and marked with the distinctive badge of their several divisions and corps, details of officers and men for the ambulance service were obtained, and careful examinations made of the persons so selected. As was to be expected, a large portion of those first detailed were rejected, regimental commanders having thus attempted to rid themselves of their weak and worthless men.

Drill and inspections of Ambulance Corps. - The men attached to the ambulances were carefully and regularly drilled, reported, and minute inspections of everything connected with the ambulances and horses were made, and guidons and hospital flags were procured and distributed. The results of this labor and preparation will appear in this report. Tens of thousands of wounded men have been carefully, speedily, and safely transferred from the field of battle to the field hospitals, and from thence to the large depot hospitals, and this has been done without confusion, without hindering the movements of the army, or conflicting with the operations of the other staff departments.

Amount of transportation. - Closely connected with, and to a great extent dependent upon, the ambulance system followed the organization of a system of field hospitals. The amount of transportation allowed for medical purposes was three army wagons to each brigade of 1,500 men, and one wagon for each additional thousand men. This allowance proved to be ample. The amount of regimental hospital property to be transported was reduced to a minimum, all the hospital tents and stoves being appropriated to the division hospitals. The medical staff of these hospitals was that established by Dr. Letterman, viz, 1 surgeon in charge, 1 recorder, 3 operators, each with 2 or more assistants, and 1 medical officer to provide food and shelter. As the plan of the division hospitals varied somewhat, a brief sketch of the hospital of the first division of each corps will perhaps best illustrate their peculiarities.

Organization of hospital of First Division, Second Corps. - In the First Division, Second Corps, 22 hospital tents, 14 army wagons, and 4 medicine wagons were allowed for medical purposes, the division containing 4 brigades, 21 regiments, and 8,000 men. Six of the army wagons carried the regimental medical property, 4 the brigade supplies, 2 the hospital tents, 1 the cooking utensils and 300 rations, and 1 was loaded with blankets, beef stock, whisky, chloroform, bandages, lint, & c. In pitching the hospital no attention was paid to brigade organizations, except that an operating table was established for each brigade, the corresponding medicine wagon being drawn up beside it, and the surgeons-in-chief of brigades being ex officio the operators. Thirty-six regular hospital attendants were employed in the preparation and distribution of food, dressing wounds, and care of the patients; these men wore on the left arm a half chevron composed of a green and yellow stripe. During a battle or series of battles, the drum corps of the division, numbering 350 men and boys, were put on duty in the hospital, being organized into five companies, commanded each by a sergeant, and the whole command by a lieutenant, having an orderly sergeant, as an assistant. From this corps details were made, whenever called for by the surgeon in charge, for pitching and striking tents, loading and unloading wounded, bringing wood and water, burying the dead, and for police duties. A provost guard was present at the hospital during an engagement for the purpose of arresting malingerers, & c. One medical officer followed each regiment into action, the remain