had previously been in charge of Mr. George H. Smith, who was assistant manager to Colonel A. Stager, but that department was trensferred to me by Colonel Stager, through Captain T. B. A. Davis, with property amounting in value to about $6,000, consisting of forty-seven telegraph instruments, means of transportation, and a number of minor articles. For the details of the management of this department I respectfully refer you to the reports of my assistants, Messer. J. C. Van Duzer and W. G. Fuller. Mr. Van Duzer was appointed by Captain David and placed in charge of the Department of the Tennessee previous to my taking it, and was continued in charge by me until January 1, 1863, when circumstances made it advisable to transfer him to the Department of the Cumberland, and by the approval of Colonel Stager I appointed Mr. W. G. Fuller to take his place. From the middle of August to the 1st of October, all the lines in the Department of the Cumberland were entirely abandoned on account of the retreat of Major-General Buell's army from the territory through which they ran. Most of the property of value, such as telegraph instruments, &c., was safety brought back to Nashville and stored there. The surplus operators were placed by Mr. Dwyer (acting temporarily as my assistant) into the divisions of the army, two with each division, and ordered to march to Kentucky.

About the 1st of September the whole contury, both in Kentucky and Tennessee, became so thickly infested with guerrillas that it was utterly impossible to keep the lines working to Nashville or through any part of Kentucky. All had to be adandoned, and all offices were at one time closed, except Bowling Green and Nashville, and they had no communicate with other points. A number of operators in Tennessee and Kentucky were captured and paroled and robbed of their money, watches, and other articles of value by the prowling of guerrillas who infested every part of the country. A number of telegraph instruments and other articles were captured from the different offices throuhout Kentucky during September and October, 1862. In the latter month lines were built around the fortifications at Covington, some fifteen miles in length, by my assistant, Mr. C. E. Bliven, and afterward abandoned when the army advanced to Lexington. We followed if and repaired lines to Nicholasville, Ky., in the latter part of October, 1862. We also followed the Army of the Ohio, under Major-General Buell, through Central Kentucky in the same month, repaired the lines, and kept him in telegraphic communication until he crossed over to Bowlind Green, Ky. The following lines were repaired in his wake: Louisville to Bardstown, Lebanon, Danville, Stanford, Somerset, and Mount Veron, and from Lebanon to Columbia, Ky. Also repaired from Louisville to Bowling Green, Ky., thence to Nashville after General Roscerans took charge; also to Clarkville, and thence to Paducah, during November and December, 1862.

In December we built a new line by order of Major-General Wright from Danville to Nicholasville, Ky., distance twenty-three miles. No other lines were built in Kentucky until June, 1862, when we built, by order of Major-General Burnside, from Cave City to Glasgow, Ky., thirteen miles, and sent material to continue it to Tompkinsville, but Morgan's famous raid prevented its construction, and the order was afterwared countermanded. In the same month we built a new line from Lexington to Mount Sterling, Ky., distance thirty-four miles and a half. For the successful and prompt construction of this line I am much