Abstract from return of the Department of the South, Major General John G. Foster, U. S. Army, commanding, for December 31, 1864.

Present for duty. Pieces of artillery.

Command Officer Men. Aggrega Aggrega Heavy. Field.

. s. te te

present present

. and

absent.

General 51 81 132 134 - -

headqua

rters

First 8 576 616 684 - -

New

York

Enginee

r

(battal

ion,

Place)

First 66 2,474 3,241 6,754 - 6

Separat

e

Brigade

(Schimm

elfenni

g)

Second 27 756 1,073 2,912 - 2

Separat

e

Brigade

(Saxton

)

Third 69 2,024 2,711 3,285 66 11

Separat

e

Brigade

a

(Brown)

Fourth 50 1,337 1,766 4,195 - -

Separat

e

Brigade

(Scammo

n)

Total 271 7,242 9,639 17,964 66 19

a All the regiments composing the Third Separate Brigade are stationed at the front. The latest return received therefrom is for October, 1864, from which this return has been made.

Organization of troops in the Department of the South, Major General John G. Foster, U. S. Army, commanding, December 31, 1864.

FIRST SEPARATE BRIGADE. +

Brigadier General ALEXANDER SCHIMMELFENNIG.

MORRIS ISLAND.

Lieutenant Colonel AUGUSTUS G. BENNETT.

54th Massachusetts (colored),++ Colonel Edward N. Hallowell.

56th New York,++ Colonel Charles H. Van Wyck.

52nd Pennsylvania, Captain John A. Hennessy.

21st U. S. Colored Troops, Major Richard H. Willoughly.

3rd New York Light Artillery, Battery B,++ Captain Thomas J. Mesereau.

3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, First Battalion, Captain Augustus W. Colwell.

FOLLY ISLAND.

Colonel EUGENE A. KOZLAY.

55th Massachusetts (colored), ++ Lieutenant Colonel Charles B. Fox.

54th New York, Major Stephen Kovacs.

33rd U. S. Colored Troops, Major Charles T. Trowbridge.

SECOND SEPARATE BRIGADE. #

Brigadier General RUFUS SAXTON.

127th New York,++ Colonel William Gurney.

26th U. S. Colored Troops,++ Lieutenant Colonel William B. Guernsey.

102th U. S. Colored Troops,++ Colonel Henry L. Chipman.

3rd Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Company A,++ Captain William H. Hammer.

2nd U. S. Colored Light Artillery, Battery G, Captain Jeremiah S. Clark.

THIRD SEPARATE BRIGADE. //

Bvt. Brigadier General MILTON S. LITTLEFIELD.

144th New York,++ Colonel James Lewis.

157th New York, ++ Colonel Philip P. Brown, Jr.

25th Ohio, ++ Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Haughton.

32nd U. S. Colored Troops,++ Colonel George W. Baird.

---------------

* The Coast Division (composed of details from the brigades) was commanded by Brigadier General P. Hatch. The department return shows this division to have had 230 officers and 4,588 men for duty.

---------------

+ Or Northern District.

++ Constituted the Coast Division, commanded by Brigadier General John P. Hatch, on expedition against Charleston and Savannah Railroad.

# Or District of Beaufort.

// Or District of Hilton Head.