shells; 300 match primers; 83 rounds fixed ammunition (24-pounder howitzer); 1 box percussion wafers; 150 port-fires; 98 rounds 6-pounder shot; 1,000 rounds 6-pounder shot, from Elizabeth City, N. C.; 250 pounds of powder; 315 stand grape (32-pounder); 2,000 friction primers; 150 primers; 150 junk wads; 400 grommet wads; 98 canister (A powder); 38 spherical-case shot; [and] 10 slow matches.

Ammunition for small-arms - 52.159 ball-cartridges for percussion; 3,320 balls; 16,578 ball-cartridges for percussion (issued one hundred and fifty pounds of lead); 17,183 ball-cartridges for flint and steel; [and] 55,000 percussion caps.

Quantity of provisions on hand. - 13,682 pounds of bacon and pork; 3,420 pounds of beef; 20 barrels of beef; 2,158 pounds of hard bread; 598 pounds of lard; 265 barrels of flour; 3,362 pounds of rice; 649 pounds of coffee; 10,554 pounds of meal; 54 1/2 bushels of pease and beans; 3,082 pounds of sugar; 460 gallons of vinegar; 1,570 pounds of candles; 1,348 pounds of soap; 12 1/2 bushels of salt; 1 barrel of fish, 58 gallons of whisky; [and] 5 boxes of yeast powder.

Aggregate number of entire command......................... 1,822

Four cooks allowed to each company......................... 92

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Total to be subsisted.......................................1,914

Effective force, officers included, absent and sick being

deducted....................................................1,435

A call has been made for 250 free negroes, for service in the engineer's department. These will have to be subsisted, as will also the gang of 8 men on the pile-driver.

Horses, mules, and oxen in charge of quartermaster's department.- 9 officers' horses, 6 yoke of oxen (hired by quartermaster), 2 pairs of mules (of Eighth and Thirty-first Regiments, property of Government).

The mules and oxen are used for general purposes of land transportation.

Amount of forage on hand.- 725 pounds of fodder; 2 1/2 bushels of corn; 1 1/2 bushels of oats.

Orders have been given for the construction of a magazine. No regular ordnance officer has been appointed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. M. SHAW,

Colonel, Commanding, &c.

On January 8 also I addressed the following orders to Lieutenant Selden and to Colonel Shaw:

STEAMER SEA BIRD, January 8, 1862.

WILLIAM B. SELDEN,

First-Lieutenant, Artillery, on Engineer Duty, &c.:

SIR: You will commence piling from Pork Point, on the eastern shore of the channel of Croatan Sound, passing that point to the western edge of that channel or Fulker's Shoal. Place the piles 8 feet apart; wedge with poles 24 feet, alternating from pile to pile or wattling the piles therewith, and then above the pols wattling in the chain the reverse of the poles, thus:*

* * * * * *

Please see Colonel Shaw and call for all his available force in assisting at the piling.

Very respectfully,

HENRY A. WISE,

Brigadier-General.

ROANOKE ISLAND, N. C., January 8, 1862.

Colonel SHAW, Commanding, &c.:

SIR: Lieutenant Selden will call for all your available force to assist in piling the Croatan Channels, which you will order, reserving whatever force may be necessary for equally necessary work - of which must judge - such as mounting guns, building quarters, &c. You will reserve force enough especially for building wharf. Mr. Selden reports the want of civil laborers. You will please address the Governor of North Carolina on the subject of procuring free black laborers under the laws of the State, and you will take the necessary steps to obtain about 250 common laborers on the works of this island.

Respectfully,

HENRY A. WISE,

Brigadier-General.

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*Diagram omitted.

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