wharves by the quartermaster's department was going on as rapidly as possible, but at that time none had been finished. The buildings within the line of fortifications were filled with wounded, principally from the colored troops belonging to General Butler's command, and were entirely unfit for hospital purposes, being small, ill ventilated, and very dirty. The only site available for a hospital camp was on the south bank of the Appomattox, about three-fourths of a mile from City Point. It was about 35 feet above the water, level and open ground. The work of unloading the barges went on but slowly, as but few laborers could be obtained and the means of transportation from City Point to the hospital were very limited. Some tents were pitched on the 18th, and on the following day Dr. Dalton was able to report that he was ready to receive wounded. As the amount of ground available was limited, the tents were pitched in rows and streets, each corps by itself. Wounded began to straggle in on the 18th, and on the 19th the first large train of wounded arrived. The worst cases were at once placed on the hospital transports George Leary and Connecticut and sent to Washington, the others were made comfortable in the hospitals. The quartermaster's transport Wenonah was loaded with the wounded of General Butler's command, 500 in number, during the evening.

The first opportunity for transporting wounded from the corps before Petersburg was kindly accorded me by Medical Director McCormick, U. S. Army, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, who placed at my disposal the hospital transport steamer George Leary, from the Army of the James, whose established depot was at Bermuda Hundred. By this opportune and considerate courtesy Surgeon Dalton was enabled to sent off 350 wounded from City Point, on the 19th of June, to Washington City, D. C. Great trouble and delay occurred in loading the boats; long trains of wagons to be loaded with supplies occupied the single narrow road leading to the docks, and at first it seemed probable that the scenes of Belle Plain were to be repeated at City Point. On the 20th, however, a wharf was constructed of pontoon boats and barges just below the hospital, which was exclusively appropriated to the use of the medical department, and from this time no further trouble occurred on this score. Until the end of June, sick and wounded continued to arrive from the front with great rapidity, and were sent north as fast as transportation could be procured. On the 21st and 23d, the steamers Continental, Western Metropolis, and DeMolay, which were regularly fitted up as hospital transports, and provided with medical officers and attendants, reported by order of the Surgeon-General, and were employed during the rest of the summer in conveying wounded to Philadelphia, New York, and other points in the North and East. The hospital transports Connecticut and State of Maine were employed only on the inland waters, running to Washington, Annapolis, and Baltimore. The barge New World, containing 800 beds, and intended to be used as a receiving ship for serious cases, and when full to be towed to some point in the North, arrived on the 20th, and was brought up to the wharf by the hospital. Upon examination it was found that she was entirely unfit for the purpose for which she had been designed, as not over 200 men could be safely placed upon her. Having three decks, one above the other, the ventilation was exceedingly imperfect, and erysipelas and phagedena made their appearance in forty-eight hours after wounded had been placed on board. She was used for

17 R R - VOL XXXVI, PT I