field is about eighty to ninety rounds to the man. The most obstinate and protracted battles, such as Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, exhibit an expenditure of about twenty-five rounds per man for the former battle, and about thirty rounds per man for the latter.

The quantity of small-arm ammunition on hand at the several arsenals and depots shows an aggregate of 5,376,034 small-arm cartridges on the 12th of November. There are 50,480 rounds of siege and sea-coast projectiles, and 133,962 rounds of field-artillery ammunition on hand same date. No uneasiness is felt on this head, provided the supply of powder (dependent on saltpeter) is kept up. As to the means of keeping up the supply of saltpeter and the data in reference to production and importation, I beg leave to refer you to the Niter and Minning Bureau.

LEAD.

The supply of lead is derived from importation and the Wytheville lead miles. The other mines are insignificant, though the whole mineral region has been explored. Should Willmington be closed and the Wytheville mines captured the Army could not be supplied with ammunition on the present scale; though the Bureau would not even then despair of opening avenues of supply for a reduced scale of operations.

OTHER SUPPLIES.

Copper, steel, &c.: These articles must be obtained chiefly from abroad, and the stock on hand is very small. The Bureau is constantly making substitutes of iron in every possible way to diminish the consumption and eke out the supply.

Leather must be imported to some extent by this Bureau, as it has yielded its claim on hides obtained from the Army to the Quartermaster's Department, in order that the soldiers may be shod. While the supply is scant, there is no absolute deficiency of material. There is, however, a deficiency of accouterments very damaging to ammunition, because workmen were taken from their benches to fill the trenches about Richmond, and are in part still detained there. The chief detriment the operations of the Bureau have had has arisen from interference with its workmen for military purposes.

J. GORGAS,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Ordnance.

Statement of funds expended and required for the support of the conscript service to 31st day of December, 1864.

States. Amount Balance on Amount Total amount.

drawn. hand. required.

Bureau. $58,730. . . . . . . . . . . . $58,730. 00

. . 00 . . . .

Virginia 350,000. $146,888. $30,000. 233,111. 19

. . . 00 81 00

Noth 134,829. . . . . . . 39,394. 174,224. 05

Carolina 52 . 53

. . .

South 127,288. . . . . . . 50,000. 177,288. 21

Carolina 00 00

. . .

Florida. 118,144. . . . . . . . . . . . 118,144. 00

. . 00 . . . . .

Lousiana 27,700. . . . . . . . . . . . 27,700. 00

. . . 00 . . . . . .

Mississi 203,590. . . . . . . 42,000. 245,590. 00

ppi. . . 00 . 00

Georgia. 256,000. . . . . . . . . . . . 256,590. 00

. . 00 . . . .

Alabama. 420,000. . . . . . . 118,000. 538,000. 00

. . 00 00

Tennesse 87,384. . . . . . . 11,644. 99,028. 00

e and 00 00

East

Kentucky

. . .

Total. . 1,783,665. 146,888. 81 291,083. 1,927,815. 45

. 73 53

GEO. F. MAYNARD,

Major and Quartermaster.