ment, whom I detain for the present, wishing to effect an exchange for Lieutenant Harris, of my artillery, taken prisoner near Nashville some four weeks since.

I have the honor to be, sir, with the highest respect, your most obedient servant.

For Brigadier-General Morgan:

G. ST. LEGER GRENFELL,

Colonel and Adjutant-General.

ORDNANCE OFFICE, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, D. C. December 1, 1862

Lieutenant T. EDSON,

Hdqrs. Department of the Cumberland, Nashville, Tenn.:

SIR: Your letter of the 23rd ultimo, in relation to General Rosecrans' desire to obtain some light guns,of about the weight of the mountain howitzer, and designed for the same kind of service, is received. This department is not authorized to procure of issue any artillery other than that of the regular patterns adopted for the land service. The reasons and necessity for this are stated in the inclosed copies of letter, dated August 27 and September 11, 1862, to the Headquarters of the Army, in accordance with which Brigadier-General Barry has been appointed and instructed as acting inspector of artillery. Mountain howitzers, suitable for the kind of service as mentioned in your letter, for which General Rosecrans requires light pieces, and which are known to be reliable and effective for that kind of service, will be supplied on requisition.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAS. W. RIPPLEY,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Ordnance.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

ORDNANCE OFFICE, WAR DEPARTMENT

Washington, August 27, 1862.

Colonel J. C. KELTON,

Chief of Staff, Headquarters of the Army:

SIR: The frequent requisitions for varieties of ammunition and other ordnance supplies for guns of special patterns induce me to call the attention of the General-in-Chief to the evils, heretofore noticed and protested against by me, which have resulted from the introduction into the military service of new inventions without a previous subjection to the tests and examinations prescribed by army regulations, and essential to the ascertainment of their merits or fitness for use as military weapons. These evils have been going on and increasing until we have now not less than six hundred different kinds of cannon ammunition requisite to meet calls for supplying the various kinds of cannon in military use, notwithstanding the obvious propriety of uniformity, as far as practicable,in this respect and the efforts which this department has made to obtain and secure it. Many of these guns are of a description requiring a special kind of ammunition and other supplies; in some cases a monopoly of manufacture, secured by patents, and in others, it is believed, purposely so made as to force a resort to certain manufactures for such supplies. It is manifest that delay in furnishing, and confusion in using, such supplies must occur, to the serious injury of the service.