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343 Series I Volume XLI-I Serial 83 - Price's Missouri Expedition Part I

Page 343 Chapter LIII. PRICE'S MISSOURI EXPEDITION.

against General price, has been received. I have the honor to state that ten guns were captured by me and taken to Fort Scott, Kans., on the night of the 25th of October, and that one of the guns was stolen during the night by some of the troops of General Curtis' command, serving in Kansas. I sent to recover it, but did not succeeded in doing so.

I am, very respectfully, obedient servant,

A. PLEASONTON,

Major-General.


Numbers 14. Report of Surg. Ferdinand V. Dayton, Second New Jersey Cavalry, Surgeon in Chief.


HDQRS. MEDICAL DEPARTMENT, CAVALRY DIVISION,
Saint Louis, Mo., November -, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to submit the following report of medical department, together with a list of killed and wounded, Cavalry Division, Major-General Pleasonton's command, during the late campaign through Missouri:

On account of the length and rapidity of the march and the extent of country that the engagements extended over it was with great difficulty that the wounded could be collected or the dead buried; in fact, at no time, to my knowledge, was a proper burying party detailed, so that I was obliged to use hospital attendants and straggler for that purpose and with the aid of citizens I hope that most, if not all, of our killed were interred. Six field hospitals were formed at houses as near as possible to the fields of action, and surgeons left in charge, with proper attendants an ambulances to collect all not attended to immediately after each engagement. From the field hospitals the wounded. From the field hospitals the wounded, with attendants, were sent to the general hospitals at Independence, Kansas City, Mound City, and Fort Scott, the medical director of General Curtis' command taking charge of them. From Little Santa Fe I sent back from the Supply train three days' provisions to the hospitals between that place and the Big Blue, and Surgeon Van Duyn, U. S. Volunteers, in charge of hospitals at Fort Scott, with the ambulances of his command and provisions that he could transport, started back the morning after we arrived at place over the line of our march to aid in attending the wounded, also collect those that we may not have been able to find.

In closing my report I wish to extend my thanks to the surgeons of the command for the prompt and zealous manner in which they performed all the duties of their position in the most disadvantageous and trying situations a surgeon could be placed in. Surgeon Trader, First Cavalry Missouri State Militia; Surg. J. Chitwood, Seventh Indiana Cavalry; Surgeon Maynard, Second Arkansas Cavalry, and Surgeon Cundiff, Thirteenth Missouri cavalry, brigade surgeons, merit special commendation for the manner in which they controlled their separate departments. I herewith inclose consolidated list of killed and wounded.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

F. V. DAYTON,

Surgeon in Chief.

[Lieutenant CLIFFORD THOMSON,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.]


Page 343 Chapter LIII. PRICE'S MISSOURI EXPEDITION.