Today in History:

1059 Series I Volume XLI-II Serial 84 - Price's Missouri Expedition Part II

Page 1059 Chapter LIII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.- CONFEDERATE.

ORDNANCE BUREAU,

Richmond, September 24, 1864.

Respectfully submitted to the honorable Secretary of War, through the Adjutant and Inspector General, in response to call for his information for His Excellency the President.

In addition to the arms enumerated herein there were 5,000 arms lost crossing the Mississippi River in the summer of 1863, and there have been sent via Havana upward of 6,000 arms to Texas, making an aggregate of 50,000 arms sent to the Trans-Mississippi Department; 46 pieces of field artillery, heavy and light; 18,000 sets of infantry accouterments; 2,225,000 small-arm ammunition, and over 3,000,000 percussion caps. Of the small-arms three-fourths of those carried over went into Arkansas, and nearly all the artillery. On the other hand, the machinery brought from Little Rock Arsenal cannot be stated definitely now (owing to the removal of papers), but it was unimportant. As to the arms brought from Arkansas none were received, save those in the hands of troops, most of whom were rearmed on this side the Mississippi, and the crude arms with which they were supplied are now in store at Montgomery.

J. GORGAS,

Colonel and Chief of Ordnance.

[AUGUST 11, 1864.- For Smith to Taylor and Smith to Walker, relating to movement of troops across the Mississippi, &c., see Part I, pp. 103, 104.]


HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT,
Shreveport, August 11, 1864.

Major T. G. Rhett,

Chief of Ordnance, Trans-Mississippi Department:

MAJOR: The general commanding district that you will send to Major-General Price from the arms on hand 360 Enfield rifles and bayonets, 20 Mississippi rifles, 20 Springfield rifles, 640 smooth-bore muskets, 22 rifles muskets, 1,062 stand in all. You will send per Saint Crispin to-day to Alexandria 509 Enfield rifles and bayonets for General Thomas' brigade. The rifles for the signal corps you will also send by the Saint Crispin.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. R. BOGGS,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff.

SHREVEPORT, August 11, 1864.

Major-General MAGRUDER,

Houston:

General Hebert will have to relieve you from the command of District of Texas. There is a surplus of officers in Arkansas. After your arrival there you will be better able to tell if there is a command for General Hebert.

By command of General E. Kirby Smith:

W. R. BOGGS,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff.


Page 1059 Chapter LIII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.- CONFEDERATE.