should go out of service promptly, be properly cared for, and their interests fully protected in every respect. Should delinquencies on the part of officers charged with execution of details come to your notice, I will thank you to advise me of the same at once, giving name of neglectful parties, so that a remedy may be applied.

THOMAS M. VINCENT,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

(Same to Governors of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, and Kentucky.)

MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

CHIEF ENGINEER'S OFFICE U. S. MILITARY RAILROADS,

New Berne, N. C., May 20, 1865.

General D. C. McCALLUM,

Mil. Director and General Manager Railroads, United States:

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of operations on the U. S. military railroads under my charge since the date of my last report, November 1, 1864.*

After General Sherman's army was fully supplied at Atlanta he cut loose from his railroad line of supply and we fell back with all rolling-stock and other portable railroad property to Chattanooga, stopping long enough, however, to take up the track between Resaca and Dalton, a distance of eighteen miles, and bring to Chattanooga all the iron rails, including those damaged by the enemy in his last attack on the road. The Construction Corps was then distributed over the lines of military railroads still held by our forces, and employed at various necessary jobs of construction and repairs and in preparing material to reconstruct any portion of the tracks and structures that might again be destroyed. This work was continued until the rebel army under General Hood had advanced so far north of the Tennessee River that it became evident most, if not all, our lines would fall into their hands. The greater part of the corps was then concentrated at certain points from which they could operate to the best advantage when we should again get possession of the roads. One division of trackmen was sent to Louisville to lay additional track to hold the large number of cars and engines which we were sending there for safety. On the 15th of December the battle of Nashville commenced, and by the 18th General Thomas had thoroughly defeated Hood and driven his shattered army as far as Franklin. On that day he directed all the damaged railroads to be rebuilt. On the 19th I had four strong working parties at this work--one working from Nashville toward Decatur and following the army as rapidly as possible; another working from Nashville toward Stevenson; a third working from Stevenson toward Nashville, and the fourth working from Stevenson toward Decatur. These lines were all opened up, except a portion of the Nashville and Decatur line, by the 28th of December, the day I received your order to take one division of the Construction Corps and proceed to Savannah to join General Sherman. Orders were immediately given on the receipt of

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*See Inclosure B to report of General McCallum of November 27, 1864, Vol. IV, this series, p. 957.

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