The conduct of my officers and men generally has been such as to merit and receive my most hearty commendation.

The officers of my staff, so often proved for the zeal, judgment, and courage which has marked their association with me upon many previous campaigns and bloody fields, have contributed, by the faithful discharge of their duties, to the general success in en eminent degree. In this connection I cannot refrain from giving honorable personal mention of Captain William T. Forbes, assistant adjutant-general, for special ability and untiring energy.

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

JOHN W. GEARY,

Brevet Major-General, Commanding.

Lieutenant Colonel H. W. PERKINS, Asst. Adjt. General, Twentieth Corps.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, TWENTIETH CORPS,
Near Bladensburg, Md., May 31, 1865.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the movements of my command since the date at which my last report closed: *

From March 25 until April 10 my division, with the others of this corps, remained in camp near Goldsborough, N. C., busily refitting after our arduous Carolina campaign.

April 10, my division comprised at this time the same brigades and regiments specified in my previous report. Brevet Brigadier-General Pardee, being extremely ill from effects of the Carolina campaign, went North for medical treatment, and Colonel G. W. Mindil, Thirty-third New Jersey Volunteers, was assigned to temporary command of my First Brigade. Brigadier General P. H. Jones (formerly Colonel One hundred and fifty-fourth New York Volunteers) rejoined us at Goldsborough and reassumed command of the Second Brigade. The Third, as before, was commanded by Bvt. Brigadier General H. A. Barnum. On the 7th of April Major General J. A. Mower, in accordance with orders from headquarters of the Army, had assumed command of the corps. The Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps had been organized by orders from the War Department as the Army of Georgia, Major General H. W. Slocum commanding. Shortly before this time, when we resumed campaign, several changes had been made throughout the corp sin our internal departments. The office of brigade commissary was abolished and the entire duties of the department ordered to be performed by division commissaries. Our transportation was greatly reduced by orders from headquarters of the Army, thirty-six wagons from my train being turned in for use of the Twenty-third Corps. On Monday, the 10th, the entire army broke camp and began the forward movement toward Raleigh. My division, second in line of the corps, moved at 6. 30 a.m., taking with us four headquarters wagons, ten ammunition wagons, and our hospital trains. The remaining trains followed the Fourteenth Corps on the Little River road. Passing through Goldsborough we followed the Neuse River, Smithfield road, turning to the right at Millard's and encamping on Thomas Atkinson's plantation, one mile north of Moccasin Creek. Crossed during the day Little River and Beaver Dam, Moccasin and Raccoon Creeks. The crossing of the latter two was very bad. The creeks are close together and the low ground which separates them was deeply flooded by the water from a dam which the enemy had cut. Steady rain all day and roads very bad; distance, fourteen miles. April 11, my division in

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*For maps accompanying this report see Plate LXXXVI, maps 8 to 16 of the Atlas.

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