Affairs "to inquire and report as to the present capacity of the national armory at Springfield, Mass., for the manufacture of arms; also what further expenditure, if any, is necessary for operating that armory to its utmost capacity."

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War.

[Inclosure.]

ORDNANCE OFFICE,

Washington, July 13, 1861.

Honorable SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: Under a standing regulation of the War Department prohibiting direct correspondence between committees of Congress and the heads of bureaus, I have the honor to send through you the following reply to a letter of Honorable F. P. Blair, jr., of the 10th instant, which is herewith inclosed:

The present capacity of the national armory at Springfield, Mass., is sufficient to turn out 3,000 rifled muskets per month. The further expedinture necessary and contemplated to be made for operating the armory to its fully capacity amounts to $532,000, which sum is embraced in the estimates recently submitted to Congress, and which it is considered necessary to have appropriated.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAS. W. RIPLEY,

Brevet Brigadier-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, July 13, 1861.

General RIPLEY,

Chief of Ordnance:

SIR: The Secretary of War, with the view of strengthening the Union men of Delaware, has directed me to ask the Ordnance Bureau to furnish, of the best available, 1,000 arms, to the order of the Honorable George P. Fisher, member of Congress from Delaware. The following is a description of said arms: 300 to be receipted for by Major General Henry Du Pont, Wilmington, Del.; 400 by Captain Jump, Homes Guards, Dover, Del.; 300 by Captain Marshall, Georgetown Home Guards, Delaware. You will much oblige by having the order for forwarding given as promptly as possible.

Yours, respectfully,

JAS. LESLEY, JR.,

Chief Clerk.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, July 13, 1861.

His Excellency Governor SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD,

Iowa City, Iowa:

SIR: Your letter of the 8th instant is received. This Department is entirely willing to accept for three years or for the war the nine companies of the First Regiment of Iowa Volunteers tendered in your letter, the remaining company to be recruited in order that the regiment may be composed of ten companies, as required by General Orders, No. 15.