The Need for an Ambulance Corps

One of the greatest challenges presented by the huge war was the transport of its wounded. The military had no formal ambulance corps.   Men, usually those considered unfit for battle service, were randomly appointed to drive ambulances and carry litters. The wounded who survived these emergency efforts were transported to army hospitals in nearby cities or towns, frequently by two-wheeled carts or four-wheeled wagons.   The crude vehicles that served as ambulances often caused additional injuries secondary to the battle wounds. Unpaved roads jostled the injured troops on their way to the field hospital. If a soldier survived his initial wound, he no doubt prayed he would survive the subsequent transport.

Posted in: Civil War Ambulances