Birney, to act for Captain A. T. Atwood, assistant quartermaster, who was away on leave of absence for thirty days. The number of teams required by the division at the time I took charge of the quartermaster's department to complete the allowance in accordance with General Orders, Numbers 37, headquarters Armies of the United States, was eighteen. There were procured during the day, viz: From the ambulance officer, Second Division, three wagons with teams complete; from Captain F. Crain, assistant quartermaster, First Division, fifteen wagons. The wagons and teams received from Captain Crain were in a most miserable condition. The mules were poor and weakly. Thirteen of these teams were put with the supply train, and loaded with, on an average, 1,700 pounds weight. The march of the night of the 27th was an extremely wearisome one, the train moving a distance of only four miles during the whole night. The train crossed the Appomattox River at daylight on the morning of the 28th, and moved on toward Pitkin's Station. At 11 a. m., while the engineer were repairing the road, I ordered the teams to be unhitched from the wagons, watered, and fed. For this i was censured by Lieutenant-Colonel Howard, chief quartermaster, Army of the James, but my explanation of the condition of the teams was satisfactory. The march was resumed and continued to Humphryes' Station without any unusual occurrence other than frequent stopping of teams, breaking of harness, &c. At Humphrye's Station the teams were rested two days. Several mules had died or given out so as to be worthless, an din consequence many of the six-mule teams were reduced to fur mules. This was particularly the case with the teams received from Captain Crain; the first night's march had completely jaded them. At this place the supply and forage trains had been refitted. The march was resumed on the 2nd [3rd] of April by the Cox road. This road at a point near Sutherland's Station had become nearly impassable. The trains of the Sixth Army Corps were passing at the same time with the trains of this division. I was from 6 p. m. on the 2nd [3rd] to daylight on the 3rd [4th] crossing this place.

After feeding and watering the teams the march was resumed. During the morning Lieutenant-Colonel Lawrence, chief quartermaster Twenty-fourth Army Corps, then acting chief quartermaster Army of the James, sent Captain Alberger, assistant quartermaster, to assist me in getting the train along. This favor was highly appreciated as the brigade quartermasters had to exert themselves sufficiently to get the teams of their respective brigades along. Early in the day a corporal who was acting as wagon-master reported that one of the teams I had received from Captain Crain had stalled in the rear of the train, and was then about a mile in the rear. His report was that the mules were completely exhausted, and it was doubtful if the team could get along even after the wagon was emptied. As the remainder of the wagons were loaded, I ordered him to abandon the pork, and come on wight the wagon. The corporal reported to me at Farmville, on our return from Appomattox Court-House, that he had used every exertion to get the team along, but the team had become so worn out as to be unable to draw the empty wagon, and his forage and rations running out he had left it on the road. This wagon was sent for, but had been taken by some unknown person.

The train of this division arrived at Burkeville Junction on the night of the 6th an decamped near the station. About 10 p. m. I received an order from Major-General Ord, commanding army of the James, a copy of which is herewith annexed, to furnish Lieutenant Olcott, commanding Battery M, First U. S. Artillery, with eighteen horses and a six-mule team complete without wagon. By a verbal order from Colonel