he had taken the guns from Leonards Ligineroz, a citizen of Chihuahua, who had brought them into the State because he would not suffer any private individual to be possessed of such material of war; that Ligineroz represented that he had got the guns in payment for hospital and other supplies for sick and dying Texans at Franklin; that they were anxious to get them at El Paso, as they were in fear of the rebel Texans taking that place. Young Ligineroz does business in El Paso.

The Governor assured me that the guns should never go again into the possession of any private persons, or out of his possession until delivered to the United States, if that were insisted upon. I requested that I might see the pieces, and accordingly the Governor sent Colonel Nieto and Major Quiltz to accompany me and show the guns. They are as follows: Two 12-pounder mountain howitzers, mounted; one 12-pounder mountain howitzer, dismounted. Those mounted are on old clumsy carriages; have been badly used, and were spiked, as was the dismounted, which latter is totally unserviceable, one trunnion being bent and the piece fractured near the trunnions, and two 6-pounder field pieces, brass, both dismounted; one is battered so much with a hammer as to dent and bend the piece near the muzzle; the other was also badly hammered and the knob of the cascabel is broken off. Both were spiked and both were burnt.

It is evident that the intent was to destroy or render unserviceable all the above pieces. They are more dangerous to their owner than to any enemy, in my opinion. I would recommend that the United States make a present of them to the State of Chihuahua. Governor Terrazas is a gentleman who would not hesitate to return them when demanded; but, like all men with advanced liberal human ideas in Mexico, he has to contend with a vicious, superstitious band of reactionists, who would plunge the world again back into the darkness and cruelty of the Middle Ages, and nothing would please this party in Chihuahua better than to see those unserviceable guns taken from the present excellent Governor. He is a fast friend of our Government, understands precisely the condition of his own unhappy country, and labors to infuse energy, industry, and a tone of good morals in his State. The time may come when he will be of great value to our country.

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

D. FERGUSSON,

Major First Cavalry, California Volunteers.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, February 26, 1863.

General M. C. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General, &c.:

GENERAL: Your letter referring to the statement of Colonel Shaffer, late quartermaster in this department, was delayed by the loss of the Ella Warley, and I received it only a day or two since. I regret to say that Colonel Shaffer's report is wholly incorrect. There are absolutely no horses to be had here. It would be utterly impossible to raise a thousand horses here, taking all the people have got. Mules are more plenty, but there are few of these, and not enough in the whole department to supply the number necessary for the cultivation of the soil, without which there must be a famine here.

I send you a report of Major Robinson, who sought horses for a