20 THIRTY—EIGHTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 27. 1864. March 11, 1864. Crue. XXVII. —An Act io establish a umform System ofAmbulances in the Armies of ——————~—-»-»~ the Linted Sum. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assemoled, That the medical director, or Amb¤l¤¤¤¢¤, chief medical officer, of each army corps shall, under the control of the
- 2;;; hg? it medical director of the army to which such army corps belongs, have the
’ Ildirection and supervision of all ambulahces, medicine, and other wagons, horses, mules, harness, and other fixtures Yappertaining thereto, and of all officers and men who may be detailed or employed to assist him in the management thereof, in the army corps in which he may be serving. Omcers and Sec. 2. And be tit further enacted, That the commanding officer of each g’5;;:B*:;r°;”‘ army corps shall detail officers and enlisted men for service in the ambu Plance corps of such army corps, upon the following basis, viz: one cap tain, who shall be commandant of said ambulance corps ; one first lieutenant for each division in such army corps; one second lieutenant for each brigade in such army corps; one sergeant for each regiment in such army corps; three privates for each ambulance, and one private for each wagon; and the officers and nomcommissioned oitlicers of the ambulance corps shall be mounted: Provided, That the o{·ficers, non-commissioned officers, To be exam- and privates so detailed for each army corps shall be examined by a board
- ”°d· of medical officers of such army corps as to their fitness for such duty; and
that such as are found to be not qualified shall be rejected, and others detailed in their stead. Two-horse am- Sue. 3. And be it further enacted, That there shall be allowed and furl'“l“F‘°°*’ *° bs nished to each army corps two-horse ambulances, upon the followincr haurmshed. each . . . . . ° army co,-ps_ sis, to wit: three to each regiment of mfantry 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 infan- Di¤¢fib¤¢i¢>¤· try 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 Eve hundred men ; one to each battery of artillery, to which battery of artillery it shall be permanently attached; to the head-quarters of each army corps two such ambulances; and to each division train of ambulances two army wagons; and ambulances shall be allowed and furnished to division brigades and commands not attached to any army corps, upon the same basis; and each ambulance shall be provided with such number of stretchers and other appliances as shall be prescribed by the surgeon-general: Provided, That the ambulances and wagons herein mentioned shall be furnished, so far as practicable, from the ambulances and wagons now in the service. Horse and Srcc. 4. And be itfurthar enacted, That horse- and mule-litters may be mule li¤¤1‘¤· adopted or authorized by the Secretary of War, in lieu of ambulances, when judged necessary, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the medical director of each army corps. Captain, au- Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the captain shall be the com- 2*;*3* Md d¤· mander 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. He am({)‘:H;l;E‘; °f shall pay special attention to the condition of the ambulances, wagons, horses, mules, harness, and other fixtures appertuining thereto, and see that they are at all times in readiness for service; that the officers and Instruction of men of the ambulance corps are properly instructed in their duties, and °m“°" ““d“‘°"· that their duties are performed, and that the regulations which may be prescribed by the Secretary of War, or the surgeon-general, for the government of the ambulance corps are strictly observed by those under his Drill- command. It shall 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 in all cases that the sick and wounded shall bo treated with gentleness and care, and that the ambulances and wagons are
