Frederick Law Olmsted, the executive director of the United States Sanitary Commission, set up a system of hospital ships for wounded and sick soldiers during the American Civil War.

That steamer then also traveled on to additional sites to render further aid to other soldiers who had fallen ill or been wounded at other Union duty stations.

The two transports refitted and dispatched by the Sanitary Commission were joined by a fleet of private, army, and state hospital ships.

Even the Red Rover, a river boat captured by the Union Army, was well equipped and initially staffed by the Sanitary Commission until the ship was sold to the navy.

Its first major operations came in the Peninsular Campaign of spring 1862, when it serviced casualties from General McClellan's Army of 100,000 men after a series of battles.

[1] The Sanitary Commission quickly organized large fleets of ships and created a network system of routes to move wounded.

But, this was frowned upon by the organizers as such a number would overcrowd the ship, overtask the medical staff, erode the quality of care, and place an unexpected burden on the receiving hospital.