sir: In drawing a resume from my minutia, I have thus the honor and the painful duty of answering your several questions, as follows: A. My medical officers were not supplied with the highly essential articles, lint, bandages and stimulants, to a sufficiency adequate to our loss in wounded, as experienced at the battle of Olustee; because, first, the loss of one third of our forces engaged was so unexpected, that the sanguinary occurrence of itself has become an event highly deplored and creating surprise. Second, while for any ordinary loss (say from two hundred to three hundred) provision had been made, by bringing the available stores of several regiments to the nearest secure place in our rear, there was yet the necessary, and in any moving army customary, reserve depot of supplies, not established until several days after the battle. Third, a large part of the regimental supplies has been used for organizing the post (general) hospital at Jacksonville, as a receiving depot of sick and wounded, and a number of boxes remained stored, with their promiscuous contents. And while, B. I did know that Surgeon Smith at all, or in time, could not procure the articles we wanted, without calling on the Sanitary Commission, there consisted the aid and assistance afforded me, on the following services performed: The agent, Mr. A. B. Day, not only furnished, with remarkable promptness, lint, bandages, and stimulants, but in addition, shirts, drawers, stockings, slippers, sheets, pillows, pillow-cases, old linen, bed-stock, soda crackers, condensed milk, dried apples, vegetables, curried cabbage, chocolate, preserves, wines, &c., &c., in quantities I do not even approximately recollect, but for which I receipted. The Medical Director himself, being so informed, suggested that he would either return them in kind or pay for them — a proposition, in which to share, does not come within my official province nor within my means, and must, therefore, entirely be left for his action. While in the name of our wounded, I feel thankful for the timely supplies, surgical aid and assistance has not been required, nor, if I am correct, been rendered. In forwarding the wounded from Baldwin, I sent one assistant surgeon with each car (drawn by horses), and Mr. Day's personal services were there meritorious beyond praise, as was his offer to stay, in addition to Assistant Surgeon Defendorf, Forty-eighth New York volunteers, with the wounded near the battle-field, certainly generous, but finally not necessary or practicable. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,[463] Adolf Majer is relieved from duty as Medical Director of this District. The Brigadier-General commanding conveys on this occasion to Surgeon Majer his acknowledgment of the excellent services rendered by him during his control of the medical affairs of this district, and thanks him for the conscientious attention to duty which has characterized his administration. (Signed)
Doctor: In reply to my communication to you of the third instant, you say: “To make sure of the supplies for the general hospital at Jacksonville, however, and for more ambulances, you had addressed a request to the General to send Surgeon Mulford, Forty-eighth New York volunteers, to Jacksonville, Fla., and Hilton Head.”
Was not this at Dr. Mulford's own suggestion, that he might be able to see his sick wife?
Did you know of any ambulances you could get by sending Dr. Mulford for them?
At Barber's place, you state you had ten wounded, and in advance of that two others.
You had twelve ambulances, on your own admission, and that was not all your transportation, to transport those from Barber's place to Jacksonville, a distance of thirty-five miles. In reference to this matter, from your remarks on page six of your letter, am I to infer that you received my order “to send in your wounded at once,” and that you disobeyed that order because it was so impracticable, and did you inform me of that impracticability, that I might make other arrangements?
Please to inform me if the list of articles, furnished by the Sanitary Commission was sent to the front, and give me an approximate idea of the bulk, a car-load or a cart-load, and what was their mode of transportation?
I desire also to know if Mr. Day had any one to assist him in his “meritorious” services, and if you know of medical officers abandoning their dressings?
You say you returned to Jacksonville on the thirteenth with the General.
Did you precede your wounded?
I desire to know how many medical officers you had with you in the engagement of the twentieth, and if the meritorious conduct of any one of them deserves especial mention by name; also, how many seriously wounded you had in that engagement, and how many of these required amputation.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hilton head, S. C. April 8, 1864.
Surgeon Ebn. Swift, U. S. A., Medical Director, Department of the South:
sir: In reply to several questions, bearing on my report about supplies, of April third and fourth, and addressed to me on April seventh, I have the honor to state as follows:
1. I intended to send Assistant Surgeon A. W. Greenleaf, Second South Carolina volunteers, but Surgeon Mulford, Forty-eighth New York, Surgeon Ebn. Swift, U. S. A., Medical Director, Department of the South:
