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[60] district; but inasmuch as they received prize money, they were not to be entitled to any bounty. The President, whenever in his judgment the public service might require it, could transfer persons who had been employed in sea service, and were enlisted in the army, from their regiments to the naval service, upon such terms and according to such rules and regulations as might be prescribed; but the number of transfers from any company or regiment was not to be so great as to reduce it below the minimum strength required by the regulations of the military service, and the sums paid to such persons as bounty for entering the military service, were to be transferred from the naval recruiting fund to the credit of the proper appropriation for the land service. Mr. Conness stated that the joint resolution was prepared in accordance with the judgment of the Executive, of the Navy Department, and of the War Department. Mr. Grimes moved to amend the resolution by adding: “That there shall be paid to each enlisted able or ordinary seaman an advance, as a bounty, of three months pay, to be refunded to the treasury from any prize money to which such enlisted man may hereafter be entitled.” The amendment was agreed to, and the bill as amended passed. On motion of Mr. Higby, of California, the House referred the resolution to the Committee on Military Affairs, with leave to report at any time. On the nineteenth, Mr. Deming, of Connecticut, from the Military Committee, reported the resolution without amendment, and it was passed without a division. It was approved by the President on the twenty-fourth of February, 1864. No. Lxii.--The Bill to establish a Uniform System of Ambulances in the United States. In the Senate, on the twenty-third of December, 1863, Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts, introduced a bill to establish a uniform system of ambulances in the army, which was read twice, and referred to the Military Committee. On the twentieth of January, 1864, Mr. Wilson reported it back with amendments. The bill provided that the chief medical officer of each army corps, should, under the control of the medical director of the army to which such army corps belonged, have the supervision of all ambulances, and of all officers and men who might be detailed or employed to assist him, in the army corps in which he might be serving. That the commanding officer of each army corps should detail officers and enlisted men for service in the ambulance corps, namely, one captain, one first lieutenant for each division, one second lieutenant for each brigade, one sergeant for each regiment, three privates for each ambulance, and one private for each wagon; the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates detailed for each array corps to be examined by a board of medical officers of such army corps as to their fitness for such duty. That there should be furnished to each army corps two-horse ambulances, upon the basis of three to each regiment of infantry of five hundred men or more; two to each regiment of infantry of more than two hundred and less than five hundred men or more: and one to each regiment of infantry of less than two hundred men; two to each regiment of cavalry of five hundred men or more; and one to each regiment of cavalry of less than five hundred men; one to each battery of artillery — to which battery of artillery it should be permanently attached; to the headquarters of each army corps two such ambulances; and to each division train of ambulances two army wagons; and ambulances should be furnished to division brigades and commands not attached to any army corps upon the same basis; each ambulance to be provided with such number of stretchers and other appliances as should be prescribed by the Surgeon-General. That the captain should be the commander of all the ambulances, medicine, and other wagons in the corps, under the immediate direction of the medical director, or chief medical officer of the army corps to which the ambulance corps belongs; and he should pay special attention to the condition of the ambulances, and see that they were at all times in readiness for service; that the officers and men of the ambulance corps were properly instructed in their duties, and that their duties were performed; and it should be his duty to institute a drill in his corps, instructing his men in the most easy and expeditious manner of moving the sick and wounded, and to require that the sick and wounded should be treated with gentleness and care; and it should be his duty to see that the ambulances were not used for any other purpose than that for which they were designed. And it should be the duty of the chief medical officer of the army corps, previous to a march, and previous to and in time of action, or whenever it might be necessary to use the ambulances, to issue the proper orders to the captain for the distribution and management of the same; for collecting the sick and wounded, and conveying them to their destination. And the officers of the ambulance corps, including the medical director, should make such reports, from time to time, as might be required by the Secretary of War, the Surgeon-General, the medical director of the army, or the commanding officer of the army corps in which they might be serving. That the first lieutenant for a division should have complete control, under the captain of his corps and the medical director of the army corps, of all the ambulances and men in that portion of the ambulance corps. He should be the acting assistant quartermaster, and be responsible for all the property belonging to the ambulance corps, have authority to draw supplies from the depot quartermaster, upon requisitions approved by the captain of his corps, the medical director, and the commander of the army corps to which he is attached. That the second lieutenant should have command of the portion of the ambulance corps for a brigade, and should be under the immediate orders of the first lieutenant, and should exorcise a careful supervision over the sergeants and privates. That the ambulances in
Van Nostrand. New York, New York. 1866.
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