directed to take necessary measures to put the latter in hand at once. The books will be sent to Fort Monroe by first conveyance. Some further information is desired as to the armament for which these mantlets are intended. They were originally adopted for embrasures cut down into a parapet to suit guns mounted on ship truck carriages, which left a large opening to be covered over the gun. Now, in our siege batteries from the top of the 32-pounder, when in battery, to the crest of the parapet is only one foot nine inches to be covered by the mantlet, and with the siege 4 1/2-Inch ordnance gun, one foot four inches. This small space over the gun closed by rope gives but very little strength, in addition to which the rope is not musket or rifle proof at 200 yards. These considerations included me to send you at Yorktown in 1862 wood and boiler-iron mantlets, with a box of chisels to cut the iron to suit your guns. A part of these old ones have lately been found by Stewart at Suffolk and sent forward; that may suffice for some fifty or sixty guns, giving me time to learn your wishes in regard to others to be forwarded and to learn the size of the guns. If made of rope you cannot alter them to suit guns of different exterior diameters, but it made of wood and iron you can enlarge the opening at pleasure. The splinters from the wood and iron are objectionable produced by artillery. During such a fire they would probably be withdrawn and used to guard against infantry fire only. While the rope would not give splinters, yet at the same time would not be proof against the rifle musket-balls. Advise me from Old Point by telegram; say "rope" or "iron and wood" and I will understand you. Also give diameters of guns, exterior.

Very truly and respectfully, yours,

RICHD. DELAFIELD,

U. S. Corps of Engineers.

[First indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS U. S. ARMY, City Point, Va., June 19, 1864.

Will General Hunt the inclosed and give me his opinion as to the mantlets, saying whether "rope" or "iron and wood," and the other particulars required by General Delafield, and return them this evening?

Respectfully, &c.,
J. G. BARNARD,

Brigadier-General, &c.

[Second indorsement.]

JUNE 19, 1864.

Forty-six guns were ordered. Of these a part are 4 1/2-inch and a part 30-pounder Parrott. Colonel Abbot, at Bermuda Hundred, received them. The proportion not yet reported. Colonel Abbot has forty mantlets, seventeen of rope, ten double iron and wood, thirteen single iron and wood. He much prefers the rope. He has not probably experimented with them. It seems to me, however, that the rope mantlets could be made musket-proof by thickening them. Would it not be well to order enough to get a complete set of each for the guns. Should the siege train be increased, they would all come in play, or they could be used as needed with the number of guns ordered. I do not think it so necessary that the mantlets should fit accurately