quatermaster, a copy of which I herewith inclose*, may be avaided, and also some regulations made by which officers improperly interfering with or detaining transports, as stated by Captain Ferry, and which my own experience fylly confirms, may be held strictly accountable.

I am glad to know that the views herein expressed have, in general, not only the concurrence of an officer so long in the Government service as Colonol Swords, and also of his assistants, Captains Schimdt, Jenkins, and Ferry, as will be seen by their reports to you, but that they are also approved of by an officer of such eniment experience and ability as General Allen, under whom it has been my good fortune so long to serve, and I feel confident it these or similar changes are adopted it will inure greatly to the good of the service. In reference to that portion of your requiring a statement as to the places and commands in or with each officer has served, I would say that since I was ordered to report to General Allen, and since my appointment upon the staff of Major-General Halleck, I have been in general charge of railroad and river transportation at this point, excepting a brief period prior to and after the capture of Corinth, when I was ordered there, and when in December last I was ordered to superintend the transportation of Major-General Sherman's army from Memphis to the Yazoo, when I acted as aide-de-camp to Major-General Sherman, and subsequently as aide-de-camp to Major-General McClernad at the battle and capture of Arkansas Post, as will be seen by reference to the report of the commanding general. When General Grant assumed command I remained with him in charge of the transport fleet till I was ordered to return to Saint Louis in March last.

Very respectfully,

LEWIS B. PARSONS,

Colonel and Assistant Quatermaster in Charge of Transportation.

Statement of the amount of transportation furnished by Office of Transportation at Saint Louis, Mo., during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1863, as per report of Captain Charles Pasrons, assistant quatermaster.

Railroad. River. Total.

Subsistance, 153,102,100 337,912,363 & 491,014,463

ordnance,

quatermaster's

, and medical

stores...

pounds..

Horses and 47,963 34,718 82,681

mules...

number..

Cattle ... 2,196 23,353 25,540

do..

Wagons and 1,873 2,475 4,348

ambulances...

do..

Cannon and 196 78 274

caissons...

do..

Locomotives 178 .. 178

and railroad

cars... do..

Lumber... 2,314,619 .. 2,314,619

feet..

Shingles... 461 .. 461

M..

Bricks... 8,000 .. 8,000

number..

Troops... 193,023 135,909 328,932

& Equal to 245,507 tons and 463 pounds.

SAINT LOUIS, September 2, 1863.

Colonel LEWIS B. PARSONS:

SIR: In answer to you inquiries I would say that in the spring of 1861 I chartered the steamer Dilligent to the Government for service on the Ohio, at $90 per day, and found fuel myself. The boat was in the service for about one year, running nearly all the time up and down the river. I had, at all times, a full crew of two pilots, four engineers (two strikers), from six to ten men on deck, and captain, clerk, and mate, and

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* Omitted.

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