the service of the United States from that section of the State. You will receive special instructions for your government from the Adjutant-General of the Army.

SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War.

[4.]

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF FLORIDA, Numbers 14.
Fort Pickens, July 12, 1861.

I. Captains Ingalls and Perry, assistant quartermasters, and Hartsuff, assistant adjutant-general, are relieved from duty at this post.

II. First Lieutenant Loomis L. Langdon will perform the duties of department and post quartermaster and department and post commissary of subsistence.

III. Second Lieutenant Francis W. Seeley will perform the duties of assistant adjutant-general.

By order of Colonel Brown:

GEO. L. HARTSUFF,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[1.]

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF FLORIDA, Numbers 15.
Fort Pickens, July 12, 1861.

First Lieutenant John W. Todd, Ordnance Corps, will relieve First Lieutenant George T. Balch, Ordnance Corps, in his duties as chief ordnance officer of the department. He will be obeyed and respected accordingly.

By order of Colonel Brown:

F. W. SEELEY,

Second Lieutenant, Fourth Art., and Actg. Asst. Adjt. General

[1.]

ORDNANCE OFFICE,

Washington, August 13, 1861.

Colonel E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Headquarters of the Army:

In relation to the telegram of Major-General Fremont, concerning the forwarding to him of heavy artillery from Alleghany Arsenal, I have the honor to report Major Symington telegraphed to this office July 29:

General Fremont orders eighteen 24-pounder and eighteen 32-pounder guns to be sent to Saint Louis by express, but not a word about carriages, &c. They are being prepared. Shall they be sent without carriages?

He was immediately answered by telegraph to send the guns with carriages. The delay for reference here appears to have been caused, not from any doubt about complying with the general's requisition, but in order that it might be filled in such measure as to have carriages with the guns, if wanted, and thus expedite their preparation for actual use. As regards issues from arsenals on direct requisitions, not through this office, it was found that such a procedure produced confusion and retarded operations. It stripped the arsenals of supplies essential for some points by previous requisitions, diverting them to others of less importance, and it prevented this Department from carrying out arrangements of the War Department or of Headquarters of the Army, inconsequence of it finding its orders for supplies could not be filled, bacame the articles supposed to be on hand at certain arsenals had