Undertakers in the 19th Century

[Laurie Verge]

The embalmers back then had to be doctors or surgeons trained in the practice. They were not undertakers as we think of them today. I would think that that would reduce the amount of embalmers who were available on or near the battlefields.

It also depended on the condition of the body, I believe, as to whether or not it could be embalmed - and the smell was a big factor. If the body was too smelly, railroads would refuse to ship it. I have also read that if the putrefaction occurred once on board the train, the body would be taken off at the next stop and buried.

As for icing them down for transportation, I would think that ice was a scarce commodity for the military; and weren't the majority of battles fought in non-winter months?

I also wonder about the military's ability to properly identify many of the remains in order to get them home to loved ones.