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suggesting that he might be able to see his wife, at the same time, I was prompted to select him. There was one ambulance (broken) for repair, and one under the care of Captain Dunton, Chief Quartermaster of the District of Jacksonville; two were in the use of the Department Commander at Hilton Head, and one was left at St. Helena Island, belonging to Seventh Connecticut volunteers.
2. The opinion of the Medical Director was verbal, as usual, and might have been construed as direction, instruction or order, but had not been insisted upon, after my explanations were given.
Should I have received a written order, direction or instruction, its execution would have required the endorsement “Official” from the General commanding, by the Assistant Adjutant-General.
In the the particular case referred to, I had received a telegram from the Medical Director, then at Jacksonville, delivered at Sanderson, ten miles in advance of Barber's, when, by instructions, I had given the day previous, our sick and wounded were already on the way to Jacksonville, under charge of Assistant Surgeon P. Rector, then of the One Hundred and Fifteenth New York volunteers, who will fully explain the delay on the road.
3. Articles furnished by Sanitary Commission before the battle of Olustee were, together with the regimental stores, brought to Baldwin by car, and thence by wheel to Barber's, arriving there the evening previous to the battle.
Assistant Surgeon Greenleaf had charge of them, and can state the number of boxes, the car and wagons.
Articles furnished by the Sanitary Commission after the battle, and on my telegram to Surgeon Smith, came to Baldwin by car. Mr. A. B. Day, came along with them, and Assistant Surgeon Tremain, Twenty-fourth Massachusetts volunteers.
The Doctor will give all information in regard to kind and quantity.
The medicine chest of Forty-eighth New York volunteers was left at Barber's, and most of their stores were, together with baggage, commissary stores, muskets, &c., destroyed, to gain every available transportation for our wounded.
4. Returning from the front on the thirteenth, I started with the General twenty-four hours after the sick and wounded, but arrived, riding from Sanderson through in the night, twenty-four hours before them at Jacksonville.
The delay, as stated in “2,” will be explained by Assistant-Surgeon Rector.
5. I respectfully refer to my monthly report of medical officers in the command.
The regiments and detachments engaged had their medical officers present, as mentioned in that report.
The medical officers all have done their duty — it becomes a civilian only to be meritorious.
The number of seriously wounded, coming under my observation, was not above three hundred.
There were, to my knowledge, only three amputations.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Dr. Adolf Majer, Surgeon U. S. V.
sir: In your communication to me of this date, you say: “Should I have received a written order, instruction or direction, its execution would have required the endorsement Official from the General commanding, by the Assistant Adjutant-General.”
Am I to infer from this that you will not obey a “written order, instruction or direction” given by the Medical Director of this department, unless that written order, instruction or direction is made official by the General commanding, or his Adjutant-General.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Ebn. Swift, Surgeon, U. S. A., Medical Director To Surgeon Adolf Majer, Surgeon, U. S. V., (present.)
sir: The charge of the ambulances is, if I am correct, by Army Regulations, given to the Quartermaster Department, and I would, however I might try to enforce an order from the Medical Director's Office, have to provide myself with an “official” endorsement from the Adjutant-General's Office for the compliance on the part of quartermasters.
Any order, instruction, direction or wish from my superior officer of the Medical Department has been, is and always will be strictly obeyed by me, to whom good order and military discipline is not only a habit, but I may say a religion, in medical matters.
My observation in to-day's communication has only a bearing to the ambulances.
I am sorry it has received a general application.
I am, sir, very respectfully your obedient servant,
Dr. Adolf Majer, Surgeon U. S. V. Surgeon Ebn. Swift, U. S. A., Medical Director, Department of the South, Hilton Head, S. C.
