L. Guild to Gen. S. P. MooRz, December 12, 1862

Srr: The battle commenced yesterday, and is still raging. The ar mies are fighting, with the river between them. The railroad is not under control of the military authorities. We have not more than 100 wounded as yet. The ambulance committee, composed of citizens of Richmond, have offered their services, and every facility will be ex. tended to them from the medical, quartermaster’s, and commissary departments. Some definite and well-regulated system of railroad transportation should be adopted for the wounded. All the farm houses in this vicinity are filled with poor refugees from the bombarded town of Fredericksburg, and our limited transportation has precluded our having a sufficiency of tents; therefore, it will be necessary to have the wounded rapidly conveyed to Richmond, after the primary operations have been performed. It would relieve me of great additional trouble and responsibility if you assign some officer to the special duty of directing the transportation of wounded on the railroad, and their proper care in transitu. A fixed schedule of time for running should be adopted.

Everything portends a bloody battle. Our ambulance wagons will, no doubt, be sufficient to remove the wounded from the field to the infirmaries, and from the infirmaries to the railroad depot. Herbig reported with 38 ambulances. Our whole army is concentrated in this immediate vicinity. I believe the medical department is in excellent condition.

very respectfully, your obedient servant,