ORDNANCE OFFICE, TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT,

Selma, Ala., September 8, 1864.

Colonel J. GORGAS,

Chief of Ordnance, &c.:

COLONEL: Your letter of the 31st of August received, with blank weekly statements, &c.

You will please find inclosed my monthly statements, as required, as also a copy of a letter from me to Major-General Maury and to Brigadier General Wirt Adams, in reference to the seizure of Trans-MISSISSIPPI arms, and General Adams' reply, with accompanying orders, &c., all of which I send for your information. The arms ordered to me from Lynchburg on the 23rd of August arrived here to- day; but I greatly fear I shall never be able to get them safely through this department, as General Daniel Adams, now at this place, is already making an effort to get them from me, and you can judge of the disposition of the department commander from the papers herewith inclose. I am much obliged for your efforts to prevent interference, as also to the Secretary of War: but I am very sorry to know that the potency and virtue of orders from the Departments evaporate very much by the time they reach this distance from Richmond, particularly under the influence of military necessity. The best that can be done, I suppose, is to ask the Secretary of War to send instructions to General Taylor, who, I suppose, will have command of this department.

Very respectfully, &c.,

THOS. H. PRICE,

Major of Artillery, &c.

[First indorsement.]

ORDNANCE BUREAU,

Richmond, September 23, 1864.

Respectfully referred to the Secretary of War:

Under the circumstances herein described it will[be] impossible to supply arms to the Trans-MISSISSIPPI Department. The orders from the Secretary of War, and from this bureau, were plain and unmistakable - not to interfere unless in case of necessity. That the necessity did not exist is shown in the fact that 2,000 of these arms are now in store, subject to the general's order. This statement is made in self-justification; and it is asked that these papers be returned to this office.

J. GORGAS,

Colonel and Chief of Ordnance.

[Second Indorsement.]

SEPTEMBER 23, 1864.

ADJUTANT-GENERAL:

The taking of these arms by General Maury, when it was not, as the result has proved, necessary as to much the larger portion of them, and when it stopped their passage at a most favorable time across the river, is to be much deplored and is seriously reprehensible. Call General Maury's attention earnestly to this subject, and instruct that hereafter the arms in transit must not be interfered with without express orders from the Department, and then only in the contingency and to the extent authorized.

J. A. S.,

Secretary.