business which we had been doing, this was but a small thing, and, in accordance with your order, arrangements were at once made to reduce the force employed in the transportation and machine departments to the smallest numbers possible to do the work. Also in accordance with your orders the Construction Corps was disbanded, and the force employed on maintenance of way and structures much reduced. Under these orders about two-thirds of all the railroad employes in this departmet were discharged and expenses reduced accordingly. It is with no little regret that I part with the Construction Corps, which I have taken such pains to organize and train for military railroad service; but at the same time that I feel this regret I rejoice that the necessity for this organization and their services no longer exist, and that having done their work they can now be disbanded and go home. Since landing at Morehead City, on the 6th of February, we have, in addition to keeping up the superstructure, bridges, water stations, and other work connected with maintenance of way, built about thirty-three miles of new track, including sidings and track laid for the reception of the wide-gauge stock that was to have been sent here.

We have built the following-named bridges:

Length (feet).

Batchelder's Creek, Morehead City, Goldsborough

and Raleigh Railroad ........................................ 70 Core Creek, Morehead City, Goldsborough and Raleigh

Railroad .................................................... 100

Southwest Creek, Morehead City, Goldsborough and Raleigh

Railroad .................................................... 85

Neuse River, Numbers 1, Morehead City, Goldsborough and

Raleigh Railroad ............................................ 863

Falling Water Creek, Morehead City, Goldsborough and

Raleigh Railroad ............................................ 70

Bear Creek, Morehead City, Goldsborough and Raleigh

Railroad .................................................... 100

Little River, Morehead City, Goldsborough and Raleigh

Railroad .................................................... 150

Neuse River, Numbers 2, Morehead City, Goldsborough and

Raleigh Railroad ............................................ 314

Neuse River, Numbers 3, Wilmington and Goldsborough Railroad .... 235

Northeast River, Wilmington and Goldsborough Railroad ....... 372

Cedar Creek, Raleigh and Gaston Railroad .................... 532

Flat Creek, North Carolina Railroad ......................... 100

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Total ....................................................... 2,991

The timber consumed in the construction of these bridges is as follows:

Feet, B. M.

Batchelder's Creek ..........................................10,500

Core Creek ..................................................15,000

Southwest Creek .............................................12,750

Neuse River, Numbers 1 .........................................146,710

Falling Water Creek .........................................10,500

Bear Creek ..................................................15,000

Little River ................................................25,500

Neuse River, Numbers 2 ..........................................62,800

Neuse River, Numbers 3 ..........................................39,950

Northeast River ............................................111,600

Cedar Creek ................................................319,200

Flat Creek ..................................................10,000

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Total ......................................................779,510

The new wharf at Morehead City was completed in time to be of much service in discharging vessels. There is room now for seven or eight vessels to lie at these wharves at the same time, and any vessel that can across the bar can come to the wharf. The depth of water on the bar is fourteen and one-half feet. The area of the new wharf is 53,682 square feet, or very nearly one acre and a quarter. The cost of labor in its construction amounted to $32,086. The amount of timber consumed, 700,000 feet, board measure. The following summary of

3 R R-SERIES III, VOL V