"The provisional Army of Tennessee was at first, to some extent, supplied with spring vehicles as ambulances; but as the war progressed, hard usage and rough roads caused them to break down, and they were abandoned. Their places were supplied by ordinary wagons drawn by two mules and without springs. Staples on the sides of the body secured white-oak bows, covered with heavy cotton-duck cloth, with the name of the regiment, brigade, division, and corps painted on the sides of the white cover.

"While some ambulances afforded somewhat rough riding for sick and wounded men, they were the best that could be supplied. Now and then, one or more well-built and equipped ambulances were captured; in which case it did not take long to convert the 'U' into a 'C' leaving the 'S' and 'A' painted on it in some Northern city, still on duty; but these were generally taken possession of by brigade, division, or corps headquarters, leaving the regiments to rely on the two horse-wagon."

Field and Temporary Hospitals [Confederate] , The Photographic History of the Civil War, Prisons and Hospitals, pp. 258=60

.....

Report of Inspection of Division Commanded by Maj. Gen. Price, May 18, 1863, Division Head Quarters, Little Rock, May 18, 1863

" . . . In both these Brigades there is a deficiency of proper hospital tenst, while in the entire Division there is a great want of ambulances both for the removal of the sick to the General Hospital, or for conveying the wounded from the battlefield in case [of] action. It is respectfully recommended that these ambulances when furnished be placed in charge of the Surgeons of the regiments, who shall be responsible for their preservation, so that they may be kept for their legitimate use, and not subject to the order of other parties who may wish to employ they for foraging or other purposes"

T. D. Wooten, Chief Surgeon, Price's Div., W. M. McPheeters, Surgeon & Med. Insp.

...

November 7, 1864, Hd. Qts. Army of Missouri, in the field

"Medical officers of the army are authorized and required-in addition to ambulances and other medical wagons-to use all other wagons and other vehicles for the transportation of the sick, wounded, and disabled as far as it is possible to do so. Whenever one or two can be accommodated in wagons used for other purposes, they will see to it that they are thus accommodated. Should any difficulty arise in carrying out this order they will call on the nearest military commander for a guard sufficient to enforce it.

By order of Maj. Gen. Price, W. M. McPheeters"

I acted from principle, The Civil War Diary of Dr. William McPheeters, Confederate Surgeon in the Trans-Mississippi, pp. 324/5, 330