pounder siege gun near Lebanon pike, one 100-pounder Parrott at water-works, and one 24-pounder siege on river bank. These isolated guns are mounted like the two before mentioned at Fort Morton, carriage of casemate gun without chassis.

At the capitol the magazine is a portion of the basement. The ammunition keeps well, though complaint has been made that it is too damp. Such is perhaps the case in summer rather than in winter. The magazines at Forts Morton and Houston are in good order. At each isolated gun there is a small magazine capable of holding about 100 rounds of ammunition. They are very indifferent, but so far the powder has kept pretty well by being taken out and aired as often as the weather would permit. There were from 80 to 100 rounds with each gun, and in one or two, ammunition belonging to other guns. I directed Captain White, chief of artillery, to leave 50 rounds per gun and send the balance to one of the large magazines. The men are generally very comfortable, some in tents and some in huts. A squad of about 10 men are with each isolated gun. The military appearance, police, and discipline very fair; drill, good; guard duty seemingly well performed.

Battery E, First Michigan, belongs to the artillery of the post. Battery drill, general appearance of the battery, care of guns and carriages, packing ammunition, &c., very good; camp not in first-rate order, and police horses not in good condition as they should be, having been at Nashville since August; no stable for animals. I told Captain White that he must see that Captain Ely had stables built, even if he had to get out the material with his men.

Captain White is a young, energetic officer; he also has charge of the Twentieth Indiana Battery, which is stationed, one section at Stockade No. 1, 6 miles from Nashville, one section at La Vergne, and one section at Stewart's Creek. This battery has two 6-pounder guns and four James rifles. Captain White reports this battery to be in first-rate condition. I did not inspect it.

Colonel James Barnett is at Nashville with six batteries of the reserve artillery. His men are comfortably hunted in a nice camp, and their stables were about half completed on the 31st December. The men got posts, rafters, &c., and timber, which they split into boards, from the woods. He had drawn no horses yet, he was waiting till the stables were finished. Four of his batteries had drawn their guns. Captain Stokes has four reserve batteries and three batteries belonging to the Eleventh Corps under his command; the latter are in good condition, horses in good order, and ready for the field if necessary. Captain Stokes had not yet established his camp for the winter. One of his reserve batteries had drawn guns and two of them had drawn horses. He expected to get lumber from the quartermaster in a few days to build his stables.

Captain Stokes has drawn no mules for his caissons yet, and does not like the idea of using them in the place of horses.

Colonel Barnett also very much dislikes to draw mules for his caissons, and while speaking upon the subject he called my attention to the fact that a great number of Government wagons in Nashville were drawn by fine horses, which would be excellent for the artillery, and at the time a Government wagon was passing drawn by as fine horses as I nearly ever saw, and while I was at Nashville I saw quite a number of Government wagons drawn by fine horses.