During the past year the business of this office has been transacted, under the supervision of the Adjutant-General, aided by one colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, and two majors of his department.

The number of clerks and enlisted men employed as clerks has been of necessity largely increased, and could be still further increased to advantage but for the want of rooms. These gentlemen have, for the most part, rendered willing and faithful service, without which the immense labors of the office could not have been performed.

So much is the business pertaining to the Adjutant-General's Bureau made up of details that it is not easy to define what are its prominent branches. It is the source from which the regulations, orders, and much of the military correspondence of the Secretary of War and General-in-Chief of the Army issue. It is the place of deposit of the purely military records, such as muster-rolls, which contain the military history of every soldier of the Army; returns which show the actual condition of each army corps, division, brigade, and regiment from month to month; files of enlistments and certificates of discharge of enlisted men. Here are made out the commissions of all military officers appointed by the President of the United States; and all commissions as well as resignations and casualties affecting such officers are here recorded. The annual Army Register, containing the military history of all officers so commissioned, is also made up, printed, and distributed under supervision of this Bureau. From here the various books of instruction, so liberally furnished by the Government to its troops, and all the blanks used by the Army, except in the disbursing departments of the staff, are distributed. The forms of the several blanks are also contrived and the printing of them is supervised here. The recruiting service for the Regular Army, and the muster in and out of the volunteer regiments, with the several details of organizations, drawing of requisitions for funds, and auditing accounts for expenditures in both services, are here regulated and supervised. From this summary it is to be inferred that constant reference must be made to this Bureau for information on points of military law; for interpretation of regulations and the custom of service; for reports to enable the Treasury and Pension Bureaus to settle claims in behalf of officers and enlisted men; for replies to relatives of soldiers residing in all parts of the civilized world; for reports on which to decide claims to commissions and pay on irregular musters; for examination of proceedings of boards, and reports involving the discharge and restoration of volunteer officers; for reports on administration and discipline for the Secretary of War and General-in-Chief, and for statements of the strength and stations of the several armies. To give, then, some idea of the magnitude or the labor which in the past year has been performed by the Adjutant- General's Office it is not necessary to state the actual numbers of the several levies of volunteers which have been organized, mustered in, and mustered out, and which now remain in service; and also of the new regiments of regulars which have been organized and recruited, and whose officers have been commissioned through its agency.

The officers of this department who have not been on duty in the Bureau have been employed as follows: One colonel, as major- general of volunteers; 1 lieutenant-colonel, assistant adjutant- general, Army of the Potomac; 1 lieutenant-colonel, assistant adjutant-general, headquarters Department of the Pacific; 1 major, as brigadier-general of volunteers; 1 major, as colonel of a regiment of volunteer cavalry; 8 majors, as assistant adjutants-general, with generals commanding