forces from Ringgold, and during the whole month kept an office as near the front and department headquart At Tunnel, during the reconnaissance of Rocky Face Ridge and Buzzard Roost Gap, and during the flank movement by Snape Creek Gap; at Dalton, within two hours of the evacuation of that place by the rebels; at Tilton, at a point on the railroad near our left during the three days" fighting in front of Resaca; at or near General Shermans's headquarters every night during the march from the Oostanaulta to the Etowah, and at Kingston, Ga., halted and communicated by courier with the army during the movemenry and Dallas to turn the Allatoona Range, a delay of about twelve days. Early in June a branch office was opened from Kingston to Rome, and the enemy having abandoned Alltoona Pass, the line was pushed forward to Acworth, where the army again reached the railroad, and after a two-days's halt to Big Shanty, Ga. Here the enemy was found in force, and upon our army forming in line of battle I constructed a field line, connecting the whole line of battle, from General McPherson's left to the headquarters of Major- General Schofield, at the extreme right, with offices at General Sherman's and General Thomas's headquarters and such other points on the line as the general desired. And this line, varying from day to day, extended and retracted, reaching out a loop to the signal station on Pine Mountain, and another to General Sherman's field headquarters, close to Kenesaw, stretching aware to the right with Schofield, as he tried in vain to find and turn the rebel left, pushing up after the assaulting column on the 27th, enabling General Sherman at all times to communicate with his subordinate commanders, was worked until the enemy abandoned his position on the Kenesaw Mountains and our whole line was pushed forward in pursuit; and the work of the year ended by the opening of an office at Marietta, Ga.

In the erection, maintenance, and working of this line G. W. Wilson, C. G. Eddy, F. S. Van Valkenburg, Cass G. Rhodes, C. M. Jaques, Joe Anderson, and C. Q. Whitney, operators, were unwearied assistants, and to their heart co-operation I owe much of the success that has attended my efforts to satisfy the demands of the armies for telegraphic communication. What the measure of that success is I leave for others to say.

During the whole year I received valuable aid from Captains Merrill and Case and Lieutenants Reber and Brent, of the Signal Corps, and the co-operation of these two branches of the service was hearty and cordial. I have no other than pleasant recollections of my intercourse with the officers of that corps.

On the 27th of October, 1863, I was appointed by the President assistant quartermaster with the rank of captain, which appointment I accepted on the 23rd of November, 1863, and I inclose herewith tabulated statement of property, money, and persons employed, as follows:

Exhibit A, showing number and classes of persons employed, the amount of public money received and disbursed, and the number of miles of line put in operation and abandoned between July 1 and November 30, 1863, during which time the accounts with the Government were in your name.

Exhibit B, giving the same information with reference to the months of December, 1863, and January, February, March, April, May, and June, 1864, in my own name as captain and assistant quartermaster.

55 R R-SERIES III, VOL IV