QUARTERMASTER GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, D. C., October 28, 1889.

The Quartermaster General with deep regret announces the death, during the present month, of two officers of the Quartermaster's Department of the Army.

Major and Brevet Colonel Asa P. Blunt, Quartermaster, U.S. A., died suddenly at Manchester, New Hampshire, on the morning of October 4, 1889.

Colonel Blunt was born in Danville, Vermont, and in the early part of June, 1861, entered the service as adjutant of the Third Vermont Volunteers. On September 25, 1861, he was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Sixth Regiment of Vermont Volunteers, and at the close of the Peninsula campaign in July, 1862, he was promoted to be colonel of the Twelfth Regiment of Vermont Volunteers.

On February 29, 1864, he was appointed captain and assistant quartermaster of volunteers. In June, 1865, he received the brevets of major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel of volunteers, and on March 13, 1865, the brevet of brigadier general of volunteers.

March 28, 1-67, he was appointed captain and assistant quartermaster and received the brevets of major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel, U. S. Army, for gallant and meritorious service at the battles of Lee's Mills, Savage Station, Virginia, and during the war.

During his volunteer service he was assigned to duty in the Departments of Virginia, North Carolina, and Potomac. Since his appointment in the Regular Army he has served at Richmond, Virginia; Washington, District of Columbia; Charleston, South Carolina; Saint Paul, Minnesota; Fort Buford, Dakota Territory; Nashville, Tennessee.

In June, 1875, Captain Blunt was assigned to duty as commandant of the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He brought to that important duty strong and essential qualities, and soon initiated and carried out a system of discipline and government which raised that prison to a high plane, and marked it as a model of reformatory and industrial institutions. His services were recognized by all those

interested in the success of the institution, and the President of the United States in July, 1881, marked his appreciation of the good work done by assigning Captain Blunt to duty according to his brevet rank of colonel.

On December 31, 1887, y reason of failing health, he was relieved from duty at the military prison.

On January 11, 1888, the Adjutant General of the Army, by direction of the Secretary of War, informed Colonel Blunt that the Board of Military Prison Commissioners unanimonsly adopted resolutions in his behalf, in which they gave formal expression to their high appreciation of the earnest zeal and ably directed efforts exhibited by him in his administration of its affairs, and in which sentiments the Honorable the Secretary of War expressed his cordial concurrence.

Upon being relieved at the military prison he was assigned as depot quartermaster at Boston, Massachusetts, where he was on duty at the time of his death.

His commission as major and quartermaster, U. S. Army, dated September 30, 1889, was sent him only a few days before his decease.

In all his varied services of twenty-eight years, including the entire war of the rebellion, he proved himself to be an officer of high merit, and leaves an unblemished record.

Captain George H. Cook also died suddenly at David's Island, October 4, 1889.

He was born in New York; entered the volunteer service as 1st lieutenant, One hundred and ninth U. S. C. Infantry, July 8, 1864; was promoted to be captain, Eighth U. S. C. Artillery, February 13, 1865, and on March 10, 1866, received the brevets of major and lieutenant colonel, U. S. Volunteers, for "faithful and meritorious services." He was appointed 2d lieutenant, Twenty-eighth U. S. Infantry, January 22, 1867; was transferred to the Nineteenth Infantry on March 31, 1868, and promoted 1st lieutenant, same regiment, October 7, 1873.

On February 10, 1882, he was appointed captain and assistant quartermaster. He served about eighteen months at Fort Union, New Mexico, and was then assigned to duty at David's Island, New York Harbor, where he continued on duty up to the time of his death.