SCHEDULE I.-Consolidated daily report of depot hospitals, Army of the Potomac, at the White House, Va., June 1 to 14, 1864.

Movement across the James and operations in front of Petersburg, Va., June 12 to July 30, 1864.

Orders directing the movement of the army across the Chickahominy were issued from these headquarters on the 11th of June, the following paragraph of which is quoted as connected with the medical department:

XIV. The corps will take with them on the march merely those light headquarters wagons, ammunition wagons, ambulances, &c., specified for the march across the Rapidan. All others will be sent at once to the main trains of the army.

The transportation of the medical department which moved with the troops was, therefore, one-half of the ambulances, one medicine wagon to each division, and one hospital wagon to each brigade, the remainder moving with the main trains to Windsor (or Window) Shades on the Chickahominy. In the latter were sent such sick and wounded as were not thought to be proper subjects for general hospital, medical officers and supplies accompanying them. During the march a few ambulances followed directly in rear of each division to pick up sick and exhausted men, the remainder with medicine and hospital wagons moved with the corps artillery. Owing to the hot weather of the preceding month, the Chickahominy was low, and its famous swamps were intersected by hard and dry but very dusty roads.

The number of stragglers was large, as the march was a long one and rapidly made, but all the worst cases were picked up by the ambulances, and it is believed that very few, if any, were permanently lost. The only engagement during the movement was a skirmish at White Oak Swamp bridge by the Third Division, Cavalry Corps; the Third Division, Fifth Corps, participating also to some extent. One hundred and ten wounded resulted, all of whom were brought along in the ambulances after having been dressed and operated on on the field.

All of the ambulances and hospital wagons were on the south bank of the James by the evening of the 16th, having crossed by the pontoon bridge below Wind-Mill Point. Ninety wounded and 30 sick of the Third Division, Cavalry Corps, were left at Wilcox's Wharf with medical officers, attendants, and supplies, and on the 17th were sent to the general hospitals at Fortress Monroe by the quartermaster transport Old Massachusetts. The movement from the James to the position taken up in front of Petersburg was rapidly made, in hot and sultry weather. The troops were fatigued and fell out of the ranks in large numbers, especially from the Ninth Corps. Many cases of heat apoplexy occurred, and all of the ambulances were filled to overflowing. The assault made by the Second Corps on the afternoon of the 16th resulted in heavy loss, and but a part of the wounded could be brought in, as the chief part of the ambulances and all the hospital wagons had not come up. Five hundred and forty-five wounded were collected at Dr. Bailey's house, which afforded a shelter for the worst cases. Soup and hard bread were distributed, and operating and dressing went on during the night. The train came up about 10 p. m.; tents were immediately pitched, and the ambulance corps set to work to bring in the rest of the wounded.

During the 17th all were brought in, placed under shelter, and well cared for, the number in the field hospitals at nightfall being as follows:

The Fifth Corps took up position on the 17th, and its hospitals were established on the Prince George Court-House road south of Dr. Bailey's. Those of the Ninth Corps near Dunn's house, one-half mile farther west. On the afternoon of the 18th, a general attack

was made on the enemy's works, and the following number of wounded were brought in to the field hospitals by 8 p. m.:

Supplies of every kind were plentiful, but the hospitals by this time were filled to overflowing. Notice having been received that Dr. Dalton, with the depot hospital tents and stores, had arrived at City Point, a train of wounded were sent on the morning of the 19th. Army wagons and ambulances were used, bedded, loaded, and furnished with stores and attendants in the usual manner. number sent being as follows:

The

During the 19th, 1,656 wounded were brought in from the field and cared for in the hospitals. On the 21st, the Second Corps moved to the left and its hospitals were established near Smith's house, on the Jerusalem plank road. The Third Division of the Cavalry Corps had moved in the mean time still farther to the left for the purpose of cutting the Weldon and South Side railroads. As no reports have been received from the surgeon-in-chief of this division, it is not possible to give any account of the operations of the medical department of the command, but it is known that two medicine wagons filled with supplies were captured by the enemy, and that the greater part of the wounded also fell into their hands. An attempt was made to recover these wounded by the medical director of the Sixth Corps, but only 10 or 12 could be found, the remainder having been taken to Petersburg.

From this time until the latter part of July, the army was comparatively quiet, and the position of the field hospitals remained unchanged. The period of comparative inactivity from July 21, 1864, was spent in reorganizing and supplying the army, and the rest was much needed by the men. Although in front of the enemy everything was comparatively quiet (with the exception of the Ninth Corps, along the front of which constant skirmishing was going on between the pickets and men stationed in the rifle-pits). and many of the men were almost as much at their ease as if they had been in a regular summer camp. The country was low and rather flat, with very few springs or streams of running water. The weather was hot and dry, fortunately, and prevented much of the evil results which must otherwise have followed from the marshy nature of the ground. The water used by the troops was generally of good quality, and was chiefly obtained from wells sunk to a depth of from 8 to 30 feet, the water being found on a stratum of blue clay. The number of sick of the army during this period was large, but the type was mild and yielding rapidly to treatment. Nine

tenths of all the diseases were miasmatic in character, diarrheas of this type being especially prevalent. A decided scorbutic taint also existed in the army, not to so great an extent as to merit special classification as a disease, but modifying the other diseases prevalent. Large and frequent issues of fresh vegetables were made during this time, but a sufficient quantity could not be procured for the first four weeks, as the new crops had not yet come in. An ample supply of desiccated and compressed mixed vegetables was available, but these have never been liked or generally used by the men, and were of little service. The personnel and camp police of the men were generally good, except in those portions of the line where the constant sharpshooting and artillery practice compelled the men to lie close in the trenches and rifle-pits. The sides of their sheltertents were elevated from the ground, and arbors over them contributed to keep off the direct rays of the sun. Good sinks were very generally constructed, and the burial of offal, &c., was well attended to. Although the days were very hot, the thermometer standing at 98 degrees for several hours in the middle of the day, yet the nights were cool, producing a heavy deposit of dew, and thus acting as a cause of miasmatic disease.

The organization of the division field hospitals was kept up, and a large proportion of the sick of the army were treated entirely in them. The regimental medical officers had stations between 200 and 300 yards behind the troops, these stations being provided with bomb-proofs in the more exposed positions of the line, and the advance ambulance stations being near by. Regular sick-calls were held at these points, and all slight cases there treated. The division hospitals were abundantly supplied with every requisite for the treatment of sick and slightly wounded, and their condition and management, as a rule, were highly creditable to the medical officers in charge. The following statement will show the work performed in them during this period, viz, June 16 to July 31, inclusive:

These hospitals were fitted up with wooden bunks for the patients, kitchens for extra diet, &c., and accumulated a very considerable amount of hospital fund, which was expended for butter, eggs, and other delicacies. Minute and repeated inspections were made of all the hospitals and ambulance stations by the acting medical inspectors on duty at these headquarters, and full reports of the results made to this office. The inmates of the hospitals experienced great annoyance from dust, and from the swarms of flies which seemed to spring up everywhere. For the first evil there could be but little remedy. A large number of mosquito bars procured and distributed served to abate the latter nuisance in a great degree. Regiments whose term of service had expired were leaving almost daily, taking with them their medical officers, and in this way a number of the most experienced and valuable surgeons were being lost to the service. As it was highly important that these officers should be retained, if

possible, representation of the facts was made to the Surgeon-General, and the following order was soon after issued by the War Depart

ment:

GENERAL ORDERS,

WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Washington, July 4, 1864.

Medical directors of armies in the field are authorized to employ, under contract, as acting staff surgeons, regimental surgeons of two years' experience, who are specially recommended by their medical directors, and whose term of service has expired. The rate of compensation will be the same as pay and emoluments of regimental surgeons, with use of one public horse and equipments and forage for the same.

By order of the Secretary of War:

E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General.

Very few surgeons, however, were found willing to accept contracts upon the terms above given, as those whose services were really valuable could obtain a larger income by private practice, and all wished to visit their friends and families. During the evening of the 26th, the Second Corps moved to the north side of the James. A large number of sick (538) were sent to City Point in the morning, the most of them being slight cases, but such as were thought by the medical officers to be incapable of making a forced march, and they were sent to the depot hospital to remain until the movement of the Second Corps should have been accomplished. Twenty ambulances followed each division during the movement, and were speedily filled with exhausted men, the number of stragglers being very large. A temporary hospital was established on the north bank near the pontoon bridge, where the few men wounded in the morning of the 27th at Strawberry Plains were dressed and operated upon. The wounded during the day were removed to the south bank, where complete field hospitals were established, and on the 28th they were taken to City Point by the quartermaster's transport Iolas, the total number being 64. The corps returned during the night of the 29th, and its hospitals were established around the Burchett house. As soon as it was known that the mine in front of the Ninth Corps would be sprung, and an assault made on the morning of the 30th of July, the ambulances of the Sixth Corps, which had been left in park near City Point when the corps moved off on the 9th, were ordered up and stationed in rear of the Fifth Corps, and preparations were made to remove the wounded as rapidly as possible when the engagement should commence. For the first two hours after the assault, however, very few wounded could be brought in, as the covered ways leading to the front were blocked up by the supporting columns of troops, and only a part of the wounded were brought in from the field before the ground was abandoned to the enemy. The total number of wounded collected and brought in to the field hospitals from this affair was as follows:

Depot field hospitals of the army, near City Point.-When the boats and barges containing the depot hospital organization from White House arrived at City Point on the morning of the 18th of June, everything was found in confusion. The construction of