Studies in American History 
301 
George Merritt on June 1, 1864, from Chattanooga, portrays 
the general conditions that influenced Morton to do thisJ^^ 
During the latter part of 1864, there was an average of fifty 
nurses on the field under the supervision of the Sanitary Com- 
mission. 
In May, 1863, George 0. Jobes, Indiana military agent, re- 
ported that there were sixteen female nurses in the hospitals 
in Memphis.^^^ In January, 1865, there were fifty in the 
service of the Commission; and from January, 1863, to April, 
1864, there were about ninety-five in the service.^^® Miss C. 
Annette Buckel was superintendent of female nurses for 1864, 
and was very successful in her work around Louisville.^^^ 
They did hospital work and distributed sanitary stores. 
Others were at Paducah, Nashville, Bowling Green,^^^ and 
Murfreesboro. Many more volunteered than were accepted; 
only one-third of those offering to go to Nashville in January, 
1863, were given permission to go. To get into the service 
they sent their names, with references, to William Hannaman 
from whom they, if found qualified, received their appoint- 
ment and directions as to when and where to report. In case 
they were not needed at the time of making the application, 
174 “X'he first ambulance train was just coming in from the front some twenty-five 
miles away, and in two hours, 1,200 wounded men from the twentieth army corps 
(Hooker’s) wei'e there to be unloaded, fed, wounds dressed, etc., and only six hospital 
tents to put them in, and no previous preparation, or, at least, no adequate prepara- 
tion, for caring for them : and as they had been in ambulances all night and day, and 
the nurses and drivers who came with them were all worn out and only anxious 
to get rid of their charge before dark, you may imagine there was some confusion, and 
an immensity of suffering, from every imaginable kind of wounds, that had been broiled 
all day in the hot sun, and pounded all day over had roads, in the ambulances, until 
every other part not wounded was bruised and sore ; and so tired, oh, so tired and sore ! 
The mountain of suffering seemed so big that it seemed useless to attempt to alleviate 
it by removing one at a time, hut as that was the only way, I pulled off my coat, 
and reported at once to the surgeon in charge, and was soon engaged among the 
ambulances, soiling out the amputations, to put in the tents, which only held about 
half of that class. All the rest had their choice, to stay all night in the ambulances, 
or lay on the ground without shelter, and most of them preferred the ground. While 
the ambulances were being unloaded . . . v/ere busy getting tea and coffee prepared 
by the barrel, ... by ten o’clock we had them all fed, and I went to work to 
assist the surgeons at dressing the wounds but soon found that some were without 
surgeons, either because they were entirely worn out, or because of some misunder- 
standing, thinking that the surgeons at the post were to take charge of them as soon 
as they arrived . . . there was none to care for them ; and to this class I turned my 
attention, dressing such wounds as I could, and begging some surgeon to attend to such 
as I could not ; but still hundreds of cases had to remain undressed, most of whom 
after a while were worn out with calling for help and fell asleep.” Documentary Journal, 
1865, II, 181, 182. 
Indianapolis Daily Journal, October 9, 1862; ibid., May 14, 1863; Documentary 
Journal, 1865, II, 175. 
176 Terrell, Repcrrt, I, 354. 
Ibid., 1865, II, 79. 
'^'^Indianapolis Daily Journal, February 6, January 29, and October 10, 1863. 
