Hospital Trains and Vessels during the Civil War: The Evolution in the Handling and Transportation of the Wounded

The removal of the wounded from Civil War battlefields presented a major logistical problem, mainly because both sides were unprepared for the scope of the battles and the high number of wounded soldiers that needed assistance. Both the North and the South believed the war would be short—and they would be victorious. Dealing with the realities of war came as something of a surprise.

Public outcry after the early medical disasters led to the development of effective systems of evacuation, and helped lead to the creation of humanitarian agencies to assist with the sick and wounded. Improvements included an organized Ambulance Corps and an elaborate system of roads, rails, and waterways to speed the wounded soldiers to established hospitals.

Using railroads for transporting the wounded from the battlefields evolved from the early days of the war, where they were using improvised flat cars and box cars, to the development of rail cars specifically designed to carry patients in comfort. These special cars also allowed for caring for the men in transit.

In areas where the use of railroads was difficult, the North moved wounded soldiers by water. Again, they first used boats converted to the purpose, but later designed steamers specifically as floating hospitals. These steamers were used on the larger rivers and also along the Eastern seaboard, both moving the wounded to permanent hospitals and treating them along the way.

This book details the development and use of railroads and steamers for medical evacuation during the war. It also discusses the nurses, surgeons, and volunteers who made these life-saving advances possible. The newly-designed rail cars and steamers revolutionized military medicine and paved the way for our modern systems of transporting the wounded.

Anthony (Tony) Puzzilla retired from the federal government in 2009 after 43 years of service. During his government years, the focus of his work was in the fields of disaster preparation,response and recovery with the Departments of Energy and Homeland Security in affiliation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He is now a full-time writer and lecturer focusing on railroad and Civil War history. Mr. Puzzilla has published two books on the history of railroads with Arcadia Publishing, The Western Maryland Railway (2015) and New Jersey Central's Blue Comet (2017).  In February 2020, DartFrog Books published Hospital Trains and Vessels during the Civil War, The Evolution in the Handling and Transportation of the Wounded. On February 22, 2020, he made a presentation at the Communipaw Terminal at Liberty State Park, in Jersey City, New Jersey regarding the marketing and promotion of the Blue Comet train in Atlantic City during the 1930s at the annual American Railway Master Mechanics' Association Convention. This movie and PowerPoint presentation was made in conjunction with the Liberty State Park's annual Blue Comet Day. On October 12, 2019, Mr. Puzzilla made a presentation at the 27th Annual Conference on Civil War Medicine in Herndon, Virginia. His presentation was entitled "The Evolution and Improvement in the Handling and Transportation of the Wounded by Railroads during the Civil War." In March 9, 2019, he made a presentation at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine's Historical Interpreters Workshop, in Frederick, Maryland, regarding "The Role of Railroads in the Transportation of Wounded during the Gettysburg Campaign."  Tony isa member of several railway historical societies and the Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA). He has been a regular contributor to the LCCA's magazine, The Lion Roars, the National Railway Historical Society's Bulletin, as well as the Gettysburg Magazine and the Trains magazine.