Today in History:

280 Series I Volume LI-I Serial 107 - Supplements Part I

Page 280 MD., e. N. C., pA., vA., eXCEPT S. W.,& W. VA. Chapter LXIII.

fatiguingly slow. They bivouacked on the banks of Hatcher's Run near the mills, and early next morning, all the stragglers having come up with the main body, the march was resumed. Fort Dushane was reached, and after soops went into camp in rear of the fortifications, held during their absence by the First Division. At an early hour of this morning the wounded reached the Gurley house, where those requiring such proceedings were operated on. About 3 p. m. a train of cars left Warren Station with the majority of them. The few then remaining were sent to the depot at the Point by a second train, which started late in the evening. One hundred and seventy-five cases were sent away. The temporary hospital formed at the Gurley house was then broken up, and its constituent parts, Second and Third Divisions, followed in the track of the troops to their old locations, Second to Southall house and Thoird to the rear of the Deserted House. In this Boydton road engagement 1 medical officer was wounded, Asst. Surg. P. B. Rose, Fifth Michigan Volunteers, in the knee, a flesh wound; in the ambulance train 2 sergeants and 2 stretchermen were wounded; 2 of the latter were also captured; indeed, at one time all the stretcher-carriers attached to the Second Brigade, Second Division, were in the hands of the enemy, but with the exception of 2 they all effected their escape while captors were engaged with the First Maine Heavy Artillery. Three horses were shot. No property belonging to the medical (ambulance, of course, included) department of the corps fell into the hands of the enemy other than the two or three field companious left at the Rainey house. During the time spent by these two divisions at the Boydton road, the First Division (Miles') was noisily engaged with the enemy in front of Petersburg. A few words concerning it are necessary:

On the morning of the 26th, the day on which the movement was inaugurated, the First Division hospital, then situated near Meade Station, was broken up. In view of the extreme caution displayed in having all trains belonging to the army removed to the fortifications at City Point, we considered this house too far to the rear--too much exposed, if not to the enemy in force, at least to straggling guerrila parties. It was the intention, therefore, to move this hospital nearer the front to make it hug the breast-works as a protection from the implied danger in the rear, but a peremptory order from the major-general commanding the corps to have all the wagons and ambulances, save five of the latter belonging to this hospital, removed at once to City Point, prevented its formation anew. It was then decided upon to establish brigade hospitals in the bomb-proofs in and around the forts if an action with the enemy should call for their existence. To this end battle supplies in what the surgeon-in-chief considered to be sufficient quantity were taken out of the wagons and transported to the front. Medical officers were ordered in case of an engagement to rendezvous at certain fixed points, and the five ambulances at their disposal were informed of the localities. The division hospital train then moved off toward the Point with a steward in charge of the property, all the medical officers connected with the institution having for the nonce been ordered to the front. On the 27th some miniature assaults were made upon the enemy's line. The few wounded resulting (twenty-five) were very satisfactorily treated in the brigade hospital. A lack of ambulances was the only drawback. Not that the number present was insufficient for the amount of work to be performed, but the uncertainty at first existing concerning the amount of casualties, in connection with the very small number of ambulances (five), created for some time a good deal of uneasiness.


Page 280 MD., e. N. C., pA., vA., eXCEPT S. W.,& W. VA. Chapter LXIII.