Numbers 3. Report of Lieutenant Colonel John G. Chandler, U. S. Army, Acting Chief Quartermaster.

NEW ORLEANS, LA., December 26, 1864.

SIR: Your letter, dated November 26, 1864, Quartermaster-General's Office, Washington, D. C., requiring from me a report upon the operations of the quartermaster's department in connection with the Red River expedition, and the losses incurred therein, was received by me on the 18th instant. In compliance therewith I have the honor to submit the following: on the 8th of January, 1864, the movable field force of the Nineteenth Army Corps, the First Division, commanded by Brigadier-General Emory, with a detachment of cavalry and artillery, took post at Franklin, La., for the winter; this after having returned from a feint march toward Texas. The command at this place was under Major General W. B. Franklin, commanding Nineteenth Army Corps, to which command I was chief quartermaster, with no more than general instructions to prepare the command as far as pertained to my branch of the service for active operations when the spring should open. The material of the quartermaster's department with this command was put in perfect condition for any orders or exigencies that could obtain; wagons completely repaired, mules and horses nursed and fatted, harness and repair material liberally supplied and renewed, the troops thoroughly equipped with all necessary articles of clothing, camp and garrison equipage, and, indeed, every preparation made by me, under orders from General Franklin, that could be anticipated to place the department in good working order.

Just before the command was ordered to march, two divisions of the Thirteenth Army Corps, hastily but quite thoroughly equipped, joined our command at this time numbered 307 teams in the aggregate.

On the 15th of March this command left Franklin, La., under orders for Shreveport, and with everything pertaining to the quartermaster's department in condition for long marches, and arrived at Alexandria, on Red River, on the 25th March. During the few months our command had been posted at Franklin, Brigadier General A. L. Lee had organized a division of cavalry, or mounted men equipped as cavalry, and mounted infantry, at New Orleans. To this command was attached two batteries of horse artillery. General Lee, with his command, had preceded us a day or two in our march from Franklin to Alexandria, and on my arrival at the latter place found he had been there several days. With the organization of the quartermaster's department of this command, and its outfit of quartermaster's supplied, I had nothing to do, and was in consequence irresponsible in every way up to the time of its joining General Franklin's command. I will remark, however, that its transportation appeared to be thoroughly and well prepared, wagons, harness, and mules having been drawn from the New Orleans depots, new and in good order. Its train consisted of about 250 6-mule teams. Major-General Banks arrived at Alexandria, via Mississippi and Red River, from New Orleans by steamer the 24th March, the day previous to our arrival. The command remained at Alexandria until the 28th March. The interval of three days was occupied in refitting, repairing, resting, issuing fresh supplies of forage and provisions, &c.