and all who are acquainted with the difficulties under which they labored and overcame will know that they acted with judgment and energy and for the best interests of the Government.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. F. CLARKE,,

Captain and Commissary of Subsistence.

Captain JAMES B. FRY,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Arlington, Va.

Numbers 11. Report of Lieutenant George Bell, Acting Commissary Subsistence, U. S. Army, of the subsistence of the Army from July 16 to 22.

WASHINGTON, D. C., August 1, 1861.

SIR: In compliance with your instructions of the 31st ultimo, I have the honor to submit the following report:

On the 16th ultimo abut fifty wagons arrived at Alexandria, Va., for the transportation of subsistence stores for Genera McDowell's command. On the following day you directed me to forward about sixty more, sufficient for the amount of stores. These were in a very incomplete condition for the road, very few of the horse being shod; a large number of teamsters and wagon-masters very inexperienced; the horses new, a number of wagons requiring linchpins before they could be moved; also requiring hame-strings, extra traces, links, &c., necessary to produce a rapid and secure movement on the road. My whole attention was directed to putting them in proper condition, neglecting for a time my legitimate duties in the subsistence department. The recent establishment of the quartermaster's depot in Alexandria, the constant and continued employment of the workmen for the volunteers, their limited number, besides its utter destitution of all the essentials of a quartermaster's depot, compelled me to send to Washington for what requisites I could obtain.

Immediately after General McDowell's presence there more energy was displayed. On the evening of the 17th and morning of the 18th 60,000 complete assorted rations, in parcels or sections of 15,000 each, wee packed by me in about fifty-four wagons. I also attached one extra wagon to each section with the substantial parts of the ration. These wagons I turned over to Lieutenant Hawkins, U. S. Army, in a complete condition as far as the requirements of the Quartermaster's Department were concerned. I then packed for myself, in a similar manner with the extra, 45,000 rations in about forty-eight wagons; all the hard bread in boxes. About 108,000 rations were taken by Lieutenant Hawkins and myself on the 18th ultimo. I also took seventy beef cattle.

On the 18th, with and escort of about two hundred men of the New Jersey Volunteers, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Moore, I left Alexandria for Colonel Heintzelman's command. The only information I could obtain before their departure was, they intended taking the extreme left. I was informed by General Runyon, commanding, that they had gone to Occoquan, an started on the road for that place.

After having proceeded several miles, I was informed by an officer he had just left Colonel Heintzelman at Fairfax Station. I immediately changed my course, and proceeded direct to Fairfax Court-House, with