abundance, if not of the payment of large sums of money directly to him personally, at least of much malfeasance in his administration and the payment of large sums to persons in his confidence for the release, at different times, of persons and property held under arrest by him under frivolous pretenses or by an arbitrary exercise of will.

In my investigations of the affairs of the provost- marshal I discover that between the 5th of April and the 20th of May Brigadier- General Tuttle, by his orders and receipts, drew from Lieutenant J. H. Parker, his local provost- marshal, about all the funds he had, $6,300, and said that he owed it for secret service. Colonel Farrar, his successor, used in a like period only $125. The latter understood from General Tuttle that $900 was to be paid by him to a man for carrying dispatches from here to Major- General Banks at Alexandria; but it was subsequently discovered that the money was not paid, for the man demanded it (after Tuttle left here), in accordance with his promise. It is believed that Tuttle carried this money with him and has not rendered any account of it to the proper authority. I mention these matters in order that if it is thought advisable to pursue the investigation of Tuttle's affairs, now that he has left the service, proper measures may be taken secretly to send a suitable person her and elsewhere to collect evidence for the case. I confess my want of experience and aptitude for that kind of work. The case should be prepared with care by an experienced practitioner. The Treasury agent, Hart, with whom he is said to have been in collusion, has been arrested by military authority; and he confessed and confided to Judge Barnet, his successor, and to others, his connection with Tuttle and the extent of the swindling operations in which he reports they were jointly engaged; but notwithstanding that, he (Hart) has been released at Vicksburg, an his bonds here canceled by an order from a lieutenant on the staff of Major- General Slocum, commanding the district, who is acting judge- advocate. I do not know whether General Slocum, who at the time was absent in the field, was cognizant of the fact at the time of the issuing of this order. I am informed that Hart paid over to Lieutenant Sabin, the judge- advocate, about $6,000 for the purpose of compromising with certain parties who had been swindled by Hart's operations, wherein he claimed to have divided the plunder with Tuttle, and on doing that he was allowed to go; but the amounts fraudulently obtained by these parties are supposed to be thirty times the amount of the ransom money exacted.

I now proceed to specify in as few words as possible the condition of the different organizations as they appeared at inspection. I have given orders for the correction of the various irregularities and deficiencies as I discovered them.

Inspected at 5 p. m. July 14 the Twenty- eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Aggregate effective strength at this place, 490. Had returned from veteran furlough only four days. Inspected unexpectedly and were in bad order. Some man were entirely unequipped. General Orders, Nos. 4, 5 1/2, 6, and 7, had never been seen or heard of by them, and therefore they had not complied with them. Arms in bad order; many bayonets lost; clothing pretty good. Officers generally very indifferent as to tone, instruction, and bearing. Discipline lax; drill indifferent; knapsacks heavily packed. They had eight six- mule wagons, seven of which were filled with baggage, and one with hospital stores, and one two- mule team.

Inspected at 6. 30 p. m. July 14 Battery K, Second Illinois Artillery. Two officers and ninety- two effective men at the post; four ordnance guns; no horses for the occasions; only twelve serviceable horses,