Today in History:

898 Series III Volume IV- Serial 125 - Union Letters, Orders, Reports

Page 898 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

To General Rucker and the assistants in charge of the various branches of the service in this depot these results are due.

Two hundred and four thousand bushels of corn, 1,600,000 bushels of oats 22,000 tons of hay, 21,559 horses, 15,243 mules, 3,299 wagons, 933 ambulance, harness for 74, 000 animals, and an immense quantity, of clothing tents, equipage, building materials and quartermasters" stores have been received and distributed from this depot.

The financial statement his receipt and disbursement, or transfer to officers of this department, of $17,048,005.19.

Of the chief quartermaster of the army of General Sherman I have spoken in the beginning of this report.

The chief quartermaster of the Army of the Potomac, and lately of all the armies operating against Richmond, has been Brigadier General Rufus Ingalls. I submit with this three of his reports.*

They are his annual reports for the fiscal years ending 30th of June, 1863 and 1864, and a special report upon the outfit and preparation of the army for the rapid movement which resulted in the unfortunate battle of Chancellorsville.

These reports contain so much information upon the organization, equipment, and movement of the baggage trains of the army which will be instructive and valuable in the further military operations of our country, that I hope they may be printed with the annual message, and thus be made available for the instruction of officers of this and other departments.

The ability and zeal of General Ingalls, shown in the conduct of the quartermaster's department of the principal army of the Republic, have been frequently brought to your notice. They have been as conspicuous in the last arduous campaign as heretofore.

The depot of clothing and equipage at Philadelphia is the largest in the United States. It has not only furnished clothing, but has also provided much material, which it has forwarded to other manufacturing depots, to be there made up into cloth under the charge of Colonel George H. Crossma, an officer of experience and ability under whose management it has promptly met every demand. His financial statement shows the receipt during the year of public money to the amount of $23,687,057, nearly all of which has been expended in the operations of the depot, this not being a station from which many disbursing officers receive their funds.

The depot of clothing and equipage at New York has been under the charge of Lieutenant Colonel D. H. Vinto, deputy quartermaster- general.

Its conduct has been such that no complaints against it have reached the department during the past year. The financial statement shows the receipt and expenditure of $23,684,683.

The tables at the end of this report, giving the quantities of material of war on hand at these several depots at the end of the year, will give some idea of the magnitude of the operations.

The depot at Cincinnati has been under charge of Colonel Swords, with Captain C. W. Moulton in immediate charge of the clothing and equipage. Colonel Swords, as senior and supervising quartermaster of the Departments of the Ohio and Cumberland, was called upon to supply funds to many disbursing officers. In this duty and in the operations of the depot he reports the receipt and expenditure or distribution of $27,480,984.

Colonel William Myers, assistant quartermaster and aide-de-camp, has been stationed at Saint Louis during the fiscal year. Under the

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* See footnote (*), p. 902.

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Page 898 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.