No. 7. Report of Surg. John A. Lidell, U. S. Army, Inspector of Medical and Hospital Department.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, April 24, 1865.

COLONEL: I have the honor to present the following report upon the operations of the medical department of this army during the recent brilliant campaign, which commenced March 29 and accomplished the capture of Petersburg, the evacuation of Richmond, and the surrender of General Lee with the remnant of the Army of Northern Virginia, at Appomattox Court-House, April 9:

Your wise foresight and rigid enforcement of existing orders have caused this army to be amply provided, as far as your department was concerned, with everything that the exigencies of the campaign might demand.

On the 26th of March the Depot Field Hospital at City Point, which already had a capacity of 5,935 beds, was ordered to be enlarged 1,000 beds, making it capable of accommodating, in round numbers, 7,000 members. On the 28th a medical purveyor's train of thirty-six wagons, loaded with extra battle supplies, &c., in charge of Asst. Surg. D. R. Beaver, One hundred and ninety-first Pennsylvania Volunteers, was brought up from City Point to the headquarters Army of the Potomac, for the purpose of accompanying the reserve train of this army, and then be at hand to supply any unexpected drain upon the resources of the division and brigade supplies during the progress of the campaign about to commence. Besides this and the Depot Field Hospital above mentioned the medical purveyor at City Point, Asst. Surg. J. B. Brinton, U. S. Army, was directed to keep constantly on hand at that place all the medical and hospital supplies which would be needed by 10,000 or 12,000 wounded thrown unexpectedly on our hands. Due attention had also been paid to the subject of transportation, as the following extract from the consolidated return of the Ambulance Corps will help to show:

Ambulances............................... 525

Army wagons.............................. 154

Medicine................................. 55

Forage................................... 16

Horses..................................1,666

Mules.................................... 994

Stretchers............................... 979

Officers of Ambulance Corps.............. 44

Enlisted men of Ambulance Corps.........1,868

Regiments................................ 217

Batteries................................ 40

It may be added here that the condition and discipline of the ambulance service was efficient and satisfactory in every respect.

On March 28 all the sick and wounded in the division hospitals and all the men present with their commands who were unable to march were sent to the Depot Field Hospital at City Point. In the evening the evacuation of all the field hospital was completed, the camps of those belonging to the Second and Fifth Corps, together with their belonging to the Second and Fifth Corps, together with their medical and hospital of the Sixth and Ninth Corps were not struck at that time, as no material change in the position of those corps had been directed.

On Wednesday, the 29th, the campaign began. At an nearly hour the Fifth Corps moved down to the Rowanty Creek [formed by the junction

40 R R-VOL XLVI, PT I