ADJUTANT GENERAL'S REPORT.

In the preparation of the Adjutant General's Report, access has been had to the official rolls, returns, reports of hospitals, and to such other documents as could be reached. Every effort has been made to secure accuracy in names, dates and facts, and especially to show what became of the men. After using the utmost diligence, however, it will be seen that many are unaccounted for. This arises from the fact that the information necessary to complete their military history is not in the possession of this office, and could not, under any circumstances, be obtained. It is impossible for a work of this description to be completed free from errors. All volunteers are accounted for as reported to this office upon some official return. Monthly returns frequently conflict with descriptive books and muster-out rolls of companies. A discriminating judgment often has to be exercised, and much correspondence carried on before the records of volunteers can be determined upon. Corrections are continually made in the records of our volunteers, occassioned by investigations made at their personal request, or in consequence of later returns that are still being received from various sources. It will be observed, in many cases, that the residence of volunteers is omitted. The army muster-roll, used at the time of the organization of our early regiments, made no provision for a column in which should have been inserted the residence of each volunteer, or the town or locality entitled to credit for his enlistment; consequently this most desirable information could only be obtained through descriptive books furnished to regimental and company officers from this office, and which, in many instances, have not been properly filled out. I have made extra exertions to secure proper and complete returns of casualties; yet they are not complete. This is to be regretted, as it has prevented justice being done hundreds of our volunteers, who carry with them the evidence of honorable wounds received in devion to their country's cause. It is aslo to be regretted that so many cases exist where reports have failed to furnish the date of retrn to regiments, of members who have been captured by the enemy and afterward paroled, and who have been inmates of hospitals for many months, as well as of those who have voluntarily returned from desertion, and others that have been apprehended. By orders of the War Department, it is decreed that when an organization is mustered out of service, its members are declared mustered out at the same time, regardless of the fact that their being absent at the time of muster out. Mustering officers, in numerous cases, have failed to note upon the muster-out rolls, the proper remarks accounting for those absent at time of muster out, in consequence of which many appear as having been mustered out at such a date, and nothing further said; whereas, the soldier may continue in service, absent on detached duty, or sick in hospital. Information relating to the whereabouts of absent men is obtained by the mustering-out officer from the company commanders, who are to a great extent, responsible for the omission of the proper remarks. Officers and soldiers who have been misrepresented in any way, or who may be able to furnish reliable data to supply the omissions referred to, are respectfully requested to communicate the same to this office, with as little delay as possible.

T. J. ANDERSON, Adjutant General of Kansas

Topeka, Kansas, July, 1867