Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

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[61] the armies of the United States should be used only for the transportation of the sick and wounded, and, in urgent cases only, for medical supplies, and all persons should be prohibited from using them. That no person except the proper medical officers, or the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates of the ambulance corps, or such persons as might be assigned to duty with the ambulance corps, should be permitted to take or accompany sick or wounded men to the rear, either on the march or upon the field of battle. That the officers, non-commissioned officers and privates of the ambulance corps should be designated by such uniform or in such manner as the Secretary of War should deem proper. That it should be the duty of the commander of the army corps to transmit to the Adjutant-General the names and rank of all officers and enlisted men detailed for service in the ambulance corps of such army corps, and it should be the duty of the commander of the army corps to report to the Adjutant-General, from time to time, the conduct and behavior of the officer, and enlisted men of the ambulance corps. That nothing in the act should be construed to diminish or impair the rightful authority of the commanders of armies, army corps, or separate detachments, over the medical and other officers, and the non-commissioned officers and privates of their commands.

On the third of February, the Senate, on motion of Mr. Wilson, proceeded to the consideration of the bill, and the amendments reported by the Military Committee were agreed to. Mr. Wilson then stated that the bill was based upon the orders of Colonel Letterman, Medical Director of the army of the Potomac. The bill, he said, had been sent to medical directors of armies, and to several generals, and the Committee on Military Affairs had received many letters approving the provisions of the bill. General Grant wrote that “the system, as now proposed, is a good one; that it may be subject to modifications which can be made by orders; that it is an admirable system to be adopted by all our armies.” General Hooker said he regarded the bill as unexceptionable. General Sykes, commanding a corps in the army of the Potomac, said: “In its main provisions it is identical of Order Eighty-five, of this army, August twenty-fourth, 1863.” “The system established in those orders has been tested, and found highly satisfactory.” General Sedgwick, commanding the Sixth corps, of the army of the Potomac, said of the bill: “It is essentially the same as now organized in this army, and has been found to work admirably.” General French, another corps commander of the army of the Potomac, says: “The system, as embodied in the bill, is almost practically perfect.” General Pleasonton, who commanded the cavalry of the army of the Potomac, said of the bill: “I am very glad to find it so nearly accords with the system adopted for the service in this army. The experience of the past eighteen months has shown that the necessities of the service will be fully met by the provisions of your bill. While it provides in the most ample manner for the care of the sick and wounded, the checks against any abuse are well considered, and will prove effective.” General Thomas wrote a letter indorsing the bill, and suggested an amendment, which was adopted by the Committee. “I have full confidence,” he said, “that the bill as it now stands, will answer all the purposes needed. It is a general direction and guide, leaving sufficient scope for medical directors of armies to issue orders and make such modifications and changes of detail as may be necessary, from time to time, in their several armies. It extends to all our armies the system adopted eighteen months ago in the army of the Potomac, and which at Fredericksburgh, at Chancellorsville, and at Gettysburgh, according to the testimony of our officers, worked most admirably. It has been improving every day, and no doubt will continue to improve so long as the war lasts; for, in this department, as in every other, they are every day learning something.” Mr. Wilson stated that it had been suggested that mule-litters might be introduced into the army. Mr. Grimes thought there ought to be a section in the bill giving authority to change the character of the ambulances, and detail officers and men to horse and mule-litters. Mr. Wilson moved to amend the bill by adding a new section, providing that horse and mule-litters might be authorized by the Secretary of War, under such rules and regulations as might be prescribed by the medical director of each army. The amendment was agreed to, and the bill then passed without a division.

In the House, on the eighth of March, Mr. Schenck, of Ohio, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported back the ambulance bill of the Senate with amendments, which were agreed to, and the bill was then passed without a division. On the ninth, the Senate, on motion of Mr. Wilson, concurred in the amendments of the House, and the bill was approved by the President on the eleventh of March, 1864.

No. Lxiii.--The Bill to amend Section Nine of the Act approved July seventeenth, “to Define the Pay and Emoluments of certain Officers of the Army.”

In the House, on the eighth of March, Mr. Farnsworth, of Illinois, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported a bill to amend section nine of the act approved July seventeenth, 1862, “to define the pay and emoluments of certain officers of the army.”

The first section of the bill provided that from and after the passage of the act, chaplains in the regular and volunteer service, and in hospitals, should not suffer any diminution of their pay and allowances when absent from duty on leave, on account of sickness or other disability, or when held by the enemy as prisoners.

The second section of the bill so amended the pension act of July, 1862, as to include chaplains in the regular and volunteer service; provided