Unknown to Edwin M. Stanton, October 20, 1866

Hon. Edwin M. Stanton,

Secretary of War:

a ^ ! c Sji ^ sj* jjc The entire management of this branch of the duties of this offi has continued under the immediate charge of Bvt. Brig. Gen. Thom. M. Vincent, assistant adjutant-general.

The number of volunteers borne on the returns of armies, milita divisions, and departments on the 1st of May, 1865, was reported 985,516. Subsequent to that date the number of white and colon troops taken up on the returns was 48,548, which, added to this fire made the entire number to be mustered out 1,034,064.

The number (48,548) was made up as follows:

State troops – 5,8

First Corps – – 3,(i

V eteran Reserve Corps – – ‘ll

Colored troops . . . . . . . . 14, (i

U. S. Volunteers . . . . . . . . t

Volunteers for old and new organizations in rendezvous . . . . . 10, S

Volunteers and drafted men en route to commands and not joined _ _ _ _ 6,

Forces in transit dropped from returns of one command, and necessarily not taken up on that of the one for which destined . . . 6,4;

Total _ _ – . 48, f The last annual report of the Adjutant-General brought down t operations of the Department in mustering out the Volunteer Army the 15th of November, 1865, at which date 800,963 had been discharge The following is a statement of the numbers mustered out up to t dates set opposite them, showing the rapidity with which the wo was continued after that time :

February 15, 1866 – – – – – – – – – 952,^

Leaving in service 11,043 volunteers, colored and white.

The following were the orders issued to complete the series necesary to take out of service all the remaining volunteer forces menioned in the foregoing statement, amounting to 233,101:

December 11, 1865. — All white troops in the Departments of Georgia, Gabama, and Mississippi, leaving the aggregate force — including egulars — in the said departments 7,000 men.

December 30. — All volunteers in the Department of the East, all in he Middle Department except 1,500, and all in the Department of Virginia except 2,500.

December 30. — All troops in the Military Division of the Tennessee rhose terms of service would expire in February, 1866, and, in addiion, the force in the Department of the Tennessee to be reduced to :,000 men.

Deceinber 30. — The force of white troops in the Military Division of he Gulf to be reduced to 10,000 men, and the force of black troops 0 10,000.

In case of the public interest not warranting so great a reduction, he figures indicated to be approached as nearly as possible.

January 9, 1866. — All volunteer troops in the Department of Virjinia.

March 15. — The force of colored troops in the Military Division of he Tennessee, so as to leave for the respective military departments IS follows: Kentucky, two regiments; Tennessee, four regiments; leorgia, one regiment; Alabama, two regiments; Mississippi, four j*egiments.

March 15. — All colored troops in the Department of South Carolina ixcept one regiment.

March 15. — All colored troops in the Department of Florida except «)ne regiment.

r, March 15. — All colored troops in the Department of Washington except one regiment.

March 15. — All colored troops in the Military Division of the Mis- ;issippi except four regiments.

^ April. — All volunteers, both white and colored, in the Military Division of the Tennessee; this under discretionary authority given ^.he commanding general of that division.

May 18. — All remaining white volunteers in the Military Division pf the Gulf, Department of North Carolina, and Department of South Carolina.

f, July 11. — All the remaining officers and men of the First Army Corps (Hancock’s).

From time to time, as the troops could be dispensed with, thirty¬ line regiments in addition to the foregoing were ordered to be mus- , iered out.

[ff The movement homeward commenced May 29, 1865, and had it leen possible to spare all the volunteers in service the entire number, K, 034, 064, could easily have been disbanded and returned to their lomes within three months from that date.

The annexed table, marked C, shows the whole force mustered out unce May 1, 1865, properly classified.

! The recruitment of white volunteers was under the exclusive con¬ trol of the Adjutant-General from the first call for troops until May , 1863, when it was placed under the Provost-Marshal-General, who, toeing by law charged with the enrollment and draft, was charged ilso with enlistment, that the entire recruiting service for white vol- ; mteers might be under one head.

The regulations framed by this office for volunteer recruiting serv¬ ice remained in force with but slight modifications during the war.

The re-enlistment of veteran volunteers in the field and the recruit¬ ment of all colored volunteers was under the direction of th( Ad j utant-General.

The following statement shows the numbers recruited under his direction :

Militia (three and nine months) from April 15, 1861, to May 1, 1863 195,92

Volunteers from May 3, 1861, to May 1, 1863 . . . . 1,149,71

Veteran volunteers re-enlisted in the field, 1863-’64 _ _ *138,

Colored troops during the war . . 169, 62^

making about two-thirds of the whole number furnished during th(

The subject of organizing volunteer troops was under the charg( of the Adjutant-General throughout the war. This involved —

First. The establishing and management of the general depots oi rendezvous in the several States for collecting and instructing recruits.

Second. The care of all recruits (including those enlisted undei the Provost-Marshal-General’s Bureau) after arrival at general depot

Third. The organization of the recruits, if for new commands, int< regiments and companies.

Fourth. The forwarding of all troops, new organizations and de tachments of recruits for old ones, to the field.

Fifth. The muster in of commissioned officers and enlisted men fo all organizations already in the field, and for those serving not in th< field, but under the control of commanding generals of departments This important duty, in which many difficult questions arise, upoi the solution of which depends the commencement of pay or date o rank, required at times a corps of 200 commissaries and assistan commissaries of musters, or one commissary for each military geo graphical division and department and each army, and one assistan for each division of troops.

Sixth. The mustering out and discharging all volunteers and mili tia and returning them to their homes.

Table D, giving two classifications — one by States, the other b; calls — shows the number of new organizations organized and for warded to the field under direction of this office during the war.

provost-marshal-general’s bureau.

Pursuant to the provisions of section 33 of the “Act to increase am fix the military peace establishment of the United States,” approver July 28, 1866, the Bureau and office of the Provost-Marshal-Genera of the United States were discontinued on the 28th of August, and U General Orders, Uo. 66, War Department, Adjutant-General’s Office August 20, 1866, all business relating in anyway to the Provost-Mai shal-General’s Bureau, or the raising of troops, with all the account and claims connected therewith, of whatever character or date q whensoever incurred, were transferred to the Adjutant-General o the Army, to whom all the records, papers, funds, and property wer turned over. The Adjutant-General was authorized to retain sucj officers and clerks as were required, and directed to reduce the forci from time to time as it could be done without detriment to th: public service. The regulations and orders framed for the Provost

* By credits subsequently allowed this number has been increased to 146,030.

‘ UNION AUTHORITIES. 10l5

vTarshal-General’s Bureau, in so far as they were applicable, were .’ontinued in force.

V Disbursing” branches of the Adjutant-General’s Office, i The Enrollment Branch is charged with answering calls for infornation from the Second Auditor, Pension Office, Paymaster-General, State and local authorities, and with miscellaneous business. In

iddition to this the work of consolidating and transferring the ames of all men drafted into the service of the United States during le rebellion into books especially prepared and arranged by States nd districts has been commenced, so that reference for information lay be made easy. The number of names to be thus transferred is 76,829.

The Disbursing Branch is charged with all disbursements from the .and for “collecting, drilling, and organizing volunteers,” and the .”enrollment and draft fund;” also the business relating to all accounts and claims, of whatever character or date or whensoever ‘ Incurred, connected with the raising of troops during the war.

Accounts relating to the current expenses of the mustering and dis¬ bursing offices in the respective States, such as rent, clerk hire, postpage, telegrams, &c., are paid by chief mustering and disbursing officers ^from a limited supply of funds kept in their hands for that purpose.

! All other accounts are forwarded, after a full examination by the -chief mustering and disbursing officer, with his remarks and recom¬ mendation, and if proper are paid by the disbursing officer connected ^immediately with this office.

i Of the records, those relating to the Veteran Reserve Corps and deserters have been merged into the ” Roll and Return Division” of khis office.

The Medical Branch was duly transferred,

by order of the Secretary