would be unnecessarily cruel, I called upon Captain Livingston and inquired if there was not some way to manage the matter so that the boys could retain their blankets . He inquired what condition they were in . I told him they were in as good condition as any blankets could be that had been slept in on the wet and muddy ground; some were probably torn snapping them to get the water out when ordered to march; that they had been unavoidably roughly used in dirty coal and cattle cars to sleep in, and were undoubtedly very filthy, and thought the boys ought to keep them. Certain it was, that we did not know how long we would have to wait for a paymaster, if we were mustered out this day, and to deprive the boys of covering during the night was severe and cruel. Captain Livingston ordered the military storekeeper to make an examination of said blankets and report immediately. While the inspection was going on, I returned to my quarters, and informed Chaplain Norton of the conversation had with Captain Livingston, and requested him to call over to Captain Livingston's quarters, or rather office, await the return of military storekeeper, and, if his view coincided with mine, to put in a word which might assist me in obtaining them. The storekeeper soon returned, and reported them very dirty, and stated they could only be issued by the Government for horse blankets, and said Colonel Forbes' description of them was correct. Chaplain Norton then asked, as a special favor, that the regiment be allowed to keep the blankets. Whereupon Captain Livingston instructed Chaplain Norton to inform Colonel Forbes that he could take possession of them and return them to his regiment. The chaplain, however, immediately repaired to the barracks, informed the boys he had succeeded in getting their blankets back, and had come to say to them they might go and take them, whereupon he was loudly cheered. I should not have given this blanket transaction one thought, nor mentioned it in this report, were it not for a false impressionis circulation, going to show that I did not look well to the comfort and care of my regiment, which I think cannot justly be said. At 4 p. m. a telegram was received by Captain Livingston from U. S. Paymaster Campbell, stating he could not be at Elmira before the latter part of next week, to pay off the Sixty-eight Regiment . This news caused the regiment to almost mutiny . At 5 o'clock I called upon Captain Livingston, reported the disaffection going on in the regiment in consequence of being thus detained, having already been in Elmira nine days ; that I had no arms to enforce discipline, and that trouble was brewing if transportation was not furnished, and asked to be paid off at Fredonia . This proposition was nor entertained at first, but, on reflection, Captain Livingston concluded if transportation could be obtained, and I would give my guarantee that there should not be any charge to the Government for subsistence, he would furnish the order for transportation, and we might leave, and be paid off at Fredonia at such time as Paymaster Campbell should select, which I readily agreed to . I immediately called upon General Superintendent Minot, of the Erie Railway, who agreed to furnish cars and transportation to Dunkirk at any time I should say, and a special train at that . having concluded the arrangement, the time selected was 3. 40- a. m. I obtained order for transportation, sent Lieutenant-Colonel Swift to notify the regiment, and detained him with Major[Wilfred W.] Barker to have the regiment at the depot

at 2 a. m., in readiness to proceed to Dunkirk . Left Elmira at