WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 29, 1861.

Honorable WILLIAM A. HOWARD,

Chairman of the Select Committee, House of Representatives:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the th instant inclosing two resolutions of the House of Representatives directing your committee to inquire, among, D]d things, into certain facts connected with the seizure of the forts, arsenals, and other property of the United States, and the removal of arms from the arsenals and armories.

The information called for in the resolution offered by Mr. Leake respecting the recent removal of arms from the arsenals and armories is communicated in the accompanying report of the Chief of Ordnance, marked A.

In reply to the resolution offered by Mr. Howard I have the honor to state as follows, numbering my answers to correspond with the numbers of the paragraphs in the resolution:

1. The inclosed report of the Chief of Ordnance, marked B, with its accompaniments, and the copies of dispatches from Major Haskin, recently commanding at Baton Rouge Barracks, and from Captain Elzey, recently in information in possession of this Department relating to any demand for the surrender of any of the forts or arsenals or any communication having reference to such surrender.

2. There is no information on the records of this Department to show whether any officer of this Government "has at any time entered into any pledge, agreement, or understanding with any person or persons not to send re-enforcements to the forts of the United States in the harbor of Charleston."

3. The information desired by your committee as to "what demand for re-enforcement of the said forts has been made, and for what reason such re-enforcements have not been furnished," cannot, consistently with the public interests, be communicated at this time.

4. The fourth paragraph relates exclusively to matters under the direction of the Navy Department.

5. All the particulars touching the seizure of the arsenal in city of Charleston are contained in the report of the Chief of Ordnance above referred to, marked B.

6. The sixth paragraph relates exclusively to matters under the control of the Treasury Department.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. HOLT,

Secretary of War.

A.

ORDNANCE OFFICE, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., January 18, 1861.

Honorable JOSEPH HOLT,

Secretary of War:

SIR: In answer to a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 9th instant, as to "whether any of the arms of the United States at any of the arsenals or armories have recently been removed or ordered to be removed, and, if so, by whose orders, and for what reasons," I have the state that there have been no removals of arms since the 115,000 muskets and rifles which were ordered in January, 1860, from the armory