3. By relieving the provost-marshals of the responsibility of disbursing public money, not only was the Government saved from loss that would necessarily have resulted from their inexperience, but these officers escaped complications which would probably have embarrassed them for years in their settlements with the Treasury.

4. Under the plan pursued the persons to be employed, the leases to be made, &c., had to receive the approval of the Bureau before payments were made, and thus unnecessary and improper contracts for services and property were prevented.

APPENDIX.*

PART XII.

DOCUMENT NO.1 Strength of the Army at various dates.

TABLE NO.1.-Strength of U. S. Army January 1, 1861.+

TABLE NO.2.-Strength of the Army at various dates, compiled by the Adjutant-General of the Army, after a thorough revision of his records.++

DOCUMENT NO.2. Recruitment of European armies.@

DOCUMENT NO.3. Recruitment of the British army.@

DOCUMENT NO.4. Recruitment of the French army.@

DOCUMENT NO.5. The organization of the rebel armies.

Although it was found impossible to obtain sufficiently comprehensive data from which to prepare a complete history of the creation and recruitment of the forces that confronted our own armies for four years, all the laws and general regulations issued by the rebel authorities relative to this subject, and some general information connected therewith, have been collated and are submitted.a

a The following statements in regard to the organization of the rebel armies are based upon data obtained mainly from the "Archive Bureau of the War Department." The data are authentic, and the facts and figures herein given afford means for interesting and valuable deductions.

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* For such of the documents embraced in this Appendix and which are not, under their respective heads, indicated as being elsewhere printed in this publication (and are here omitted), see Executive Document No. 1, House of Representatives, Thirty- ninth Congress, first session, Vol. IV. See also explanatory foot-note (*) p.679.

+ Omitted, but see Vol. I, this series, p.22.

++ Omitted, but see later revised statements in Vol. I, pp.301, 775; Vol. II, pp.185, 957; Vol. III, pp.460, 1198; Vol. IV, pp.1034, all of this series.

@ Omitted; see explanatory foot-note (*), p.679.

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