 These were not the first hospital ships employed by the Civil War governments; previous ships used as hospitals, like the hospital ship "CSS St. Philip" (formerly the "Star of the West") in September 1861 and April 1862, retained patients for long periods of time (30–90 days easily) and stayed on station rarely travelling.The Sanitary Commission used their steamers as a means of bringing wounded further back behind supply lines, keeping wounded on board for as short a time as possible, from 1–7 days.Men and women of all races, some hired while others volunteered, served throughout the hospital ships and hospitals of the Union as nurses.