Numbers 5. Report of Colonel George D. Robinson, Ninety-seventh U. S. Colored Troops, commanding Engineer Brigade.

NEW ORLEANS, LA., June 13, 1864.

MAJOR: In compliance with your request, I have the honor to make the following report of the engineer operations of my command during the late Red River campaign: On the morning of March 10, 1864, I started from Berwick Bay to join General Franklin's command, then stationed at Franklin, La. My command then consisted of the Third and Fifth Engineers, Corps d'Afrique, with seventeen wagons loaded with engineer tools. I reported for duty to Major-General Franklin on the 11th of March, and was ordered by him to go into camp and await further orders. On the 15th of March I received orders to be ready to march with the Nineteenth Army Corps on the following morning. Before starting upon the march the regiments (Third and Fifth Engineers) were reviewed by you. We found nothing to do in the way of building bridges or repairing roads until the army arrived at Vermillion Bayou on or about the 18th of March. Here we found that the bridge across the bayou, built by the Third Engineers in October, 1863, had been destroyed by the enemy, and it was necessary to construct another before our troops could cross. Notwithstanding my command had marched 18 miles that day, I set a portion of them at work as soon as we arrived at the bayou (about 5 p. m.), and at 9 p. m. I had a bridge constructed of sufficient strength to pass the whole army, with all the trains, and without causing any delay whatever. The position assigned to me in the order of march was near the center of the column, and so I found it necessary to make a detail of 1 officer and 30 privates, with two wagons of assorted tools, to accompany the advance brigade and repair the roads and bridges, in order that there might be no delay in passing the trains. By this plan the trains were always kept well closed up. Upon our arrival at Washington, La., March 20, I obtained two extra wagons from Lieutenant-Colonel Chandler, chief quartermaster Nineteenth Army Corps. These wagons I sent forward with assorted tools and with 20 privates (carpenters), under command of First Lieutenant Bushnell, of the Third Engineers, and Second Lieutenant Bon, of the Fifth Engineers, with orders to accompany General Lee's cavalry and repair all the bridges between Washington and Alexandria. This work was performed by them in a manner highly satisfactory. From Washington to Alexandria my command performed a great amount of hard labor corduroying the roads, which had become terribly muddy and almost impassable, owing to recent heavy rains. I arrived at Alexandria on the 25th of March, and on the following morning I took the Third Engineers and proceeded to Bayou

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, on the Red River road, 7 miles above Alexandria, and rebuilt the bridge across that stream, which had been destroyed by the enemy two or three days before.

The pontoon bridge, in charge of Captain John J. Smith, arrived at Alexandria on the 27th, having been about two days' march behind the army, owing to difficulty in procuring the necessary transportation at Berwick Bay and to the fact that many of his mules died on the road from distemper. At this place I detailed First Lieutenant Bushnell, of the Third Engineers, and second Lieutenant