Consolidated abstract from returns of the U. S. Army on or about December 31, 1861.

Present for duty.

Command. Officers. Men. Aggregate

present.

Department of Florida 78 1,934 2,487

(Brown)

Department of Kansas 324 7,278 8,486

(Hunter)

Department of the Missouri* 3,841 87,386 91,227

(Halleck)

Department of New England 304 6,162 7,946

(Butler)

Department of New Mexico 177 3,999 4,945

(Canby)

Department of New York 235 4,988 8,874

(Morgan)

Department of the Ohio 3,098 69,281 83,060

(Buell)

Department of the Pacific 232 4,400 5,836

(Wright)

Department of the Potomac 7,653 175,854 208,604

(McClellan)

Department of Virginia 398 10,154 12,137

(Wool)

Department of Western 765 18,735 23,063

Virginia (Rosecrans)

Expeditionary Corps (T. W. 597 12,871 15,650

Sherman)

State of Pennsylvania 205 4,456 4,878

Total. 17,907 407,498 477,193

Command. Aggregate Date of return.

present

and

absent.

Department of Florida 2,594 December 31,

(Brown) 1861.

Department of Kansas 10,956 Jan. 29, 1861.

(Hunter)

Department of the Missouri* 108,905 December 31,

(Halleck) 1861.

Department of New England 8,323 Do.

(Butler)

Department of New Mexico 5,646 Do.

(Canby)

Department of New York 9,360 Do.

(Morgan)

Department of the Ohio 90,211 Do.

(Buell)

Department of the Pacific 6,363 Do.

(Wright)

Department of the Potomac 219,781 Do.

(McClellan)

Department of Virginia 13,013 Do.

(Wool)

Department of Western 30,501 Do.

Virginia (Rosecrans)

Expeditionary Corps (T. W. 16,927 Do.

Sherman)

State of Pennsylvania 5,224 Do.

Total. 527,804

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, January 2, 1862.

His Excellency GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS:

Please order all your organized infantry regiments yet unassigned to Louisville, Ky., as soon as practicable.

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.

WALLARD'S HOTEL,

Washington, D. C., January 2, 1862.

Brigadier General JOSEPH G. TOTTEN,

Chief Engineer, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: In pursuance of the objects of my mission, and in accordance with the wishes of the government of the city of Philadelphia, I have caused to be presented in the House of Representatives a bill making appropriations specially for the defense of the river Delaware and the harbor of refuge created by the Delaware Breakwater. This bill has been referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and to-day in conversation with the member of that committee having the subject in charge, in explanation of the object of the bill, he expressed the wish to be informed if the Engineer Department had recommended the construction of defenses on the land to cover and protect the said breakwater and its harbor. As in my conversation with you on that subject a few days since you expressed yourself in favor of the construction of the said land defenses for the said breakwater and harbor, will you, in your reply to this note, be so good as to express your opinion and recommendation thereof in writing, so that in that form they may be presented for the consideration of the Committee on Military

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*The figures here given in the column of "present for duty" represent the whole number present, including "for duty", on extra or daily duty," sick," and "in arrest." The return is imperfectly prepared and does not show separately the numbers of the distinctive classes specified.

#Not embraced in any department.

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