in charge of the Fifty-eighth Indiana Volunteers was hauled all the way from Chattanooga to Washington on the ordinary quartermaster's wagon, the convenience of which was constantly observed for 1,300 miles.

Great attention should be paid, in organizing for future campaigns, to the matter of tool trains. Operating as we did in a sandy country, we found but little use for the pick and spade, but the ax and the short-handled shovel were in constant demand.

Every army corps ought to be provided with one good engineer regiment, which ought to be capable of doing anything required at its hands. As examples of such regiments I will refer to the two which accompanied us. I never called for workmen to work in wood, metal, or stone, but good mechanics were at once forthcoming. Although the Fifty-eighth Indiana Infantry was not enlisted as an engineer regiment, yet under the tuition of their efficient colonel-afterward Bvt. Brigadier General George P. Buell-they became very valuable; indeed, for all purposes required at their hands, were as much so as the engineer regiments were, but the duties they were called upon to perform were not so varied. The constant practice of our troops has made them tolerably good judges of what constitutes a good defensive line, and lightened the labors of the engineer staff very materially. I was frequently surprised by the admirable location of rifle trenches and the ingenious means adopted to put themselves under cover. The accuracy of the fire of sharpshooters on both sides led the troops to adopt the "headlog" in all their rifle trenches. This is a good, stout log, of hard wood if possible, which is cut as long as possible and laid upon blocks placed on the superior slope a foot or two outside the interior crest. The block supporting the "head-log" raise it sufficiently from the parapet to allow the musket to pass through underneath it and steady aim to be taken, while the log covers the head from the enemy's fire. Frequently the blocks are replaced by skids, which rest on the ground in rear of the trench, so that if the "head-log" is knocked off the parapet by artillery fire it rolls along these skids to the rear without injuring anybody. I examined many miles of these "head-logs" without finding any indication that their use had been otherwise than advantageous. I saw no evidence that a single man had been killed an either side by splinters thrown from them by artillery projectiles, or from logs thrown off the parapet by the same means.

Recapitulation of work done by engineer troops, and troops under engineer direction, during the campaigns covered by this report.

What Pontoon Trestle Road Road Road

campaign bridge bridge corduroye destroyed surveyed

. built. built. d (estimate and

(estimate d). mapped.

d).

Feet. Feet. Miles. Miles. Miles.

Atlanta 3,500 3,330 100 26 980

campaign

. .

Savannah 3,460 1,700 60 240 1,700

campaign

. .

Goldsbor 7,720 4,000 400 120 2,500

ough

campaign

. .

March to a 3,000 . . . . . 20 . . . . . 1,600

Washingt . . . . . . . .

on. .

Total. . 17,680 9,030 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Total. . 3. 35 1. 7 580 386 6,780

miles. .

a Estimated.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

O. M. POE,

Captain, U. S. Engineers, Brevet Brigadier-General, U. S. Army.