| Quarter Master General's Department |
| Richmond, January 26th 1864 |
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| S. Moore |
| Surg. Genl. |
| |
| Sir, |
| Your endorsement of 23rd on
papers of Surgeons Burwell & Brown suggesting that the Surgeon in
Charge of Chimborazo can furnish his own fuel, paying Govt price,
provided the Q. M. Dept furnish the transportation on the {Richmond
&} York River R. R. has been noted. This would not relieve
this Department as by contract with the Y. R. R. R. we already receive
all the wood that they can bring to the city. Indeed we furnish hands
to cut, and teams to haul wood to the road. I am informed by Maj.
Maynard, that Dr. McCan has within a few days economized his
consumption of fuel one third, by concentrating his patients when
there were only a few in each ward. With such cooperation on the part
of the Surgeons in large hospitals, this Department will have no
difficulty in furnishing a sufficiency of fuel. But if the patients
are scattered, in small squads, over a large number of rooms I fear
that suffering must ensure from an insufficiency of fuel. Our
trouble is a want of transportation, not of the wood of
which we have large quantities. |
| A. R. Lawton, Q. M. General |
|