Existing comment:
The number of animals required to support both armies during the Civil War was very large. In 1864, the Army of the Potomac used more than 4,000 six-mule team wagons as it entered the Wilderness Campaign. The total number of horses and mules that moved with the Army during this campaign was 56,499. The armies relied on the animals to transport food, men and supplies.
For cavalry officers, well-maintained horses often meant the difference between losing and keeping the strength of the command. Veterinary surgeons, for those regiments lucky enough to have them, were selected for service through nomination by their regimental commanders. Necessity forced other cavalry officers and men to act as their own veterinarians. |