everything went on well. The same difficulty existed here as in Middletown
regarding supplies of medicines, &c., and food, and was overcome in like
manner. The most reliable reports that can be obtained show 1,214 wounded in
these two engagements. While these figures are not deemed entirely accurate,
they are thought to approximate very nearly the actual number wounded, those of
the Confederate forces not being included.
Passing through the village of
Boonsborough on the following day, it was examined to ascertain what
accommodation it afforded for hospital purposes in the event they should be
required there. Later in the evening we passed through the village of
Keedysville, a few miles beyond, which was also subjected to a similar
examination. Passing beyond this village, we came in sight, late in the evening,
of' what afterward proved to be the battle-field of Antietam. As soon as the
nature of the country and its resources for hospital purposes could be
ascertained, and when an idea was given of the nature of the anticipated battle
and the position to be occupied by our troops, directions were given to the
medical directors of corps to form their hospitals as far as possible by
divisions, and at such a distance in the rear of the line of battle as to be
secure from the shot and shell of the enemy; to select the houses and barns most
easy of access, and such as were well supplied with hay or straw and
water; when circumstances would permit, to designate barns as preferable in all
cases to houses, as being at that season of the year well provided with straw,
better ventilated, and enabling the medical officers with more facility to
attend to a greater number of wounded, and to have all the hospital supplies
taken to such points as were selected. These directions were generally carried
into effect, and yet the hospitals were not always beyond the range of the
enemy's guns. Very few hospital tents were to be obtained, owing to the haste in
which the army was marched from Virginia into Maryland, but the weather was such
as to enable the wounded to be taken care of without them. A reference to the
map accompanying this report will exhibit better than any description the
location of these hospitals, which, from the length of the line of battle and
the obstinacy with which the engagement was contested, required to b,. numerous.
The battle lasted until dark. During the day I received valuable aid from
Assistant Surgeon Howard, U.S. Army, who was busily engaged while the battle was
in progress in riding to different parts of the field and keeping me informed of
the condition of medical affairs. After night I visited all the hospitals in
Keedysville and gave such directions as were deemed necessary.
The subject of
supplies, always a source of serious consideration, was here peculiarly so. The
condition of affairs at Monocacy Creek remained as heretofore described, and the
action of the railroad was not commensurate with the demands made upon it. The
propriety of obtaining the hospital wagons from Alexandria was evident, as these
gave a supply for the emergency and enabled surgeons to attend to the wounded as
soon as the battle opened. After the victory was won, supplies of medicines,
stimulants, dressings, &c., were sent for and brought from Frederick, in
ambulances, by officers sent for that purpose, and were distributed to the
different hospitals as they were needed. The fear of the supplies becoming
exhausted, for the difficulty in procuring them was well known, caused
uneasiness on the part of some medical officers, who did not know the efforts
that had been made before and were made during and after the battle to have
enough furnished to supply their wants. I visited after the battle every
hospital in the rear of our lines, although not always making myself known, and
in no instance did I find any undue suffering for lack of medical supplies.
Owing to the difficulty in having them brought from Monocacy Creek, for the
first few days the supplies of some articles became scanty, and in some
instances very much so; but they were soon renewed, and at the temporary depot
established in Sharpsburg shortly after the battle a sufficient quantity of such
articles as were necessary from time to time arrived, and when this temporary
depot was afterward broken up, about the middle of October, a portion of the
supplies remained on hand. Not only were the wounded of our own army supplied,
but all the Confederate wounded which fell into our hands were furnished all the
medicines, hospital stores, and dressings that were required for their
use.
The difficulty of supplying the hospitals with food was a much greater
one than that of providing articles belonging to the medical department, and was
a matter of very great concern. This, a matter in all battles of moment, was in
this particularly so on account of the distance of the depot of supplies. An
order was procured from Colonel Ingalls for a number of wagons (12), to be
turned over by the quartermaster at Frederick to an officer that I should send
there, for the purpose of bringing up supplies of medicines and food. These
wagons could not be obtained at Frederick. Two were then procured from
Colonel Ingalls at headquarters, and sent under an officer, who bought
up supplies of coffee, sugar, and bread. The hospitals were afterward and in a
short time abundantly supplied. The hospitals were thus provided with medical
supplies, and for the first few days with food. They had all that was necessary
for the wounded.
I have already mentioned that the ambulances had been left
at Fortress Monroe when the troops embarked, and that no system existed except
in the corps which belonged to the Army of the Potomac while at Harrison's
Landing. A portion of the ambulances of some of the corps arrived just prior to
the battle. A large number had been distributed in other corps, but were yet
unorganized. It was not, there-tore, expected that they would prove as efficient
as could be desired. Notwithstanding these facts, the wounded were brought from
the field on our right before 2 o'clock on the following day. The Second Corps
was more fully equipped, and did most excellent service under the charge of
Capt. J. M. Garland, who labored diligently and with great care until all his
wounded were removed. The troops on our left were those among whom no ambulance
system existed, but here, owing to the exertions of the medical officers, the
wounded were removed by the evening of the day following the battle. When we
consider the magnitude of the engagement, the length of time the battle lasted,
and the obstinacy with which it was contested, causing this to be the greatest
and bloodiest action that ever took place on this continent, it is a matter of
congratulation to speak of the expeditious and careful manner in which the
wounded were removed from the field.
Compiled from the most reliable sources
at my command, the number of wounded amounted to 8,350. This number is not
entirely accurate, as many who were slightly wounded were attended to, of whose
cases no record could, under the circumstances, be taken.
The removal of so large a body of wounded was no small task. The journey to Frederick in
ambulances was to wounded men tedious and tiresome, and often painful. It was
necessary that they should halt at Middletown for food and to take rest; that
food should always be provided at this place at the proper time and for the
proper number; that the hospitals at Frederick should not be overcrowded; that
the ambulances should not arrive too soon for the trains of cars at the depot at
Frederick, and that the ambulance horses should not be broken down by the
constant labor required of them. With rare exceptions this was accomplished, and
all the wounded whose safety would not be jeopardized by the journey were sent
carefully and comfortably away. The hospitals in Frederick were soon established
and put in order by Surgeon Milhau, U.S. Army. In addition to the hospitals in
the city, two large camps of hospital tents were formed on the outskirts of the
city, capable of containing one thousand beds each. One hospital had been
established in Frederick some months before our arrival there, but at that time
it was filled, and chiefly with Confederate sick and wounded, who had been left
there. All the available buildings in this city (six in number)were taken at
once for hospitals for our own troops and those of the enemy who should fall
into our hands. These were fitted up with great rapidity, particularly so when
it is considered that the enemy was in possession of the city the day before we
arrived there; that it had to be examined, the buildings selected and prepared,
beds, bedding, dressings, stores, food, cooking arrangements made, surgeons,
stewards, cooks, and nurses detailed and sent for. This was a great deal of
labor, but it was done, and done promptly and well. On the 30th of September
these hospitals contained 2,321 patients.
The camps to which I
have just alluded were formed in October, in very eligible and pleasant
locations on the outskirts of the city. In these hospitals and camps 62
surgeons, 15 medical cadets, 22 hospital stewards, 539 nurses, and 127 cooks
were on duty during the mouth of October, when all were in operation. During
this month 3,032 patients, chiefly wounded, were received into these hospitals,
making, with those then under treatment, on the 30th of September, 5,353. Of
this number 403 were returned to duty, 23 were discharged, 3 deserted, 4 were
sent on furlough, 2,064 were sent to other hospitals, and 253 died, leaving on
the 31st of October 2,603 remaining in the hospitals. A large number of wounded
were sent from the hospitals on the battle-field, through Frederick, to other
hospitals, of whom no record was kept, as they were not received into any of the
hospitals in that city. No one seeing these hospitals after their establishment
can form any conception of the labor required to put them in the good condition
in which they were kept. The zeal and ability displayed by Dr. Milhau in their
organization and management, and the hearty co-operation he at all times gave
me, deserve especial mention. In addition to our own wounded, we had upon our
hands from the battles of South Mountain, Crampton's Gap, and Antietam in all
about 2,500 Confederate wounded. Those taken at South Mountain were taken to
Middletown, and those at Crampton's Gap to Burkittsville.
When the general
assumed command of the defenses of Washington, the hospitals in Washington and
in its vicinity were placed under my control. We left that city for Maryland on
the 7th of September, and a few days thereafter those hospitals and the medical
affairs of the troops in and around Washington were placed in the immediate
charge of Surg. R. O. Abbott, U.S. Army, assistant medical director of the Army
of the Potomac. It is perhaps not desirable to go much into details concerning
them, and I only give the following statement in order to exhibit the number of
hospitals and other points of interest connected with them, which are necessary,
as they belonged to the medical department of this army:
Number of hospitals, 38; medical officers, 224;
remaining last report, 28,649; number of patients admitted, 23,298; total,
51,947. Returned to duty, 7,104; discharged, 2,100; deserted, 597; sent to other
hospitals, 9,026; on furlough, 647; died, 1,498; remaining, 30,975.
It may be
gratifying for the general commanding to know that never had these hospitals
been in better condition. The excellent system introduced in their management,
the complete system of records adopted and carried out, and the care taken to
have everything connected with them in fine condition, reflect the highest
credit upon the officer in charge, for to him it is due. The very great
assistance Surgeon Abbott so uniformly and so unreservedly gave me upon all
occasions requires especial notice, and it affords me the greatest pleasure to
ask the attention of the commanding general to the richly deserving merits of
this officer.
Immediately after the retreat of the enemy from the field of
Antietam, measures were taken to have all the Confederate wounded gathered in
from the field, over which they laid scattered in all directions, and from the
houses and barns in the rear of their lines, and placed under such circumstances
as would permit of their being properly attended to, and at such points as would
enable their removal to be effected to Frederick and thence to Baltimore and
Fortress Monroe to their own lines. They were removed as rapidly as their
recovery would permit. The duty of attending to these men was assigned to
Surgeon Ranch, U.S. Volunteers, to whom assistants were given from our
own officers and all the medical officers who had been left by the enemy to look
after their wounded. A sufficient number of ambulances having been placed at his
disposal and supplies given him, these wounded were collected in the best and
most convenient places, and everything done to alleviate their sufferings that
was done for our own men. Humanity teaches us that a wounded and prostrate foe
is not then our enemy.
There were many cases both on our right and left whose
wounds were so serious that their lives would be endangered by their removal,
and to have every opportunity afforded them for recovery the Antietam hospital,
consisting of hospital tents, and capable of comfortably accommodating nearly
600 cases, was established at a place called Smoketown, near Keedysville, for
those who were wounded on our right, and a similar hospital, but not so
capacious---the Locust Spring hospital--was established in the rear of the Fifth
Corps for those cases which occurred on our left. To one or other of these
hospitals all the wounded were carried whose wounds were of such a character as
to forbid their removal to Frederick or elsewhere. The inspections made of these
hospitals from time to time were a source of great gratification, as they made
known to me the skillful treatment which these men received and the care with
which they were watched over, and convinced me of the propriety of the adoption
of this course in regard to them. Surgeon Vanderkieft, U.S. Volunteers, who was
in charge of the Antietam hospital, was unceasing in his labors, and showed a
degree of professional skill and executive ability much to be admired. Great
care and attention were shown to the wounded at the Locust Spring hospital by
Surgeon Squire, Eighty-ninth New York Volunteers, who had charge of it. Both
hospitals were kept in excellent order.
Immediately after the battle a great
many citizens came within our lines in order to remove their relatives or
friends who had been injured, and in a great many instances when the life of the
man depended upon his remaining at rest. It was impossible to make them
understand that they were better where they were, and that a removal would
probably be done only with the sacrifice of life. Their minds seemed bent on
having them in a house. If that could be accomplished, all would, in their
opinion, be well. No greater mistake could exist, and the results of that battle
only added additional evidence of the absolute necessity of a full supply of
pure air, constantly renewed -- a supply which cannot be obtained in the most
perfectly constructed building. Within a few yards a marked contrast could be
seen between the wounded in houses and barns and in the open air. Those in
houses progressed less favorably than those in the barns, those in barns less
favorably than those in the open air, although all were in other respects
treated alike.
The capacious barns, abundantly provided with hay and straw,
the delightful weather with which we were favored, and the kindness exhibited by
the people, afforded increased facilities to the medical department for taking
care of the wounded thrown upon it by that battle. From the frequent inspections
which I made from time to time, and from the reports of inspections made of the
hospitals, and the manner in which the duties required in them were performed by
medical officers, it gives me no little pleasure to say that the wounded had
every care that could be bestowed upon them--that they were promptly, willingly,
and efficiently attended to. And although I have more than once spoken to the
general commanding concerning the conduct of medical officers on that
battle-field, I cannot refrain from alluding here to the untiring devotion shown
by them to the wounded of that day Until all the wounded were finally
disposed of, no pains were spared, no labor abstained from, by day or by night,
by the medical officers of this army, to alleviate the sufferings of the
thousands of wounded who looked to them for relief. The medical directors of
corps, especially Surgeons Dougherty and McNulty, were untiring in their
exertions and unceasing in their labors, and were ably assisted by the staff
under their commands. Very few delinquencies occurred, and these were swallowed
up by the devotion exhibited by the rest of the medical staff during and long
after the battle.
The surgery of these battle-fields has been pronounced
butchery. Gross misrepresentations of the conduct of medical officers have been
made and scattered broadcast over the country, causing deep and heart-rending
anxiety to those who had friends or relatives in the army, who might at any
moment require the services of a surgeon. It is not to be supposed that there
were no incompetent surgeons in the army. It is certainly true that there were;
but these sweeping denunciations against a class of men who will favorably
compare with the military surgeons of any country, because of the incompetency
and short-comings of a few, are wrong, and do injustice to a body of men who
have labored faithfully and well. It is easy to magnify an existing evil until
it is beyond the bounds of truth. It is equally easy to pass by the good that
has been done on the other side. Some medical officers lost their lives in their
devotion to duty in the battle of Antietam, and others sickened from excessive
labor which they conscientiously and skillfully performed. If any objection
could be urged against the surgery of those fields, it would be the efforts on
the part of surgeons to practice "conservative surgery" to too great an
extent.
I had better opportunities, perhaps, than any one else to form an
opinion, and from my observations I am convinced that if any fault was committed
it was that the knife was not used enough. So much has been said on this matter
that, familiar as I am with the conduct o? the medical officers on those
battle-fields, I cannot, as the medical director of this army, see them
misrepresented and be silent.
After these battles the army remained some time
in Maryland, preparing for the coming campaign in Virginia. During this time I
was occupied in having the wounded well cared for and properly sent away, in
making suitable provision for those whose safety required that they should not
be removed, and in making such changes as experience and observation during
those battles and the short time that I had occupied the position of medical
director convinced me were necessary to render the medical department more
efficient. Hitherto large amounts of medical supplies had been lost and in
various ways wasted, and not unfrequently all the supplies for a regiment had
been thrown away for want of transportation, and, of course were not on hand
when wanted. It was necessary that this should be remedied, and in order to do
so it was necessary to diminish the amount that was furnished a regiment at one
time, which would affect the whole existing system and make the change a radical
one. The objects which it was considered as desirable to attain were to reduce
the waste which took place when large supplies were at one time issued to
regiments, to have a supply given them, small, but sufficient for all immediate
wants, and to have these supplies easily obtainable and replenished without
difficulty when required, and without a multiplicity of papers and accounts. It
was necessary also that they should be transported with facility, and that no
trouble should be experienced in having them in abundance at the (8 R R---VOL
XIX, PT I) field hospitals in time of action and yet at the same
time to preserve a proper degree of accountability.
To accomplish this, a
system of supplying by brigades was adopted on the 4th of October, 1862. The
following extract from a circular issued to the medical department of this army
at that date, from the medical director's office, will show the main features of
the system which since that time has been in existence in this
army:
Hereafter in the Army of the Potomac the following supplies will be
allowed to a brigade for one month for active field service, viz: One hospital
wagon, filled; one medicine chest for each regiment, filled; one hospital
knapsack for each regimental medical officer, filled. The supplies in the list
marked A to be transported in a four-horse wagon.
The surgeon in charge of
each brigade will require and receipt for all these supplies, including those in
the hospital wagons, and will issue to the senior surgeons of each regiment the
medicine chests and knapsacks, taking receipts therefor. The hospital wagon,
with its horses, harness, &c., will be receipted for by the ambulance
quartermaster.
The surgeon in charge of the brigade will issue to the medical
officers of the regiments such of these supplies as may be required for their
commands informally, taking no receipts, demanding no requisitions, but
accounting for the issues as expended.
The surgeons in charge of brigades
will at once make out requisitions in accordance with these instructions, and
transmit them, approved by the medical director of the corps, to the medical
purveyor of this army. These supplies being deemed sufficient for one month
only, or for an emergency, medical directors of corps will see that they are
always on hand, timely requisitions being made for that purpose.
Before the
adoption of this system, one and sometimes two wagons were required to transport
the medical supplies of a regiment, and, in addition, another wagon was required
to transport cooking utensils, hospital tents, baggage of medical officers,
&c. With this system one wagon suffices for the medical department of a
regiment; one wagon is added to a brigade and at least one taken from each
regiment, and, besides, should it become necessary to take away this one wagon
from a regiment, the supplies are in such shape as will permit them to be
carried on a horse, and not necessarily lost, as heretofore. The regimental
surgeons have no trouble in replenishing their supplies, and the amounts
expended in a regiment are always known to the surgeon-in-chief of a brigade,
whose duty it is always to check any undue waste or improper expenditure. These
supplies are easily transported, and are without difficulty made available on
the field of battle, as events which have since transpired have
demonstrated.
These instructions having been issued, my attention was given
to the manner in which the wounded were attended to upon the field of battle. No
system of field hospitals that I was aware of existed, and, convinced of the
necessity of adopting some measures by which the wounded could receive the best
surgical aid which the army afforded, and with the least delay, my thoughts were
naturally turned to this most important subject. On the field of battle
confusion is, above all other places, most prone to ensue, and unless some
method is observed by which certain surgeons have specific duties to perform,
and every officer has his place pointed out beforehand, and his duties defined,
and held to a strict responsibility for their proper performance, the wounded
must of course suffer. To remedy the want which existed, the following circular
was issued:
[ CIRCULAR. ] HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Medical Director's Office, October 30, 1862.
SIR: In order that the wounded may
receive the most prompt and efficient attention during and after an engagement,
and that the necessary operations may be performed by the most skillful and
responsible surgeons at the earliest moment, the following
instructions are issued for the guidance of the medical staff of this army, and
medical directors of corps will see that they are promptly carried into
effect:
Previous to an engagement there will be established in each corps a
hospital for each division, the position of which will he selected by the
medical director of the corps.
The organization of the hospital will be as
follows:
1st. A surgeon in charge; one assistant surgeon to provide food and
shelter, &c.; one assistant surgeon to keep the records.
2d. Three
medical officers to perform operations; three medical officers as assistants to
each of these officers.
3d. Additional medical officers, hospital stewards,
nurses of the division.
The surgeon in charge will have general
superintendence and be responsible to the surgeon-in-chief of the division for
the proper administration of the hospital. The surgeon-in-chief of a division
will detail one assistant surgeon, who will report to and be under the immediate
orders of the surgeon in charge, whose duties shall be to pitch the hospital
tents and provide straw, fuel, water, blankets, &c., and, when houses are
used, put them in proper order for the reception of wounded. This assistant
surgeon will, when the foregoing shall have been accomplished, at once organize
a kitchen, using for this purpose the hospital mess chests and the kettles,
tins, &c., in the ambulances. The supplies of beef stock and bread in the
ambulances, and of arrowroot, tea, &c., in the hospital wagon, will enable
him to prepare quickly a sufficient quantity of palatable and nourishing food.
All the cooks, and such of the hospital stewards and nurses as may be necessary,
will be placed under his orders for these purposes.
He will detail another
assistant surgeon, whose duty it shall be to keep a complete record of every
case brought to the hospital, giving the name, rank, company, and regiment; the
seat and character of injury; the treatment; the operation, if any be performed,
and the result, which will be transmitted to the medical director of the corps
and by him sent to this office.
This officer will also see to the proper
interment of those who die, and that the grave is marked with a head-beard with
the name, rank, company, and regiment legibly inscribed upon it.
He will make
out two tabular statements of wounded, which the surgeon-in-chief of division
will transmit within thirty-six hours after a battle, one to this office (by a
special messenger, if necessary) and the other to the medical director of the
corps to which the hospital belongs.
There will be selected from the division
by the surgeon-in-chief, under the direction of the medical director of the
corps, three medical officers, who will be the operating staff of the hospital,
upon whom will rest the immediate responsibility of the performance of all
important operations. In all doubtful cases they will consult together, and a
majority of them shall decide upon the expediency and character of the
operation. These officers will be selected from the division without regard to
rank, but solely on account of their known prudence, judgment, and skill. The
surgeon-in-chief of the division is enjoined to be especially careful in the
selection of these officers, choosing only those who have distinguished
themselves for surgical skill, sound judgment, and conscientious regard for the
highest interests of the wounded.
There will be detailed three medical
officers to act as assistants to each one of these officers, who will report to
him and act entirely under his direction. It is suggested that one of the
assistants be selected to administer the anesthetic. Each operating surgeon
will be provided with an excellent table from the hospital wagon, and, with the
present organization for field hospitals, it is hoped that the confusion and the
delay in performing the necessary operations so often existing after a battle
will be avoided, and all operations hereafter be primary.
The remaining medical officers of the division, except one to each regiment, will be
ordered to the hospitals to act as dressers and assistants generally. Those who follow
the regiments to the field will establish themselves, each one at a temporary
depot, at such a distance or situation in the rear of his regiment as will
insure safety to the wound, d, where they will give such aid as is immediately
required; and they are here reminded that, whilst no personal consideration
should interfere with their duty to the wounded, the grave responsibilities
resting upon them render any unnecessary exposure improper.
The surgeon-in-chief of the division will exercise general supervision, under the
medical director of the corps, over the medical affairs in his division. He will
see that the officers are faithful in the performance of their duties in the
hospital and upon the field, and that by the ambulance corps, which has
heretofore been so efficient, the wounded are removed from the field carefully
and with dispatch.
Whenever his duties permit, he will give his professional services at the hospital, will order to the hospital as soon as located all the hospital wagons of the brigades, the hospital tents and furniture, and all the hospital stewards and nurses. He will notify the captain commanding the ambulance corps, or, if this be impracticable, the first lieutenant commanding the division ambulances, of the location of the hospital.
No medical officer will leave the position to which he shall have been assigned
without permission, and any officer so doing will be reported to the medical
director of the corps, who will report the facts to this office.
The medical directors of corps will apply to their commanders on the eve of a battle for the
necessary guard and men for fatigue duty. This guard will be particularly
careful that no stragglers be allowed about the hospital, using the food and
comforts prepared for the wounded.
No wounded will be sent away from any of these
hospitals without authority from this office.
Previous to an engagement, a
detail will be made by medical directors of corps of a proper number of medical
officers, who will, should a retreat be found necessary, remain and take care of
the wounded. This detail medical directors will request the corps commanders to
announce in orders.
The skillful attention shown by the medical officers of
this army to the wounded upon the battle-fields of South Mountain, Crampton's
Gap, and the Antietam, under trying circumstances, gives the assurance that,
with this organization, the medical staff of the Army of the Potomac can with
confidence be relied upon under all emergencies to take charge of the wounded
entrusted to its care.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JONA. LETTERMAN,
Medical Director.
As both of these circulars met the approval of the commanding general and were issued under his auspices, it may not be amiss to say that at the battle of Fredericksburg, on the 13th of December, 1862, when they were first tried, and when from the nature of the action they
were severely tested, they fulfilled in a great degree the expectations hoped
for at the time of their adoption.
I have alluded to the loss of medical officers in battle. Two of them fell upon the battle-field of Antietam, whose devotion to duty I cannot pass over. Surg. W. J. H. White, U.S. Army, medical director of the Sixth Corps, under General Franklin, was killed on that field by a shot from the enemy. He, was a skillful surgeon, a gallant officer, and a
gentleman whose deportment was kind and courteous to all who had intercourse
with him. These admirable traits, together with his familiarity with the medical
affairs of that corps, made his loss, and especially on that day, deeply to be
deplored. Assistant Surgeon Revere, of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteers,
accompanying his regiment into the midst of the fight, fell by the hands of the
enemy, nobly and fearlessly discharging his duty to the wounded.
I cannot act justly without mentioning the faithful services of Hospital Steward Robert
Koldeway, U.S. Army, who has been constantly with me. His attention to duty has
been invariably most marked. Shrinking from no labor by day or by night, in
everything he has acquitted himself to my entire satisfaction, and it gives me
no little pleasure to bring to the notice of the general commanding a
non-com-missioned officer who has acted so well.
I may have gone more fully into the details of the operations of the medical department of the Army of the Potomac than will be considered necessary, but upon my first interview with the commanding general at Harrison's Landing, I perceived the deep interest taken by
him in everything connected with it. Time only strengthened my convictions and
continued to assure me of his constant solicitude for the welfare of the sick
and wounded, and I feel the most grateful remembrance of the unvarying
confidence and support he gave me in everything which I considered conducive to
that end.
The efficiency of the medical department of this army owes much to
the Surgeon-General. His advice and authority upon all occasions were freely
given, and enabled me to act without restraint. I beg to assure the
commanding general that the administration of this department, which he has more
than once approved, has depended to a great extent upon the chief of the Medical
Bureau in Washington.
We crossed the Potomac and entered Virginia early in
November, in anticipation of another battle soon taking place. Nothing of
especial interest occurred in the medical department during our very rapid march
through that portion of the State which was traversed by the army. My
arrangements had been made, and the necessary instructions given to the medical
directors of corps, and with the hearty cooperation they were affording me I
felt that should the anticipated battle occur shortly after our arrival at
Warrenton, the medical department would be more able than it had been hitherto
to discharge the duties devolving upon it. The general was relieved; the battle
did not take place.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JONA. LETTERMAN,
Surgeon, U.S. A., and Medical Director Army of the Potomac.
USCivilWar.Net wants to thank
Jenny Goellnitz for compiling this information.
jgoellnitz@yahoo.com