William Schouler, A history of Massachusetts in the Civil War: Volume 1

[367] left Massachusetts yesterday, —all regularly detailed by our Surgeon-General, under your order,—and all surgeons of high character and ability: also, nine car-loads of hospital stores left Boston last night.

On the fifteenth day of September, the Governor wrote to the Secretary of War, recommending the appointment of General Strong to the command of the post of New York, in place of the officer then there. He preferred to have one selected from civil life, rather than one whose experience and education was only military. New York is the gate through which our regiments advance to the war, and through which also ‘our poor and wounded men, brave in their patience, and more than heroic in their sufferings, are obliged to return, as they wearily and sadly are borne home to die.’ General Strong, here spoken of, probably was the gentleman who was chief-of-staff to General Butler while in command of the Department of New England, and who was afterwards killed at Fort Wagner. But of this we are not certain.

On the first day of October, the Governor forwarded to the Secretary of War a memorial signed by about seventy-five physicians of Massachusetts, among whom were many of the most distinguished in the State, setting forth that the ambulance arrangements of the United-States army were extremely defective, and caused great suffering to our sick and wounded soldiers; and suggesting that the cause of humanity and the real welfare of the soldiers would be promoted by placing the control of this part of the service more immediately under the supervision of the Medical Department of the United States, with authority to authorize a distinct ambulance corps.

On the same day, he wrote to the President, bringing to his attention a certain injustice done our soldiers, in keeping them imprisoned without trial by court-martial; and suggesting, that a board be convened by the Governors of States for such duty, the following names to constitute the board for Massachusetts: Major-General William Sutton, BrigadierGen-eral Richard A. Peirce, Lieutenant-Colonel C. C. Holmes, Lieutenant-Colonel John W. Wetherell, Major Charles W. Wilder, Major Thornton K. Lothrop, Captain George H. Shaw, Lieutenant Curtis B. Raymond, and, for Judgecate,