remainder being on duty at the Military Academy, on sea-coast defenses, survey of the lakes, with the engineer battalion, and as assistants to the Chief Engineer. The particular services rendered by these officers are recited in the narratives and other statements accompanying the report, and comprise the professional duties of the engineer, together with those of the various arms of the service to which the officers have been assigned. In general, every army and military expedition has had assigned to it officers of this corps. Their reports give the plans of attack and defense, as well as the outlines of the marches by the armies to which they were attached, and together constitute a comprehensive statement of the last year's operations of the armies.

The sea-coast defenses have progressed in proportion to the available means and the number of officers who could be assigned to this branch of duty. The efforts of the Engineer Department have been principally directed to constructions for mounting the guns of large caliber now essential in consequence of corresponding armaments in iron floating batteries. The permanent forts of the Gulf, since their repossession by the Government, have been repaired and put in a defensive condition. The available means of the department will suffice to accomplish all that is required at these works and at those of the southern Atlantic coast until plans are matured for modifications adapting them to the existing sea-coast armaments.

The Military Academy has continued to furnish a limited number of graduates for the subordinate grades of the Army, a number, however, which has not for years past sufficed to fill the vacancies in the line and staff occasioned by the casualties of the service. The Chief Engineer, in view of this fact, recommends an increase of the number of cadets, and in order to economize in the expenses of the institution, proposes a mode of selecting candidates from nominees for each vacancy that will, he thinks, with more certainty insure proficiency in studies and the military art by those aspiring to center the service.

The survey of the Northern lakes has progressed during the year as heretofore. The repairs and preservation of the harbors on the lakes and on the Atlantic have been prosecuted to the full extent of the resources of the department in officers and available funds. Success in this branch of engineering is attended with great difficulties than are met in most others in which science and skill are called upon to promote the interests of the country. Heretofore the plans of improvements adopted have been directed to secure immediate results, and the source of the evil having been left to exercise its influence, has rendered constant repetitions of labor and expenditures necessary. The Chief Engineer is now calling upon the officers charged with works of this character for plans to arrest the cause of constant obstructions to commerce, and it is hoped that measures may be devised by which these improvements may be made to endure for a longer period, if not to become permanent in their nature.

The expenditures of the Engineer Department during the year amounted to $5,479,420.23.

ORDNANCE BUREAU.

The fiscal resources of the Ordnance Bureau for the past year amounted to $45,783,656.10, and the expenditures to $43,112,531.27, leaving a balance of $2,671,124.83 to the credit of disbursing officers, in the Government depositories, on June 30, 1865.

34 R R-SERIES III, VOL V