Abstract from tri-monthly return of the Department of West Virginia, Brigadier General Benjamin F. Kelley, U. S. Army, commanding for August 10, 1863.

Present for duty.

Command. Office Men Aggrega Aggrega Pieces

rs te te of

present present artille

and ry.

absent

Department staff 5 - 5 5 -

Third Division 196 4,410 5,239 6,394 14

(Scammon)

Averell's brigade 170 3,741 4,605 5,499 10

Campbell's brigade 59 1,632 1,825 2,298 6

Mulligan's brigade 79 1,669 1,841 2,423 6

Wilkinson's 91 2,251 2,524 2,851 -

brigade

Detachments a 81 1,833 2,075 2,276 -

Total 681 15,536 18,114 21,746 36

a At Clarksburg, Green Spring Run, and New Creek.

Abstract from tri-monthly return of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina, Major General John G. Foster, U. S. Army, commanding for August 10, 1863.

Present for duty.

Command Officer Men Aggrega Aggregat Pieces

s te e of

present present artille

and ry.

absent

Department 19 - 19 19 -

headquarters

Fort Monroe, 26 637 977 1,171 -

Va. (Roberts)

Naglee's 405 8,039 10,504 16,674 62

command a

Palmer's 432 7,693 10,283 c23,773 (d)

command b

Total 882 16,369 21,783 41,637 62

a At Gloucester Point, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Yorktown, Va.

b At Beaufort, New Berne, Plymouth, and Washington, N. C.

c Includes 10,065 reported as in Department of the South.

d Not reported in original.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

August 11, 1863.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War:

I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th instant, in relation to the sale of newspapers in this army. I regret, in view of the authority vested in your hands, and your attention being called to the subject, that you did not indicate your wishes, in order that the same might be carried into effect. As, however, you are pleased still to commit this subject to my judgment, as commanding general, I feel bound to say, after carefully examining is, so far as I can see, the most just to the soldier and the fairest for the proprietors of journals.

There are two questions involved in the arrangement of the sub-