which he found in bad condition, having been badly policed, and full of individual bomb-proofs and covered ways that rendered it difficult to keep in good order. I first inspected Brigadier-General Davis' brigade, consisting of Twenty-sixth, Eleventh, Second, and Forty-second Mississippi, Fifty-fifth North Carolina, and Confederate Battalion. The brigade was commanded by Colonel A. E. Reynolds, General Davis having left a day or two before on sick leave. I found the arms and accouterments in very bad condition in all the regiments except the Second, Colonel J. M. Stone, and Eleventh, Major R. O. Reynolds. In the Second they were good; in the Eleventh very good, clean inside and bright outside; the accouterments attached to the guns, which were secured between pegs driven in the breast-works. The trenches were clean, and the general appearance was neat and military. At other parts of the line of the brigade, guns and bayonets were lying loosely about the trenches and under the shelter-tents of the men, peelings of fruit and rinds of melons were dropped promiscuously about the trenches, which, together with the accumulated dirt, indicated a neglect in the most necessary feature of cleanliness. The Twenty-sixth Mississippi, commanded by Captain A. E. Earley, was in the most discreditable condition. Company I, Lieutenant Jackson, was the worst company of the regiment. I called the attention of the officers to the number of guns of sick men that had not been turned in to ordnance officers, as required by the orders. There was much in the appearance of the command to reflect upon the brigade inspector, Captain Cameron, whom I regretted to find absent, as I wished to call his attention to the irregularities which he allowed to go unreported. If the could not correct them it was his duty to have reported them, which he did not do.

Cooke's brigade I found in excellent order, as it always is. I inspected this brigade the day General Cooke took command of it at Fredericksburg. I then was compelled to make an adverse report. i have inspected it three times since, and each time have found it equal to any in the army in all respects. Whether in camp, in the trenches, or on the march, it is distinguished for its high discipline and good conduct. I consider the high state of perfection which it has reached attributable more to the energy and devotion of its commander than any other cause. Other brigades have as good material, but few brigades have so watchful and skillful a commander. The arms and accouterments were so generally good that there is no occasion for faultfinding with any. The inspection was creditable in all respects as if it had been made in winter quarters. Notes containing the strength of this brigade, the number of absent officers, and by what authority absent, and other points of information, were made by me in conjunction with Captain Grinnell, the acting division inspector. Captain G. was wounded a few days after the inspection was made and the notes misplaced. General Cooke declines to send in a report of his brigade on the ground that he is not allowed an inspector. For these reasons I cannot furnish the facts. I took a memorandum of the inspection.

Fry's brigade, commanded by Colonel Mayo, is composed of Archer's and Field's old brigades, with following regiments: First, Seventh, and Fourteenth Tennessee; Thirteenth Alabama; Second Maryland Battalion; Twenty-second, Fortieth, Forty-seventh, and Fifty-fifth Virginia Regiments. After the Pennsylvania campaign, Field's old brigade, commanded for some time by Colonel Brockenbrough, and what was left of Archer's after his capture at Gettysburg, were consolidated and placed under command of General H. H. Walker, who was wounded at Spotsylvania Court-House. Subsequently General Fry took com-