dismantled by successive rafts and destroyed by detail. When the last pontoon was destroyed, I ordered the commanding officer to move his command to the high ground and select a camp. I then left the river bank and rode to the front and reported to Major-General Steele. Excepting a very bad piece of road which extended for about 2 miles after leaving the 2 miles of bottom of the Saline River, there was no other obstacle or hinderance to our march, but those 2 miles surpass any that I have eversion, and from the absence of small timber and brushwood it was difficult to repair it; but by sacrificing a great deal, destroying many wagons, and by the men taking hold of them we finally pushed through this place. On the 3rd, the command marched into Little Rock.

I would respectfully call the general's attention to the want of engineer troops in this army corps. The pioneer company worked well; the ordinary details badly. The failure to received extra pay for fatigue duty is very defective. Men will not work as they are required to, unless receiving something more, under our present organizations. The same remarks applies to those pensioners, or men acting as such. If they only receive the same pay while on that service that they do while on ordinary duty it is impossible to get them to take that pride in their business and work with zeal when the service requires it.

A requisition for a new bridge has already been forwarded to Colonel Simpson at Cincinnati, asking for one of the same kind as the old one. Although having serious defects, the reduction in number of wagons is so important a matter in this country that it overcomes the other faults.

Allow me to call the attention of the general commanding to the ever prompt and cordial co-operation of Lieutenant F. Sommer, Twenty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, in all my duties while on the march.

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

J. B. WHEELER,

Captain of Engineers, Chief Engineer.

Major W. D. GREEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 4.

Report of Captain Charles A. Henry, Assistant Quartermaster, U. S. Army, Chief Quartermaster.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF ARKANSAS, &C., OFFICE CHIEF QUARTERMASTER, ARK. EXPDN., In the Field, May 12, 1864.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that on the 12th day of March I was ordered by Major General F. Steele, commanding Seventh Army Corps and Department of Arkansas, to accompany the expedition which was about to start for the Red River, as chief quartermaster on the staff of the major-general commanding. There being no officer of the quartermaster's department detailed to relieve me in the duties of depot quartermaster of the Department of Arkansas, I placed the business connected with that office in charge of Mr. George A. Gannett, my chief clerk, and on the 23rd day of March I left this