and shops therein; more especially to develop home resources. He was entirely satisfied with the system set forth in general orders above given, and addressed a letter to the major-general commanding thereon, through Major Bloomfield, requesting that the sub-district depots be at Tyler, Smith County, for the Northern Sub-District; at San Antonio for the Western, and at Houston for the Eastern. He also requested the major-general commanding to issue a stringent order that no officer or agent should purchase clothing or equipage or material thereof in any of the sub-districts without first submitting the transaction to the clothing and equipage officer in charge of the depot, for his approval-this to prevent competition and the interference of outside agents with the sub-district clothing quartermaster.

The major-general commanding returned this communication through Major Bloomfield to me, approved, and with directions to carry out Major Haynes' wishes to the letter, especially in regard to the "purchases" order.

I at once sent instructions on this and other matters (as reports of stock, of purchases, fabrications, issues, transfers, estimates, &c.) to Captain [J. C.] Kirby, assistant quartermaster at Tyler, and Captain [William] Prescott, assistant quartermaster at San Antonio; also sending copies of the major-general's orders and other necessary information to General Bee Bankhead, so that they would be aware of the organizations entered upon, and the officers in charge in their respective sub-districts.

From General Bee I received a reply, being a special order announcing Captain Prescott as clothing and equipage quartermaster for the Western Sub-District, directing all quartermasters in the sub-district to report to Captain Prescott in such matters, and especially enforcing the order concerning "purchases."

I retained immediate control of the Houston depot until the 1st September last, when I turned it over to Captain W. J. Mills, assistant quartermaster, who is managing to my satisfaction. I supervise it, however, constantly, as being the most important depot of clothing and equipage in the State.

The organization, then, is as follows:

Eastern Sub-District.-Principal depot at Houston, under Captain W. J. Mills, assistant quartermaster, with shoe, tailor, tent, tin, and carpenter shops. Branch depot at Austin, under Captain [James P.] McKinney, post quartermaster; his chief business is to make shoes.

Northern Sub-District.-Principal depot at Tyler, Smith County, under Captain Kirby, post quartermaster. He is principally occupied in making shoes.

Western Sub-District.-Principal depot at San Antonio, Bexar County, under Captain Prescott, post quartermaster, and now assisted by Lieutenant Bell, acting assistant quartermaster.

I have not yet received definite information concerning the manufacturing capacity of the San Antonio depot, as Captain Prescott has but just relieved Captain [E. P.] Gaines, assistant quartermaster.

There would appear to be two or three smaller depots in the Western Sub-District, judging by Major Russell's depot to Major Bloomfield of localities therein to which he has forwarded some of the clothing he has received from the Sir William Peel and other sources, at Brownsville, at Corpus Christi, Goliad, &c., and Captain Prescott does not seem to be aware of this. The question arises whether Captain Prescott ought not to have complete control, under my directions, of the movements of stores appertaining to his department; and yet, as Major