[Inclosure Numbers 2.]

ASSISTANT QUARTERMASTER'S OFFICE,

Memphis, January 21, 1864.

Major General WILLIAM T. SHERMAN,

Commanding Department of the Tennessee, Memphis, ten.:

GENERAL: In reply to your inquiry of this morning, whether supplies destined for the army operating under Major-General Banks had ever been taken possession of or detained at this port, I have the honor to report that since the 13th day of July, 1863, I have had charge of the transportation from this port; that since then every facility has been afforded transports arriving here from above and destined for New Orleans with public property; that I am not aware of a single instance where such supplies have been diverted or a boat detained; that supplies have been forwarded from this depot to meet the demands of the army in the Department of the Gulf, as follows, when the Army of the Tennessee were in need of same:

July 28, 1863, per steamer Continental, 3,932 bales (1,413,460 pounds) hay and 120,000 pounds oats; October 3, 1863, per steamer Home and barges, 3,562 (1,127,735 pounds) hay; December 21, 1863, per steamer Porter and barges, 50, 613 bushels coal.

In consequence of the coal having been forward from here, I have not a single bushel for issue to-day, nor has there been any at the depot for about one week.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. V. LEWIS,

Captain, and Assistant Quartermaster.

[Inclosure Numbers 3.]

HDQRS. 17TH ARMY CORPS, DEPOT. OF THE TENNESSEE,
Vicksburg, January 18, 1864.

Major General J. B. McPHERSON,

Commanding District of Northern Mississippi, Vicksburg, Miss.:

GENERAL: In respect to the amount of subsistence forwarded from the depot of this command, I have the honor to inclose herewith a letter from Captain J. B. Gilpin, commissary of subsistence, which will explain the reason why a more detailed statement is impracticable at the present day.

The shipments mentioned by him were made by my order, and were intended to amount to 2,000 barrels of pork and 1,000,000 pounds of pilot bread. The order was given at the request of Colonel T. J. Haines, chief commissary of subsistence at Saint Lois, Mo.

In conformity with what I knew to be your intentions, I have been careful to extend all facilities within my control to the command of the Department of the Gulf.

During the months of October and November last we were insufficiently supplied with fresh beef, and frequently were without any in the hand of the contractors, owing to the necessity of using all available transportation for the supply of other posts. For weeks at a time we were obliged to forage for our supplies in an almost exhausted section of country; yet during this time, and frequently, large cargoes of cattle passed by this post en route for the Department of the Gulf. Though I frequently was urged to detain here at least sufficient for the supply of our hospitals, I was so fully satisfied that you would not