The goods are all now in New York, and will be of great service. Part of them will be sent to Missouri, and a portion of them to Washington, where they will be at once issued to troops in the field.

I inclose a letter for Mr. Dayton, which I beg you to forward.

M. C. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General.

[Inclosure.]

WAR DEPARTMENT,

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, D. C., November 29, 1861.

Honorable WILLIAM L. DAYTON,

Minister United States at Paris:

DEAR SIR: I beg to express to you the thanks of this department for your kind attention to its request in procuring the military equipment for a division of 10,000 men from the contractors for the French army.

The goods have arrived in New York, and are ordered, with the assent of General McClellan, to be distributed to the Army of Missouri and the Army of the Potomac. They will be at once issued and will be of great service. They being the models adopted by France after so much military study and experience, will serve as models to us, and will doubtless introduce many improvements in our service.

M. C. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General.

HDQRS. OF THE ARMY, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Washington, November 29, 1861.

Governor SPRAGUE,

Providence:

General-in-Chief desires the First Rhode Island Cavalry be ordered to Washington City. Please instruct it to march to this point.

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.

ENGINEER DEPARTMENT,

Washington, November 30, 1861.

Honorable SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: I have the honor to present the following report upon the several branches of the public service committed to the charge of this department for the year ending the 30th of June, 1861:

Military defenses and disbursing officer. - The grants by Congress for fortifications on our whole sea-coast and northern frontier for the last fiscal year, amounting to $ 1,395,000, have been in large measure expended, and so applied by the care and diligence of the officers in charge as to produce much satisfactory progress, and in several instances afford a readiness to receive the whole or the larger part of the armament of the works, with some accommodations for garrisons and for ammunition.

Under the existing circumstances of the country the most rapid further progress practicable will probably be desired. In this case, besides the estimates which have been furnished for the service of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1863, it will be indispensable in a number