to the above views, so that he may commence the expedition with the least practicable delay.*

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector-General.

CHATTANOOGA, March 17, 1863.

Brigadier-General JACKSON, Commanding, &c., Atlanta:

GENERAL: I regret that a blunder of the operator at Montgomery gave you useless trouble. My dispatch was written on Saturday evening, and so dated; it must have been transmitted on the following morning without the corresponding change in the expression of my time of arrival at Atlanta. The train which left Montgomery on Sunday morning ran off the track, however, and was in that way delayed twelve hours, so that you could not have found me, even had the telegraph operator made no mistake.

Will you oblige me by ascertaining if the rate at which arms can be furnished to General Bragg's army might be increased by sending some of those to be repaired to Montgomery? What number of arms for repair has Major [M. H.] Wright? Is he receiving damaged muskets or rifles; if so, at what rate?

We require some 1,600 rifles for cavalry near Pollard; but muskets will serve if no rifles are to be had.

Most respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. E. JOHNSTON,

General.

CONFEDERATE STATES ARSENAL, Atlanta, Ga., March 18, 1863.

Lieutenant S. A. MORENO,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

SIR: In answer to the inquiries made in General Johnston's letter of 17th instant, to the brigadier-general commanding district, I would respectfully state, for his information, that I have on hand here about 2,071 flint muskets, 2,086 per[cussion] muskets, 123 rifle muskets, assorted, and, 1,217 assorted arms, shot-guns, sporting rifles, old muskets, &c., in bad condition.

I received yesterday 168 damaged arms from army in Tennessee, muskets chiefly. I am prepared to put in order from 500 to 600 per week. I forwarded yesterday 720 to General Bragg, with equipments complete.

I know nothing of the facilities of the arsenal at Montgomery.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

M. H. WRIGHT,

Major, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE, Winchester, Tenn., March 18, 1863.

Colonel B. S. EWELL,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Chattanooga:

SIR: I have just received a copy of a communication to you from Major Banks, assistant adjutant-general, on the subject of subsisting

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*See Donelson to Johnston, April 1, 1863, p. 735.

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