remained with the Cavalry Corps until General Sheridan left for Washington after the close of this epoch, but he has since returned to this command with his company and train.

On the 10th of July all the battalions of this regiment then in the field were consolidated under my command as one detachment for engineering operations in front of Petersburg.

The new canvas trains sent from Washington have been fitted up in accordance to plans heretofore adopted for field trains and all the trains thoroughly repaired and refitted. This has involved a very large amount of labor, but the trains were never in better order for active service.

The following tabular statement shows the number and size of the pontoon trains now in my charge:

No. 1. No. 2. No. 3 No. 4. No. 5. No. 6.

.

French pontoons 15 15 14 -- -- --

.....number...

Canvas pontoons .... -- -- -- 12 12 12

.....do...

Wing trestles ...... -- -- -- 2 2 2

.....do...

Length of bridge:

Without trestles ... 320 320 300 212 212 308

.....feet...

With trestles ...... -- -- -- 252 252 348

.....do...

Length of bridge with trains consolidated- Feet.

Canvas bridge, short spans:

Without trestles.......................................... 1,572

With trestles............................................. 1,692

Canvas bridge, long spans:

Without trestles.......................................... 1,782

With trestles............................................. 1,902

The above trains are completely furnished with tool-wagons, forgoes, supply wagons, and transportation.

On the morning of the 30th of July, at 4 a.m., my camp equipage was packed, the men under arms, and the pontoon trains all parked near general headquarters. The assault on the enemy's works having failed, the pontoon trains were returned to their old camp near City Point, and the men went into camp.

For convenience of reference and to show the length of bridges required at the several points in any future military operation, I have prepared the following tabular statement of all the pontoon bridges built by this command during the present campaign up to July 30, 1864.*

Very respectfully,

I. SPAULDING,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.

Major J. C. DUANE,

Chief Engineer, Army of the Potomac.

No. 16. Report of Captain George H. Mendell, Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, commanding Engineer Battalion.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. ENGINEER BATTALION,
Camp near Petersburg, Va., August 5, 1864.

MAJOR:+

Captain Gillespie joined from recruiting service 28th of May. The battalion was engaged in and did a great part of the work of throwing

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*For statement (here omitted) see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p.316.

+For portion of report (here omitted) covering operations from May 1 to June 12, 1864, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p.317.

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