of the series of battles about Spotsylvania Court-House; the army moved on the 21st toward the North Anna. No large trains of wounded were organized after the 13th, as the road to Fredericksburg was open and safe, and the corps medical directors sent their wounded off as fast as they were received, and means of transportation could be procured. The total number sent from the 14th to the 20th, as appears by the daily reports, was 2,212, including those brought in from Cossin's house. An estimate of the number of wounded, killed, and missing, for the battles around Spotsylvania Court-House is given in the following statement, which does not include the losses of General Burnside's command:

Number wounded, according to classified returns............ 9,031

Number wounded, straggling, and unrecorded................. 1,500

Total wounded..............................................10,531

Number killed, according to regimental reports............. 1,781

Number missing, according to regimental reports............ 2,077

Total loss.................................................14,389

After the 9th of May everything connected with the medical department worked smoothly, supplies were plentiful, and all the wounded were as well cared for as it is possible for them to be upon the battle-field. The greater want was of medical officers, as a large number were necessarily kept on duty in Fredericksburg, and those who remained with the army became weary with constant labor. The corps medical inspectors usually remained about the hospitals and superintended the transportation of wounded, they also made daily reports to this office of the number of wounded received, sent off, & c., during the day. The plan of drawing medical supplies by brigades was found to be inconvenient, the surgeons-in-chief of division hospitals making all requisitions and performing the duty of sub-purveyers.

To render the commissary department of the field hospitals as complete as possible, the following order was issued:

SPECIAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
May 16, 1864.

Numbers 136.

Corps commanders will cause a lieutenant to be detailed from each division of their command, who shall be charged with the duty of supplying the hospitals of his division the subsistence stores it needs. The officer so detailed will report to the surgeon in charge of the division hospital, and make his requisition for supplies on the chief commissary of his corps.

By command of Major-General Meade:

S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

The practical results of this order will be commented on in a subsequent part of this report.

When the Artillery Reserve was broken up, the medical and hospital property and ambulance train were divided equally among the infantry corps; twenty-four new ambulances received from Washington were sent to Fredericksburg for the use of Surgeon Dalton, U. S. Volunteers. In sending the wounded from the field hospitals to the rear medical officers were instructed, in accordance with orders issued by the commanding general, to retain all cases of slight wounds and such as would soon be able to return to duty. This was found to be very difficult to effect, as the men would slip off in the night and no