the conduct of his men on that day. I directed that everything obtained should be reported to officer and by him turned over; if subsistence for the troops to the brigade commissary, or if mules and horses to the brigade quartermaster. By so doing my foragers always obtained plenty, and the troops shared alike in its distribution by the brigade commissary. For a statement submitted to me by Lieutenant Batchelder, acting commissary of subsistence, I find that from November 16 until December 16 inclusive my command drew, per man, of hard bread, nine ratios; sugar, fifteen rations; bacon, four rations; salt pork, six rations; beyond which issues the command subsisted from the country and always had abundance. Besides this tabular statement of issues I left Atlanta with 150 head of beef-cattle, very poor in flesh and already weak from travel. The forage parties supplied the command so bountifully with fresh pork that but little beef was consumed on the march, and before reaching Savannah nearly all those cattle had died along the road or were abandoned on account of being too weak to travel, but still my drove increased daily by acquisitions from the country, and on the 12th of December, when my command took position before this city, it numbered about 230 head, large and small, all of which have since been issued to the troops.

My forage details were frequently annoyed by the enemy, but by always keeping well together they were able to resist or drive away a considerable force. On the 30th of November particularly the foragers of the brigade, under command of Captain Powers, of the Twenty-second Indiana, were attacked, about nine miles from Louisville, by a part of Wheeler's command, and, after a brisk fight, drove the enemy away. Toward night of the same day, as the detail was proceeding to camp at Louisville with four ox-wagon loads of forage, they were suddenly surrounded by three of Wheeler's regiments, and, after some very severe fighting succeeded in getting into camp with the loss of one man killed and four wounded, and were compelled to abandon their provisions and wagons.

On the 29th of November I mounted forty men on captured mules and horses, and placed the party under command of Captain Harbor, of the One hundred and twenty-fifth Illinois, a very brave and efficient officer. These labored to find where subsistence could be obtained, and to aid the infantry details in getting it, as well as for the purpose of capturing stock for the use of the army.

It is not possible for me to state the exact number of horses and mules captured, as such property was frequently taken from my foragers while on their way to camp and informally turned over to Lieutenant Coe, quartermaster for the division. How many were so disposed of I cannot say. The number actually captured and disposed of by orders from these headquarters, together with the number known to have been informally turned over to Lieutenant Coe, were: horses, 104; mules, 160; total, 264. These numbers might have been increased somewhat had I sent parties out to hunt exclusively for stock, but in nearly every instance such captures were the labors of my subsistence details.

The number of negroes that followed my column was 160. Of these 92 were officers' servants and 78 were refugees. The latter have been sent to division headquarters pursuant to orders.

I submit and call your attention to casualty lists of the North Alabama and the Savannah campaigns hereto attached. * A few of these

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*Not found.

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