but take the thing as a whole, and it may be said that comparatively few stores wee lost in a movement of such magnitude, upsetting as it did all previous arrangements. General Thomas' army, in front of Nashville, drew its supplies direct from the depot, and its gallant attack, defeat, and purusit of the enemy's forces, December 15 and 16, 1864, did not overtask the capacity of the quartermaster's department. It so happened that the army concentrated at Nashville, deficient for the most part of transportation left behind at Chattanooga and elsewhere, but by the extraordinary foresight and exertions of Bvt. Colonel Charles H. irvin, assistant quartermaster, and officer of great resources, the army was re-equipped and enabled to pursue Hood's shattered forces to the Tennessee River. With the departure of the Twenty-third and Sixteenth Corps South and East, the forces remaining in the department were stationed as follows: The Fourth Corps at Huntsville, Ala., and the Cavalry Corps at Eastport, Miss. arly in March orders were given to prepare for a probable campaign in East Tennessee. I directed Captain M. D. Wickersham, assistant quartermaster, then inspecting quartermaster, ARmy of the Cumberland, to proceed to Knoxville and report upon the wants of the department. He communicated freely by telegraph and letter, and subsequently submitted a full report of affairs in that direction. About the middle of March the Fourth Corps was transferred from Huntsville, Ala., to East Tennessee. A switch was built at Knoxville from the main railroad, store-houses commenced, and stores pushed forward. This work was in progress when intelligence came that Richmond had fallen and the army which had so stubbornly defended it surrendered. The Fourth Corps was at once withdrawn to Nashville and re-equipped, and in June a fleet of steamerswas collected at Johnsonville to move it to New Orleans. The embarkation was superintended in person by Colonel Mackay, chief quartermaster Army of the Cumberland.

Loss and destruction of public property.-The loss and destruction of public property in the Department of the Cumberland during the past year has been, comparatively speaking, very small. The total value of property destroyed by fire, by freshet, captured, abandoned, or destroyed to prevent it falling into the hands of the rebels, will not, I believe, exceed $3,500,000; a small sum when the time and extent of operations are considered. Inno instance that I am aware of has the loss occurred through the neglect of my subordinate officers. In every case it was occasioned either by the movements of the enemy, the orders of superior military commanders, or causes beyond the control of any one. The first loss sustained wasin August, at Cleveland, during the raid of the rebel General Wheeler into East Tennessee, but the amount of property was small, having been destroyed to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy. For similar reasons, and during the advance northward of the rebel army under Hood in November, property was destroyed at Decatur.

On the 4th of November the rebel General Forrest attacked Johnsonville, the terminus of the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad, from the west bank of the Tennessee River. He had a large force of cavalry and artillery, and although the quartermaster's department made strennous exertions, sending one of its own regiments from Nashville, in addition to the regular garrison, to defend the place, he succeeded in establishing batteries above and below the depot, shutting in three navy gun-boats, eight transports loadedwith stores, and eleven barges. After sustaining a heavy cannonading and some severe fighting, the gun-boats were disabled, fire, d and abandoned by Acting Volunteer