they advanced upon Washington. All available troops were ordered to meet them, guards in the city were withdrawn and their places supplied in part by the quartermaster employes, who were armed for that purpose.

On the 11th of July, 2,500 of these employes were sent to occupy the rifle-pits in the vicinity of Fort Slocum, where they remained until their services were no longer required. This was made the subject of a special report sent you on the 3rd of August, 1864, to which you are respectfully referred for particulars.

The timely arrival of portions of the Sixth and Nineteenth Army Corps assured the safety of the city, and the rebels were driven back, but not without some loss.

Battle Cemetery.-By your directions a cemetery, to contain the bodies of those who fell in defense of the Nation's capital, was laid out near Fort Stevens, on the spot consecrated by their blood.

Repairs to canal.-The Chesapeake and Ohio Cana being necessary for the easy and rapid supply of the troops in pursuit of the discomfited rebels, a construction force was sent to repair the locks, &c., injured or destroyed by the rebel forces.

Stores issued and forwarded.-The Sixth and Nineteenth Army Corps had their land transportation renewed and placed in effective condition before leaving, and the canal was used as a means of forwarding supplies of grain and stores. At the same time, requisitions for artillery and ambulance horses and mules, to supply the wants of the Armies operating against Richmond, were promptly filled and forwarded to City Point by water, and large numbers of vessels were in use forwarding forage and supplies to the same place, while grain, forage, and stores were forwarded by canal to Harper's Ferry and the mouth of the Monocacy.

Teamsters.-The number of teamster at the depot being greatly reduced by fitting out the Sixth and Nineteenth Army Corps, I was obliged not only to advertise, but to send to Philadelphia and other portions of Pennsylvania to supply the want, as the services of contrabands could not be obtained in the Department of Washington.

Unclaimed clothing dyed for irregular issue.-The warehouses being filled with accumulations of unclaimed clothing, camp and garrison equipage, &c., and the room required for other stores, Captain Moore was ordered to turn it in to the military store- keeper, and to take receipts for the same; portions of which were afterward washed and dyed for issue to contrabands and prisoners of war during the approaching winter.

Employes sent to Manassas to fell timber.-In addition to the daily duties of the mechanics at the several repair shops in fitting up wagons and ambulances that had become unserviceable, constructing buildings, &c., they, with laborers and other employes, were engaged for about two weeks in felling timber for a distance of a mile on each sid of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, in the neighborhood of Manassas, in order to break up the lurking-places of guerrillas, under the direction of Brigadier General D. C. McCallum, superintendent of Military Railroads.

Horses turned over to Cavalry Bureau.-Early in September, the Cavalry Bureau having taken the entire charge of all horses, the artillery horses then in depot were turned over to it, and were afterward, with necessary cavalry horses, issued for Giesborough depot.

Hospitals, quarters, &c., erected.-A large force of carpenters was employed by Captain Camp, assistant quartermaster, and after he was