York Infantry. Major Eaton, Thirteenth Michigan Infantry; Captain Low, Thirty-eighth Indiana Infantry, and Lieutenant Webb, commanding Nineteenth Indiana Battery, were killed. These officers were all killed or wounded while gallantly performing their duties on the field. I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JEF. C. DAVIS, Brevet Major-General, Commanding. Maj. ROBERT P. DECHERT, Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Left Wing, Army of Georgia. [Indorsement.] GOLDSBOROUGH, N. C., April 8, 1865. Approved and respectfully forwarded. I call attention to the services of Brigadier-General Morgan. He has now commanded a division since August, 1864, and has been in the capture of Atlanta, at Jonesborough, and both on Savannah aud Carolina campaigns, and he should be brevetted major-general. I also cordially indorse General Davis' other recommendations. W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General, Commanding. Commands. [Inclosures.] Report of casualties in the Fourteenth Army Corps during the campaign beginning January 20 and ending March 25, 1865. FIRST DIVISION. Headquarters Total First Divis SECOND DIVISION. First Brigade.. Total Second Di. THIRD DIVISION. Headquarters.. Total.. Report of provost-marshal, Fourteenth Army Corps, commencing January 25 and ending March 24, 1865. Major and Provost-Marshal, Fourteenth Army Corps. GOLDSBOROUGH, N. C. No. 63. Report of Surg. Waldo C. Daniels, U. S. Army, Medical Director, of operations January 20-March 24. HEADQUARTERS FOURTEENTH ARMY CORPS, MEDICAL DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the recent campaign made by the Fourteenth Army Corps from Savannah, Ga., to Goldsborough, N. C., commencing January 20 and ending March 24, in its relation to the medical department: The command, 21,000 strong, with an effective force of 16,500 officers and men, left Savannah, Ga., on the morning of the 20th of January, with orders to move on the west side of the Savannah River to Sister's Ferry, a distance of forty-five miles. Orders were received at this time from department headquarters that all sick and wounded men unable to make the campaign should be left at Savannah, in conformity with which (a corps hospital having been previously established in the city) 650 men were sent in. This unusually large number was easily to be accounted for by the fact that the command for the month previous were unavoidably camped on low swampy ground northwest from the city, and which, for a large proportion of the time, was literally sub. merged by water. Previous to our departure from Savannah the divis ion hospitals of the corps were amply supplied with medicines and hos Men. Total. Aggregate. pital stores from Hilton Head, and the ambulance trains by repairs put in a comparatively good condition. The first day's march accomplished only ten miles, when, owing to a heavy and continuous rain which set in the day previous and the utter impossibility of forcing the transportation through the swamps, the troops were again put into camp, where they remained until the 25th. During this time 250 men were returned to hospital at Savannah. On the morning of the 25th the line of march was resumed for Sister's Ferry (via Springfield), which place was reached on the 28th. Here the command was delayed in crossing the Savannah River eight days, during which time variola broke out among the troops, twenty-five cases occurring within three days. They were, however, immediately isolated from the rest of the command, and the infection ceased to spread. Subsequently they were sent, in charge of a medical officer, by boat to Savannah. Ninety-five other cases were also sent from this point to the corps hospital at Savannah, and 300 men were returned from that place to their com mands for duty. The crossing of the Savannah River was effected on the 6th of February, and on the 7th the corps moved on the river road in a northwesterly direction, passing through Robertsville, Danielton, and Erwinton, and, crossing the Salkehatchie River, reached Barnwell on the 11th. The country from Sister's Ferry to Barnwell is good and along the whole line of march thickly settled. Subsistence of all kinds was abundant, and an improved appearance in the condition of the troops was soon observable. February 12 the command was moved to Williston, on the South Carolina Railroad, twenty miles of which was destroyed. On the 13th and 14th crossed both forks of the Edisto River, taking the road to Lexing ton, which place we passed through on the 16th, and reached Congaree River, opposite Columbia, at 12 a. m. that day. The general sanitary condition of the whole command by this time, owing to the variety and abundance of subsistence supplied, was palpably improved. But few casualties occurred on the line of march, and those of a slight character. On the 17th and 19th we crossed the Saluda and Broad Rivers and took the road for Winnsborough. Occupied that place on the 21st and reached the Catawba River on the 23d. Heavy and continuous rains for several days prevented the crossing of this river, which was not accomplished until the 28th. Some skirmishing occurred here with the enemy's cavalry in our rear, which resulted in our having 1 man killed and 2 wounded. On the morning of the 1st of March the command moved in the direction of the Great Pedee River, which was reached on the 5th, ten miles above Cheraw. Crossing this river on the 7th, and also the State line into North Carolina, we occupied Fayetteville on the 11th. The corps remained here until the 14th, during which time 100 sick men were put aboard a transport in charge of a medical officer and shipped to Wilmington. A small quantity of medical supplies also were captured at this place by the Third Division of the corps (principally quinine and morphine), which was turned over to the division hospitals. On the 14th two divisions of the corps crossed the Cape Fear River, taking the river road in the direction of Averasborough, while one division in charge of the train took a more easterly route toward Goldsborough. On the morning of the 16th two divisions of the Twentieth Corps, being in our immediate advance, met the enemy in considerable force and behind works at a point on the east side of Cape Fear River, sixteen miles above Fayetteville. The Fourteenth Corps were ordered up to support, and went into position about noon on the left of the Twentieth. The engagement, which lasted until evening, at no time was very heavy in our immediate front. The enemy fought from behind works, no assault of which was ordered on the left. The loss to the corps was 17 men killed and 91 wounded.* During the night the enemy evacuated their works, and at daylight on the 17th an advance was ordered. The Fourteenth Corps was moved to the front, taking an easterly course in the direction of the Neuse River. Our wounded were all comfortably transported in the ambulances of the corps, of which, up to this time, there were sufficient to supply the demand. During the 17th and 18th continual skirmishing was kept up on our left and front, with a few casualties. On the 19th heavy firing commenced at daylight, which continued ahead of the column until 10 a. m., when the advance discovered the enemy again in our front and in force. Two brigades of the First Division were deployed and ordered to develop their strength. Field depots were immediately located a short distance from the line, and by 12 m. wounded men were being rapidly brought in. The hospital trains were brought up preparatory to estab lishing them half a mile to the rear. Heavy skirmishing was kept up during the morning and the enemy were gradually pushed back to the distance of half a mile and into a strong line of intrenchments. About 2 p.m. they charged out of their works in force, driving our men on the left, and a general engagement immediately ensued. After recovering from the first assault slight works were thrown up along our front lines, which were repeatedly charged by the enemy during the afternoon and as often repulsed. Night closed the fight, the enemy returning to their original lines of the morning. The hospitals, being in range of the enemy's fire, were moved during the afternoon half a mile farther to the rear, and about 500 men were brought in and operated on or dressed during that night and the next morning. The result of the engagement to the corps was a loss of 80 killed and 504 wounded. The command still holding its position of the 19th, on the 21st orders were received to transport all the sick and wounded of the corps to the Neuse River, in the immediate neighborhood of Goldsborough, and establish a temporary hospital. Army wagons in sufficient number being supplied, 700 men were loaded and safely transferred to the locality designated, under the charge of Surgeon Batwell, of the Second Division hospital, from which place they were transferred across the river and put into hospitals at Goldsborough on the 23d, on which day the command occupied the town and closed a campaign of sixty days' duration. Taking into consideration the season of the year and inclemency of the weather, the average daily marches and condition of the roads, and the irregularity of subsistence supplies, the endurance of the men during this long and arduous campaign and their present splendid condition is truly remarkable. The list of casualties in the corps for the whole campaign is as follows: 10 officers and 139 men killed and 46 officers and 677 men wounded, making a total of 149 killed and 723 wounded. The mortality from disease during the same time was 28. Herewith I have the honor to inclose full lists of wounded and classified returns. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. C. DANIELS, Surgeon, U. S. Volunteers, and Medical Director. Surg. JOHN MOORE, U. S. Army, Medical Director, Military Division of the Mississippi. * But see revised table, p. 64. a Of Second Division. It may be observed but one case of operation died; three cases of fracture of femur so high that nothing short of amputation at the joint promised success proved fatal in from six to eight days. Chloroform was used in the generality of cases with good result. a Secondary operation for secondary hemorrhage. Hospital gangrene attacked nine stumps. Treatment: removing all unsound flesh and then apply. ing nitric acid. Success attended every case and wounds doing well. One was at the shoulder joint; four were very near it. d One "Chopart's" operation. e Four inches of radius. W. C. DANIELS, Surgeon, U. S. Volunteers, and Medical Director. |