importance, as there is no doubt that quite a business in this line has been carried on for some time past, and the secret manner in which it has been conducted has hitherto defied all effort to detect the guilty parties. The doctor was sent to Fort Lafayetter by direction of Major-General Dix, as also the two deserters to be held as withenses against him. On the 30th instant Captain H. Jahn, of the Second New York Independent Battery, was arrested upon papers forwarded to this office by Major L. C. Turner, Judge-Advocate-General, upon the charge of taking meant to New York before the expiration of their term of service. He was forwarded to Washington on the 31st instant and delivered to Major Gaines by direction of Major Turner.

Deserters arrested.-The number of deserters arrested during the month has been 134 by officers attached to my office.

For about one week during the excitement attending the riot in this city this work was necessarily suspended. The increased reward now paid for the detection of deserters has had a very excellent effect, stimulating the officers to increase exertions. The sum is now felt to be a sufficient compensation for the risk and trouble, and the result hension of this class of offenders cannot fail to exercise a wholesome the attempt. Hirtherton the sum paid was considered inadequate,and camp has operated to the serious disadvantage of the service. The should have been adopted some time since. But one thing more is needed, and that is a more prompt system of paying the reward after the arrest is effected. The delay in securing their pay has had the effect to deter many from engaging in the business who could have rendered very efficient service.

On the 11th instant orders were received from Major-General Wool directing that in consequence of the small number of men that could be spared to guard the prisoners at Fort Columbus, in future all deserters who belonged to the Army of the Potomac or to the regiments in Washington and vicinity should be sent direct under guard to Washington City; while those who belonged to regiments stationed at New Orleans, New Berne, Hilton Head, Port Royal, &c., would be receive in the fort as heretofore and detained until the sailing of transports of those places. This order rendered it necessary for the provost-marshals and others sending deserters to this point to deliver them at the Park Barracks in charge of the provost guard, and from thence daily parties, varying from ten to twenty men each, are dispatched to Washington in charge of an officer and a guard of one or two men, according to the size of the party. While this regulation imposes much additional labor on this office, I think it will be found to be productive of the following results:

First, economy in transportation; second, the more speedy return of the men to their regiments; and, third, the short time which must elapse between their arrest and departure from the city will free us from the great annoyance of writs of habeas corpus. Either from inexperience or incapacity, the officers employed in some districts appear to be quite inefficient. The provost- marshals have been advised in accordance with instructions from your Bureau that there was a deficiency in this respect; they were also informed that if there was any insufficiency of force that they might appoint such number of officers as could be profitably employed. With these means at