up behind it. The magazine is also dug nearly to its full depth. This work, as well as that at Mount Sterling, has been carried on to great disadvantage on account of the rain, which has made it too wet to work for a THIRD of the time.

MOUNT STERLING.

At Mount Sterling 551 days' work have been done in completing the parapet, laying the platforms, sodding the embrasures, trimming trees, and building the brush fraise. Owing to the movement of troops there has been no force furnished to work on the fort since the 17th of September, but we expect to get more soon.

Mr. T. C. Ruggles, assistant U. S. engineer, in charge at Louisa, reports:

During the past month work has been commenced (September 23) on the fort, and the excavation is down to the terre-plain for a distance of eight feet from the foot of the interior crest all around the fort. All the timber has been ordered for the fort and magazine, and will be ready by the 10th instant; about 6,500 feet, B. M., has been delivered. A detail of forty-seven soldiers, One hundred and ninth Colored Regiment, are now engaged, and forty more-are promised by Colonel Mims on the 10th instant.

STOCKADE DEFENSES OF THE CENTRAL RAILROAD.

The work on these has dragged for want of the necessary fatigue details from the troops, though every effort has been made to get them. Mr. A. B. Miller, assistant U. S. engineer in charge, reports:

In my report for the past month I beg leave to state that we have done all that we could under the circumstances and with the help furnished, being only about six men part of the time of Keller's Bridge, and occasionally four or five at Kimbrough's, while at Townsend's we generally got about ten or twelve men daily, who worked well until the captain went away (27th ultimo), leaving a lieutenant in charge who could not keep them steadily on the work, and in fact none of the men at any of the bridges could be induced to work as they should. I reported these facts to the major commanding at Cynthiana, and when he failed to make his officers do their duty I reported him to the commanding officer at Lexington. Afterward I learned that these State troops would soon be relieved by more competent men. I am pleased to be able to state that they have this day been relieved by a part of the FIFTY-THIRD Kentucky Volunteers, and from what I have seen of them I think these men will work. The officers talk right, and promise us all the help we want. At Townsend's Bridge we have one house nearly completed and about half of the timber hauled for the other house and part of the excavation done. At Kimbrough's Bridge we have all the timber for one house hauled, hewed, and about three-fourths of it framed ready to raise, and a portion of the timber hauled for the other house. At Keller's Bridge we have all the timber hauled, hewed, and framed for one house and one side of it raised, and most of the timber ready for the other house. We have been put back by rainy weather at all the houses more or less during the last two or three weeks, it having rained there most of the time. I am altogether encouraged at the prospect of pushing on the work with the men we now have, and hope for a speedy completion of the houses.

SURVEYS, PLANS OF FORTS, PROFILES, &C.

All these, except survey of Louisa and vicinity, are in a state of forwardness and will be submitted as soon as completed; those of the defenses of Camp Nelson in a few days and the others as soon as finished. The map of the defenses of the Kentucky Central Railroad was submitted September 18, 1863.

My annual report I hope to forward with the map, plans, &c., of Camp Nelson. The truth is my duties are so extensive and bear relation to such distant points as to make it impossible to submit my reports at the dates required by the regulations, and this, I trust, will be received as a sufficient apology for the seeming delay.