Rufus Ingalls

Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant and the California Gold Rush - 1852

CITY POINT, VA., November 10, 1864.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War, Washington:

I would respectfully recommend the promotion of Brigadier General R. Ingalls, now brigadier-general of volunteers, to the same grade, by brevet, in the Regular Army, to take rank as such from the 16th day of June, 1864, the date of his assuming the duties of chief quartermaster of the combined armies operating against Richmond. This is also the date of the crossing of the James River, after the campaign from the Rapidan, by the Army of the Potomac. For his promotion by brevet in the intermediate grades between that of major (General Ingalls' present army rank) and that of brigadier-general I would respectfully recommend that dates given in a previous recommendation for his promotion be followed. For the skillful manner in which General Ingalls has conducted the affairs in this department he deserves this recognition of his service. He was the first officer of his department, I believe, who proved capable of organizing and running all the machinery in it for the Army of the Potomac. There has been no other army in the United States where the duties of Quartermaster have been so well performed. The service of General Ingalls are too well understood at Washington to make it necessary for me to add more than my testimony that since I have been directly with the armies where he has acted as chief quartermasters his services have been all that could be asked, and such as but few could perform.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

U. S. Grant