were found in the office which had laid there neglected, for in some instances, quite a year.

I have been constantly at work remodeling and systematizing my office. This could not be done suddenly, first, because the current business of the office was too great and continuous to admit of risking loss of time by experiments; second, because officers and clerks had got into the habit of doing their work in a certain way; third, because the books, &c., required could not at once be got ready, and fourth, because ignorant myself of the duties I wished to make no alterations or innovations which more experience would show to be bad. The accounts in office have been got into shape and sent to Provost-Marshal-General. Many of these have been paid. The duties have been divided into various branches or heads and distributed. Letter and indorsement books have been ordered and on January 1 I shall begin to work my office on an entirely different system. I respectfully invite the attention of the Provost-Marshal-General to the fact that though in charge of one of one of the largest and the most difficult to manage of all the divisions, I have a smaller staff than any other acting assistant provost-marshal- general. I have now in my office but two officers, Captain Scheffler, acting assistant adjutant-general, who has general charge, and Lieutenant Montooth, in charge of books reports, returns, &c. I desire if possible in addition to the above one officer to take especial charge of quotas and credits and another as inspector. It is a great drawback to the efficiency and promptness in performing duty on the part not only of the acting assisting provost-marshal-general,but of the district provost- marshals, that no uniform system of books and reports has been adopted. I have had some difficulty with district provost- marshals. Some of them had begun to look upon the acting assistant provost-marshal-general as merely a convenient vehicle for the transmittal of their correspondence to the Provost- Marshal-General. Their ideas are being improved. Relying upon their political power some few are still disposed to be refractory, but with the assistance of the Provost-Marshal- General I doubt not I will be able to reduce them to perfect working order in a few months, and in furtherance of this object I respectfully request that any communication addressed by any district provost-marshal-general under my charge direct to Provost-Marshal-General be returned to him without further action than a reprimand. This is necessary to discipline. It is proper to say in this connection that the district provost- marshals of Western Division are generally capable and faithful officers, well disposed to do their duty to the best of their ability. Their errors and negligence proceed in the main from ignorance, which, in citizens commencing without previous knowledge or instruction, is very excusable. I respectfully recommend that the following books be kept by each provost- marshal:

One letter book, letters received; one letter book, letters sent; one indorsement book; one account book, dr. and cr. for each creditor; one roll book of drafted men entered by sub-districts; one muster and descriptive book of drafted men mustered in; one muster and descriptive book of drafted substitutes mustered in; one muster and descriptive book of drafted volunteers mustered in one book of credits by Nos. from A, one book of credits by names from B, one book of quotas or credits from C-forwarded to Provost-Marshal-General December 8, 1864; one book of exemption; one record

of deserters after muster; one record of delinquent drafted men, and the books now prescribed for surgeons.