forwarded last week. I did not see Dr. Asche. He did not report to me. I heard he was at Yorktown some time since with supplies for the Sanitary Commission. Dr. Alexander offered to receipt to him for all he had, and he refused.

The organization of the hospitals at Yorktown is progressing favorably under Assistant Surgeon Greenleaf, but want one large hospital here. I have 100 hospital tents pitched and occupied. I am sending away 200 of these patients by the Daniel Webster to-day. Wee ought to have 500 hospital tents here, and I wish the 400 more to be sent. The details for pitching the tents are so slow that it took 150 men two days to pitch the 100.

General McClellan has ordered all the transports at command for carrying the sick and wounded, but many of them were unfit. Only two were fitted u, and I had not the means to fit more, I cannot afford the necessary details of medical officers for sick transports. Nurses, and particularly cooks, are not to be had. The bedding now on hand here is 2,524 blankets, 23 bed-sacks, and 24 pillow-ticks. I have this moment seen a bill of lading of 18 bales of blankets on board a transport in the river.

The Elm City will be stationed here as a receiving ship for surgical cases, and will receive 400. Another that will take 200 will be ready at the end of the week.

The 50 two-wheeled ambulances have arrived, but I am compelled to keep them for the sick, as the four-wheeled ambulances are not sufficient.

It must be borne in mind that this army is in motion, and my province and hospitals extend from Yorktown to Williamsburg, thence to Cumberland and White House, and now our advance is 12 miles from the latter. I have to contrive for all this extent of country, and I have the aid of only one officer of experience on my staff.

CHS. S. TRIPLER,

Medical Director.

Surg. General W. A. HAMMOND, Washington, D. C.

[Appendix S1]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Med. Director's Office, Camp near New Brigade, Va., May 29, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report that I have made contracts with nineteen physicians from Massachusetts and one from New Jersey, and that four others have reported, under contract, from Washington, and New York. These have enabled me to supply the general hospitals at White House and at Yorktown, and to order to their regiments the medical officers who were left at those places with the sick. should you be able to send me the others I have asked for I hope to be able to relieve this-army from its present embarrassments in this respect. The bedding and hospital furniture ordered to York River have reached the purveyor. A considerable supply of stimulants has also come to hand (some of it, however, in bad order), but no quinine has yet arrived. We are desperately in want of this article. Unless the supplies ordered from Philadelphia were sent by a special agent there is no calculation to be made as to when they will reach the purveyor. They may be afloat somewhere upon the York River for weeks and no intimation of their whereabouts given to the purveyor.