Hi Gerard, After receiving primary care at field hospitals, wounded soldiers who required additional care were evacuated to other hospitals. In the case of soldiers in the Army of the Potomac, this often was a hospital in and around Washington. Early on, the system for getting them there was very haphazard, but by '64 it was organized much better. A couple of examples: Pvt. William McCarter was wounded during the Battle of Fredericksburg on 13 Dec 1862. He finally managed (on his own) to hop a train to Aquia Creek on the 16th. He boarded a steamer, arrived in DC on the 17th and was taken to Eckington Hospital. Sgt. Peter Welsh was wounded at Spotsylvania on 12 May 1864 and arrived at Carver Hospital in DC two days later. Dennis ----------------------Original message follows------------------------ "Gerard J. Nolan" wrote: > > My great-grand uncle, Captain Michael Donovan Purtell, was shot through the lung on 10 May 1864 > at the battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse and died from his wounds three days later. > > The Government records that I have reviewed indicate that he was buried near the battlefield and that his remains were never recovered. > > Recently I have read a record from the City of New York which indicates that he died in Washington, D.C. The latter indicates that he died of a gunshot wound, on the same date as that in the Federal data. > > Were any wounded from this battle removed to hospitals in Washington, DC? > The battlefield, and Washington, are about 65 miles apart. There were railroads. Does anyone have a definitive answer?