Prior to October 1863, this Depot Camp, Invalid Corps, was located at Camp Anderson at Meridian Hill.

The Invalid Corps was organized in April 1863. The name was changed to Veteran Reserve Corps in March 1864. In June 1863, the Convalescent Camp near Alexandria, Virginia was designated as the Depot. The Depot was then moved in August 1863 to Camp Anderson, and again in October of 1863 to Cliffburne Barracks, where the post hospital was established.

The Medical Examining Board examined all invalided soldiers for assignment to the Invalid/Veteran Reserve Corps. The sick in the corps were seen at the Cliffburne Barracks Post Hospital.

The post hospital was located in barracks abandoned by troops moving out on campaign. The Medical and Surgical History of the War of Rebellion (Pt. 3, Vol. 1) describes the conversion of these barracks to a hospital with over 1000 beds.

Located on the rolling hills of the Corcoran Farm, the hospital was built in a "V" pavilion style. A few wooden barracks and a brick farm house were incorporated into the hospital arrangements. The hospital consisted of nine wards, with 63 beds each, for a total of 945 beds. To these were added hospital tents, each of which held six beds. At one point, 312 hospital tents were in use on the site, with a capacity of 1,872 beds. In the bed census of Dec. 17, 1864, the hospital had 2,080 beds, with 1207 occupied, under the direction of Surgeon R. A. Bontecon, U.S.V.

This general hospital was located in the female seminary in the rear of the Union Hotel.

The Daily National Republican reported on Sept. 15, 1862, that "by a recent order, [the hospital] has been set apart for wounded and sick officers." Dr. J. F. Kennedy, U.S.A., was the surgeon in charge at this time.