COMMITTEES ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT 237 



The Secretary of War had, in the meantime, received the 

 report of the Academy, which he acknowledged in the following 

 letter: " 



" War Department, Washington, D. C, 



" January 23, 1867. 

 " Prof. Henry, etc., etc. 



" Dear Sir: The report made at my request by the National Academy, rela- 

 tive to the subject of galvanic action on the iron head-blocks proposed for marking 

 soldiers' graves, has been submitted to this department, and I offer my thanks to 

 the Committee for the valuable information it contains. I beg now to refer the 

 case back again for report whether there is anything known to the Academy of a 

 nature which would be more suitable on account of its durability, and at the same 

 time not so expensive as to forbid its use for the purpose, than the combination of 

 materials already submitted to your Committee for their opinion ; and would be 

 glad to have an opinion as to the fitness of these materials for the purpose 

 designated. 



" Very respectfully, dear sir, your obedient servant, 



" Edwin M. Stanton, 



" Secretary of War." 



There is no evidence in the records of the Academy that 

 this second request was complied with, though in view of sub- 

 sequent proceedings it is not unlikely that it was. 



As indicated by the discussion in Congress, opinion in the 

 War Department was divided on the subject of the headstones, 

 some officials favoring the iron blocks and others regarding them 

 as unsuitable. Quartermaster-General Meigs was absent from 

 duty on account of illness during the year 1867 and a part of 

 1868 also, and on December 19, 1867, the acting officer, General 

 Rucker, made a number of recommendations to the Secretary of 

 War relative to the National Cemeteries, among which was the 

 following: 



" That proposals be speedily invited by the Quartermaster-General for cast- 

 iron (zinked) head-blocks of the pattern enclosed, in quantities sufficient to mark 

 all the graves not now supplied with proper wooden head-boards; and that the 

 contract for them be let, and the blocks erected without delay (provided it shall 

 be deemed too expensive to erect stone blocks, after definitely ascertaining the true 

 cost of the same). " *^ 



*"Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., vol. i, pp. 61, 62. 



"Rep. Secr. War for i868, vol. 3, part i, p. 908. Exec Doc. no. i, 40th Congress, 3d 

 Session. 



17 



