At present Colonel Hull, Major Grosskopff, and Captain O"Neil constitute the Board. Attention is invited to Major Grosskopff report hereto attached.*

This Board, though not definitely under my orders, has reported weekly to me the results of its examinations, and persons desiring to appear before it make application to this office. A board for the examination of applicants for commissions in colored troops was organized last winter at Chattanooga. The names of the members of the Board and their action are but imperfectly known to me, no direct reports having been made. i believe, however, that Colonel Mindil, Thirty-third New Jersey Foot Volunteers, and Lieutenant-Colonel Dunn, of an Indiana regiment, have presided over the Board. From the imperfect reports made to me I have compiled a table.

MEDICAL EXAMINING BOARD.

A medical examining board was organized here by the army medical director Department of the Cumberland last fall. Upon the request of Major Stearns, Surgeons Lawton and Taylor, U. S. Volunteers; Farquharson, Fourth Tennessee Volunteers; James, Fourth Ohio Cavalry Volunteers; Assistant Surgeons Gray and Bodine, U. S. Army, have been connected herewith. I have upon their recommendations appointed six surgeons, seven assistant surgeons, and one or two hospital stewards.

APPOINTMENTS.

A full list of appointments to regiments of colored troops made at this office is annexed.* The total number made of all grades is 359. Besides these, between fifty and sixty names have been furnished to the Adjutant-General of the Army for appointment into Kentucky and other regiments, and also a few names to Brigadier General A. L. Chetlain, commanding U. S. colored troops in Tennessee, for appointments into regiments in West Tennessee.

By far the largest portions of these appointments have been of men who have passed an examining board.

A number are of men deserving, according to their commanders, a higher rank than that originally given to them.

REMAINING UNAPPOINTED.

There now remain unappointed of passed applicants before the Board in this place:

Recommended for -

Colonels .................................................. 3

Lieutenant-colonels ....................................... 2

Majors .................................................... 9

Captains .................................................. 0

Recommended for -

Regimental quartermasters ................................. 20

First lieutenants ......................................... 39

Second lieutenants ........................................ 63

Our great want is captains. These are needed to complete the organizations of regiments forming in the Department of the Cumberland. Eight captains for heavy artillery, eight captains of infantry, and lieutenants in proportion. The lieutenants, as will be seen by the above list, can be easily had.

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* Omitted.

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