supply on hand to what prudence would require me to keep. The supply of ammunition on hand for small-arms is quite limited, the only reserve ammunition being 149,000 cartridges, of which 16,000 are for the Enfield rifle, 118,000 for the musket, 5,000 for the rifle-musket, 1,000 for Hall's rifle, and 1,500 for the Mississippi rifle. The rest, about

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rounds per man, has been issued to the regiments.

I have about sixty days' rations on hand for 5,000 men, and will increase it as rapidly as possible to double that amount.

I hear of considerable quantities of forage and provisions within reach, and as soon as my disbursing officers can get funds will commence collecting them. What will not be required by my command can be shipped to other points. The different departments are greatly in arrears with the contractors and employes; consequently there is great dissatisfaction and distrust. But a just and systematic administration of affairs will soon restore confidence. I am therefore exceedingly anxious to have funds supplied as soon as possible on the estimates rendered by the quartermaster's and subsistence departments.

The following statement exhibits the condition of each of the different regiment, battalions, &c., stationed at this post.

Artillery Battalion.-Captain J. W. Stewart commanding. Guns, six 32-pounders, rifled, two 10-inch, two 8-inch, five 32-pounders; dress, very good; discipline, rather loose; drill, good; magazines, some not finished; in lower magazine, 246 10-inch, 64 8-inch, 1 box port-fires, 200 primers, 800 friction.

Captain Jones' company.-Deficient in clothing; officer sent for uniforms; no side-arms.

Twenty-first Louisiana Volunteers.-Colonel J. B. G. Kennedy commanding. Discipline, very good; instruction, good; military appearance, very good; arms, mixed and worthless; accouterments and clothing, good; 40 rounds ammunition per man.

First Confederate Battalion.-Major L. W. O'Bannon commanding. Arms, smooth-bore muskets, excepting Company D, which has Mississippi rifles; accouterments, arms, &c., in excellent order; clothing, good, but not uniform; camps, well policed; ammunition, 50 rounds per man.

Thirty-first Tennessee Regiment.-Colonel Bradford commanding. Arms, Enfield rifle; arms, accouterments, &c., in serviceable condition; ammunition, 40 to 50 rounds per man; men well and sufficiently clothed; camp police in bad order; discipline and instruction can be improved.

Light Battery.-Captain R. A. Stewart commanding. Guns, two 12-pounder bronzed howitzers, three 6-pounder guns, bronzed, one rifled Parrott gun; no battery wagon or forge; 88 horses, 12 mules; guns and carriages in splendid order; harness in good condition; horses in tolerable order, 6 lame; mules in fine order; ammunition, 52 spherical case, 11 grape, 127 canister, for 12-pounders; 117 spherical case, 158 canister, 130 solid, for 6-pounders; 167 canister, 120 solid, for Parrott gun; men well disciplined, but not well drilled; clothes, good.

Twelfth Louisiana Regiment.-Colonel Thomas M. Scott commanding. Discipline, good; drill, good; arms, mostly flint-locks, changed to percussion; 40 Enfield rifles are distributed among the companies; at least 50 double-barreled shot-guns in regiment; clothing, good; deficient in camp equipage; ammunition, 30 rounds per man.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNumbers B. VILLEPIGUE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.