Covington Guards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $125

Colonel B. Adams Light Guard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

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500

This act has been repealed and another substituted in lieu thereof, appropriating the sum of $9 to each member of a volunteer company that performs within twelve months nine days' military duty. Under this act of appropriation the following sums have been drawn, to wit:

Biloxi Rifle Guards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $370

Quitman Guards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Home Guards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324

Gainesville Volunteers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342

O'Connor Rifles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567

Irrepressible. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567

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2,404

I would recommend that a sufficient sum to supply the officers of volunteer companies with tactics be appropriated, and would suggest the purchase for this purpose of Gilham's Manual for Volunteers and Militia, a work recently published by authority of the State of Virginia, comprising the tactics for each arm of the service as compiled by officers of the infantry, artillery, and cavalry of the regular service.

The duties of quartermaster-general devolving upon this department, a passing notice relative to the business of the department is necessary. In the month of March last the old arms and accouterments (a pile of rubbish) in the arsenal were overhauled and examined, cleaned, and stored away for an emergency, but it is hoped that an emergency that would bring them into requisition may never arise. Should, however, such take place, then we might truly exclaim, with the Latin poet, that "Man is never conscious of the danger he has every moment to avoid. " A list of these arms and accouterments is on file in this office, but is unnecessary to be made in this report. The following is a list of the arms, &c., examined at the general overhauling that are in tolerable order and fit for use, viz:

Bayonet scabbards, 229, 75 of which were issued to the Enterprise Guards; cartridge-boxes, pistol and musket, 315; rifle pouch and flask belts, 214; waist belts, 56; saber belts, 106; saber knots, 107; gun slings, 199; dragoon shoulder belts, 276; holsters, 60; rifle pouches, 116; powder flasks, 88; flint-lock muskets, browned barrel, 160; flint-lock muskets, bright barrel, 72; sabers, 106. Most of the cartridge-boxes, sabers, belts, holsters, pouches, flasks, &c., have been distributed. The arsenal is in bad condition, the floor being worthless from dry rot, and the building totally insecure.

On the 6th of June closed a contract with the Armies Manufacturing Company, of Massachusetts, for 1,700 sets of accouterments, 500 of which have been received. On the 15th of December, in compliance with verbal instructions, proceeded to the Baton Rouge Arsenal to examine a lot of altered U. S. percussion muskets with a view to the purchase of 5,000 stand. The arms were examined and proved satisfactory, and on the 31st of December the final arrangements were closed in New Orleans between the United States Government and the State of Mississippi. These arms have all been received and are now stored, awaiting orders relative to their distribution.

The Secretary of War in November last addressed a communication to His Excellency relative to the distribution of a lot of books (Revised Instructions for Field Artillery), which were stored by the