The four regiments Georgia resevers have been newly organized, and without any effort being made to assign the old any young men to separate regiments, as should have been done. A large number are evidently within the ages of eight of eighteenth and forty-five, and I respectfully recommend that a reliable conscript officer be sent among them. These troops are entirely without discipline, and their officers are incapable of instructing them, being ignorant of their own duties. I recommend that one competent officer from the Invalid Corps be assigned to each regiment as drill officer and instructor. I found their arms in serviceable order, but many are lacking bayonets, cartridge-boxes and accouterments. Furlow's battalion of Georgia militia, temporarily serving here, is armed with muskets without bayonets and accouterments. Of the whole force there are 452 men entirely without arms. As will be seen by the accompanying report of the commandant of the post, there are required daily for duty an aggregate of 784 men, and frequent details are required in addition*. At least 1,000 men more are essentially necessary in order to give the troops their proper rest.

The magazine has not yet been completed and the ammunition is kept partly in the commissary store and partly in a tent. I also hand with this a sketch and report of Captain Moreno, of the Engineer Corps+, showing the nature of the defenses and the stockade being erected. Sixteen pieces of field artillery are now here, some of which are now in position; the others will be placed in position as soon as the necessary works can be completed; six pieces more are an route. It is believed no other point in the State offers the same advantages of healthy location and facilities for safe-keeping of the prisoners that is not more accessible to raids. Nor can I learn that any advantage on the score of cheaper subsistence or greater comfort to the prisoners can be gained by removal to any other part of this State. I am decidedly of opinion that not over 15,000 prisoners should be kept at this point, the running water not being sufficient for more than that number, and because it is possible for one man to exercise a proper supervision over them, and that all over that number should be sent elsewhere. At my request a survey of the grounds has been made by Colonel Harkie, Fifty-fifth Georgia Regiment, and civil engineer, with a view to drainage. His report is herewith submitted+, with a recommendation that his plan be carried out by the Engineer Department, that being the only one authorized to impress the necessary labor. The necessity for it is urgent. I also recommend that a supply of clothing be furnished for issue to the prisoners and that soap and antiscorbutics be regularly issued to them. Attention is also specially invited to the report of Chief Surgeon White relative to the construction of barracks and the supply of additional tents for hospital use, and I would respectfully suggest that commissioned officers of the medical staff be sent to replace the contract physicians and doctors detailed from the militia and that they be required to reside at the post. The transportation of the post is entirely insufficient, and authority is needed by the quartermaster to impress wagons and teams and saw-mills, when not employed by the Government or railroads, and kept diligently occupied, and instructions given to the quartermaster in charge of transportation to afford every facility practicable for transporting lumber and supplies necessity for prisons. Bake-pans, or sheet-iron for making them, should at once be furnished. The telegraph line should be continued from Fort Valley to Andersonville, thirty-one miles. Attention

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* See August 5, p. 552.

+ Not found.

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