In connection with the subject, and under a sense of public duty, I again fell constrained to call attention to the waste of powder at Charleston.

Notwithstanding your letter of the 1st of September, in which, under direction of the President, you called the attention of General Beauregard to this subject in the most pointed manner, and a letter of the 7th ultimo, which I had the honor to write, urging the necessity of abstaining from unnecessary firing and of economizing ammunition, the Charleston Mercury reports that salutes of twenty-one guns were fired from each battery on the announcement of General Bragg's recent victory.

This was after General Beauregard had acknowledged the receipt of the letters, and said that every economy should be practiced.

As to the consumption of munitions of war, which is the main point under discussion, I have only to say that if permitted to go on at the rate of the last three months, the supply of powder must necessarily fail. The loss and consumption have bene about 200,000 pounds since the 1st of July, as follows:

Pounds.

Cartridges for 13,000 projectiles fired.................... 128,000

Charges for, say, 7,000 shells............................. 22,000

Loss on Morris Island...................................... 40,000

Waste...................................................... 10,000

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Total...................................................... 200,000

And the quantity on hand there now is placed at 150,000 pounds.

The stock of saltpeter and powder is not such as to admit of further material supply to Charleston without hazarding too much the supply of the army in the field.

Under these circumstances, the waste of ammunition at Charleston-and it appears to me that firing which, as in this case, produces no effect is simply waste-is a grave error, and surely the firing of salutes is wholly indefensible.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. GORGAS,

Colonel, and Chief of Ordnance.

CHICKAMAUGA, October 3, 1863.

General BEAUREGARD:

Can you spare Anderson's brigade for a short time?

JAMES LONGSTREET.

ON BOARD STEAMER MUNNERLYN,

October 3, 1863.

Colonel MAGILL:

SIR: The citizens of Aplachicola are unwilling to believe that it is the determined purpose of the officers of this Government to force the truly loyal citizens of the place to a state of starvation, by cutting off all the channels of obtaining food for their necessary supplies from the up-river country; and yet, from information recently obtained on our way up the river, this would seem to be so, for we were told by an officer that he was ordered to fill up and obstruct