currency. I have submitted in illustration of this fact a statement showing the highest and lowest prices paid from the beginning to the end of the war. It will be observed that the prices of many important articles have more than doubled, and in some instances they have even quadrupled their former value.

The complaints received from the armies as to the inferior quality of clothing and equipage have been veryconfined to articles of equipage, especially knapsacks and haversacks, which, being manufactured from pained cloth, are from their nature subject to great deterioration, particularly when packed together, as they necessarily must be for transportation and economy of storage. It is generally conceded that the supplies have been of the most serviceable quality, and furnished in plentiful quantities.

The tabular statements submitted herewith do not include the purchases made by State authorities, the accounts for which have generally been settled by the Treasury Department under act of Congress, and from appropriation therefor not estimated for by this department.

They will give, however, in condensed form, full information as to the operations of the division of clothing and equipage during the last fiscal year, as well as interesting information concerning its operations during the last four years of war.

Respectfully submitted.

ALEX. J. PERRY,

Colonel, Quartermaster, in Charge Second Division.

Numbers 5. Monthly statement of clothing reported on hand at the various clothing depots for June 30, 1864.*

Numbers 6. Monthly statement of camp and garrison equipage reported on hand at the various clothing depots for June 30, 1864.

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*Omitted. This statement and Numbers 6 (following) are printed in Vol. IV, this series, pp. 907-912.

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