and the roads from the north, west, south, and east. At a later period, after the fifty-one works and all their connecting lines of entrenchments have been vacated and ground restored to the owners, some of the remaining twenty-three may probably be dismantled and the grounds in like manner restored to their proprietors.

The preceding recommendation is founded upon the consideration that a large garrison is necessary for some time to come, and in part to be permanently stationed in and about this city for the protection of the national executive authorities, its archives, its costly and extensive public buildings, viewing with any of those in Europe for magnificence, elegance of architecture, durability, and fitness for the intended purposes; and its naval establishment and extensive ordnance depots, the value and cost of which is millions of dollars, and the destruction of which would be a serious loss and prejudice to the public welfare. Not less than 10,000 men at the present time, it is believed, will be necessary under all considerations to be retained in and about the city, and the twenty-three retained forts are selected with the view of best protecting the public interests and providing quarters and other accommodations for such a garrison. It is also considered, in connection with holding these defenses and maintaining this garrison in and about Washington, that for the maintenance of law and order and the protection of the rights of the many millions of colored people in the late slave States, garrisons will have to be established for some time near Richmond, Raleigh, Columbia, Charleston, Macon, Atlanta, Nashville, and other points not now necessary to particularize, in sufficient force to quell instantly any violation of law or threatened disturbance of the public peace, by strong detachments ordered from these central garrisoned depots. Their selection should be in the most populous districts of colored inhabitants and on lines and routes of railroad and river (steam) communication. Twenty such garrisoned depots, of 5,000 men each, would insure and secure respect for and enforcement of the laws of the land and protection of the rights of individuals, while the Veteran Reserve Corps could effectually garrison our entire seaboard defenses on the Atlantic, Gulf, California, and lake coasts, thus calling for about 125,000 of the existing national forces to be selected and retained for a time from the existing heroic armies that have enforced law against traitors and saved the Union of the States as one and indivisible. With time and established acquiescence in the new order and economy of labor, this force of 125,000 men could be allowed gradually, by deaths and expiration of term of service, to fall to the strength that the wants of the nation might demand. The next great care of the nation should be the creation of well-organized and efficient staff for every branch of the military service, which, which well-trained and instructed officers of the three arms, would insure the nation's vitality against internal discord and foreign insult or aggression. With such a disposition of the army it will be readily perceived that much of the material of construction now belonging to the Unites States and in existing temporary buildings can be made advantageously available, rather than selling them at a sacrifice. The cemeteries and one of the best permanent hospitals, as the Surgeon-General can best select, should constitute a part of the military establishment to be preserved.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

RICH'D DELAFIELD,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Engineers.