He will not have 10,000 men for a demonstration by land upon any of the Gulf cities.

2nd. Bowling Green has been turned by the Cumberland River, as I predicted, in the plan which I submitted to you early in October, although at that time they had no such men there as Buell and Halleck to command such an operation.

3rd. I transmitted to you in January a letter of Captain Buchel in reference to a draft that he had drawn in Texas for supplies to subsist troops, and asked your instructions. Since then the draft was represented, and I paid it in specie out of the funds in my hands. Had it been protested, our troops on the Rio Grande could not have received provisions. I hope it meets your approval.

4th. The river defense expedition is progressing favorably, but considerable dissatisfaction has been expressed here at some of the appointments made by Montgomery and Townsend. The matter will be put before you by some citizens of this place. I have disbursed about half of the $300,000 placed to my credit on that appropriation, and large amounts are due. I trust that there will be no delay from want of funds to keep the works from being driven forward with all dispatch. Time is an important element at this juncture.

5th. In view of the constant demands from all points upon me for munitions, repairs of arms, &c., and the defenseless condition of our workshops and machinery at Nashville and Baton Rouge, I ordered preparations at the new Marine Hospital to be made for carrying on all such operations on a considerable scale, and directed an estimate for funds to be made by Captain Lambert, which was returned by Colonel Gorgas, with the remark that he did not contemplate having a laboratory here. The necessities of the public service, in my judgment, demand all and much more than I have done to keep pace with the requisitions daily made. I have fifteen gunsmiths at work putting in order the old weapons of all kinds collected from the country, and am preparing ammunition and implements for artillery, which I cannot get elsewhere; indeed, I have furnished Generals Johnston and Polk with large supplies, and hope that nothing will be permitted to interfere with operations so necessary to our salvation . If I cannot get the funds from Richmond I must throw myself upon the generosity of the people of the city. The work must go on unless your order it to be suspended. Knowing the immense pressure upon your time, and trusting that you had confidence in my judgment, I have assumed a good deal of responsibility and gone on with matters which I conceived to be important for the public good without referring every trifle to you for consideration. If you wish me to pursue a different course please indicated your view. Whatever has been done has been upon principals of a sound and wise economy, and has thus far produced beneficial results.

6th. The Tennessee has been unable as yet to get out of the river. Magnolia, Florida, Whitemore, and Vanderbilt got to sea last week, but one of them (supposed to be the Magnolia) has been captured and taken to Ship Island. The powder by the Victoria turns out to be musket powder, although it seems to be of good quality. That by the Miramon, which came in at the Caillou, has not yet reached the city. As soon as I work over 20,000 pounds of the Vanderbilt powder I will dispatch it to Richmond, as ordered by you in a telegram.

7th. Some of the parties who met with heavy losses on the Calhoun, J. L. Day, and Magnolia, owned several of the boats seized by us for Montgomery's fleet, and are very anxious, in their straitened circumstances, to be paid for the vessels that the work. Can funds be placed

53 R R-VOL VI