841 Series III Volume IV- Serial 125 - Union Letters, Orders, Reports
Page 841 | UNION AUTHORITIES. |
very great benefit in the transmission of orders. The advantages are so apparent that it hardly requires any reasons to be given to make it a permanent portion of the equipage of an army.
I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,
GEO. SYKES,
Major-General, Commanding.
HEADQUARTERS U. S. MILITARY TELEGRAPH,
Cleveland, Ohio, October 31, 1864.Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:
SIR: Accompanying this my official report of the operations and construction of U. S. military telegraph for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1864, I have the honor also to submit the reports of the different officers and assistant superintendents connected with this branch of the Government service, and very respectfully solicit your consideration of the detailed operations of the military telegraph within the United States, embraced in the several reports herewith.
I regret to state that, so far as I am informed, not a single officer connected with the U. S. military telegraph received a copy of the Quartermaster-General's circular, dated July 6, 1864, which called for the reports herewith submitted, and the request of the Quartermaster-General's Department in regard thereto but recently incidentally became know. Therefore, for want of proper notice, these reports are not as carefully prepared nor as fully presented in detail as desired.
My official report for the fiscal year of 1863, accompanied by the report of Major Eckert and Captains Bruch, David, Wade, Smith and Bulkley, assistant superintendents of military telegraph, was forwarded to your Department by mail on the 2nd of November, 1863.
Herewith please find the reports of Captain G. H. Smith (marked A), Captain R. C. Clowry (B), Captain C. S. Bulkley (C), Captain T. B. A. David (D), Captain L. F. Sheldon (E), Captain S. Brunch (F), Captain W. L. Gross (G), Captain J. C. Van Duzer (H), and Captain S. G. Lynch (I) for the fiscal year of 1864. The reports of Major Thomas T. Eckert and Captain W. G. Fuller have not yet reached me.*
My report is designed to present, in condensed form, the operations of the U. S. military telegraph within the several departments.
The public money in my possession July 1, 1863,
was............................................ $6,056,06
Received from the U. S. Treasury during the
year........................................... 606,000.00
-------------
Amount transferred to the officers is the total. 612,056.06
Add amount received by officers of this corps
from other sources, as per their reports........ 31,848.02
-------------
Shows total amount of money applicable to the ope-
rations of military telegraph during the year... 643,904.08
Deduct amount of balances in the hands of
quartermasters June 30, 1864.................... 34,247.77
-------------
Total amount expended during the year for con-
struction and operation of U. S. military
telegraph....................................... 609,656.31
Of the last-mentioned amount about $218,000 was applied to the purchase of material, and for incidental expenses, say, $13,000, leaving applicable to service account, $378,656,31.
---------------
*For Eckert's report see Series I, Vol. LI, Part I, p. 197.
---------------
Page 841 | UNION AUTHORITIES. |