The Soldiers' journal. (Rendezvous of Distribution, Va.) 1864-1865, 1864-02-17

mail, the detailing of officers by brigade COM
manders and the arrival of said officers in the
camp, for the purpose of receiving said men,
About November, 80, the Provost Marshal GEN.
eral sent one of his Assistants to locate himself
in Alexandria, for the purpose of receiving and
forwarding men to their regiments by army
corps.
Srd Section--Kecruit Camp-was under charge
of Lieut.. Col. Prescott. 1t was for the reception
of recruits, who were forwarded to their regi-
ments in the manner indicated above.
Towards the latter part of November, '62, Ma
jor General Mcclellan (then commanding the
Army of the Potomac,) sent General Patrick,
Provost Marshal General of the army, to inspect
the camp with view to have men forwarded
to their regiments more promptly. Some few
days after said inspection, General Mcclellan
issued a general order regulating the details OF
camp, and empowering the Major General COM
handing the Defenses of Washington, to present
suitable details of officers and men, unfit for du-
ty, for the proper conduct and discipline of the
men at Convalescent Camp Said order limited
the number of officers to not more than one from
a brigade; also instructing the Major General
commanding the Defenses of Washington, not to
press unequally on details with regiments in the
field. The order also contained instructions that
a list of such details be forwarded by the Major
General commanding the Defenses of Washing
ton, to the Headquarters of the army, IN order
that such details be published in general orders,
for the guidance of regimental commanders
Said list was made out and forwarded to the Ma
jor General, but was never published in general
orders.
Captain c. C. Moses was temporarily detailed
as Quartermaster of camp. Not having any ex-
perience in that department., (the department was
poorly managed,) he had only nine wagons to
some fifteen to eighteen thousand men. Some
time in December 49, from the large amount of
complaints forwarded to Washington, the Secre-
tary of War ordered Convalescent Camp to be
broken up. Those who were unfit for duty were
to be sent to hospitals those fit for duty to their
respective regiments. Some few days afterward
the order was countermanded, and the removal
of camp ordered to it's present location, near the
Louden q Hampshire railroad, near Fort Ber-
nard Va.
On December IL, '62, details were made for the
policing of the new camp, and the erection of
barracks. Said details reported to Captain JOSH
ua Norton, A. @. M, of Major General Heintzle-
mans staff who was entrusted with the laying
out and erection of barracks of New Gonzales
cent Camp.
Before finishing with my remarks on Old Con-
valescent Camp, L would state, on the 18th OF
December, 49, all men of Old Convalescent Camp
were quartered in tents near the barracks OF this
camp, until such time they were ready for oc-
cupation. The Stragglers' and Recruits Camp
were detached from Convalescent Camp, and re-
moved some five hundred rods from it's old site.
Colonel j. s. Belknap, commandant OF the
camp, used his best endeavors for the best inter-
ests of the service while in command OF SAID
camp; always in his company, am positive his