Medical staff on campaign

[corp141stpa]

What did the medical staff carry on campaign? Would they set up an A frame or wall tent for just a few days. Would they set up a field hospital for just a few days. Would they ever just sleap in a shelter half? What would they carry close to them? Any information would help.
Thanks,
Your obediant servant,
Michael Merritt
Commd. , M.C.C.

[1stMaine]

Comrade,

For starters, here's a link to the report of the medical Director of the AOP. It is his review of the planning and execution of the Medical Department in the AOP during the Wilderness Campaign. It spells out quite well how things were organised and who had charge of what and where, etc. Well worth your time to read.

http://ehistory.osu.edu/uscw/library/or/067/0210.cfm

Having said that, after Antietam, there tended to be fewer medical folks in the regiments and battalions, as they were veing reassigned to the Brigade and Division hospitals. However, there are some exceptions.

On the march, the Assistant Surgeon and/or Surgeon is posted at the rear of the column, along with an orderly assigned to him to carry the medical knapsack. That knapsack contains such items as might be needed on the march or in the field, such as roller bandages, tourniquests, splints, suture materials and basic pain medicines and liniments. The Surgeon's valise and the knapsack of the man assigned to carry the medical knapsack or carried on the wagon, and would be available when those came up.

The Surgeon (or assistant Surgeon) would have a little booklet of passes he's carry with him that could be filled out to allow a man to sick or hobbled to keep up with the column to sit alongside the road and ride in the ambulance or wagon if/when it came along. He'd examine the man, do what he could for him, write in the name, unit, etc, of the fellow on the pass and hand it to him. The surgeon would also be available at halts and at the end of the day if needs be, and would, of course, be available first thing for sick call if time permitted.

The Hospital Steward would be found with the regimental medical wagon, taking charge of whatever medicines and medical items were carried therein.

The surgeon would have 2 shelter halfs, either carried with his blankets in the wagon, or upon his person, and the medical orderly and the HS would each have a shelter half. By spring of 1863, tentage had been severely reduced in the AOP, and although there was a hospital tent assigned to the regiment, more often than not it was transferred to the brigade or division hospital trains for use there.

In short, on the march you got what you could carry, and could draw on other items if the wagon got up at night.

That's it for short. Let me know if you need anything else.

Respects,

[cwdoc45]

Michael,

Contact me & I'll send you Surgeon James Riley Monroe Gaskill's diary on the march to the sea with Uncle Billy. You'll see what they carried. I also have his medical re-supply list when they reached the sea. contact me at drbucher@hotmail.com

Dr. Trevor Steinbach
45th Ill. Vols -Surgeon

[verg]

Hi!

Another consideration would be the availability of mounts for the medical officers. As regimental officers, they were authorized a horse, or two, depending on their rank. I cannot claim to be an expert of any great degree, but of the regimental and brigade surgeon's diaries I have read (maybe ten, or so), they were all mounted for most, if not all, of their service.

Carrying those two shelter halves becomes much easier . . . then again, they seem to almost always slept in someone's house . . .