The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-09
The ordnancs-Dep.rtmsnt.

with the view OF presenting in a small
space, for the use of the general reader, an out
line of the duties devolved upon the various
branches of the public service, and of the man
ner in which they have been executed during
the past fiscal year, we have published from
time to time brief abstracts of some of the i'm
Portant documents accompanying the Messag,
of the President. Pursuing this design, which
we have good reason TO believe has met with
approval, we now take up the report of Colone
TALcorT, the able officer who presides ovel
the Department which we have designated a
the head of this article. The report is so sue
cinctly written that we shall have little to dc
further than 10 transcribe those portions of il
which are most likely TO be OF general interest
With regard To the financial condition of the
Department, we learn from the report that the
total amount of available funds during the year
including the balance unexpended July LIST
1919, the appropriations for 1850, and the re-
ceipts for damages to arms in the hands Of
troops, and from all other sources, is S., 026,-
69l 90. OF this sum, the amount expended is
81, ISIS, 1888 SO. The remainder, $685., 1858 o.
with the exception of small portion in the
hands of the disbursing officers, is still undrawn
in the treasury.
For the armament Of Notifications, the ex-
penditures during the year amount TO ST.
53l %. In prosecuting this branch of the
service, the Department has procured some
heavy sea-coast cannon, purchased timber for
the construction Of gun-carriages, and fabrica-
ted at the arsenals number of those carriages,
with their equipments. 1t has also kept in
order the ornaments Of the forts, furnished
regular supplies of ammunition, and sent to the
forts, on our coasts, twenty five heavy cannon,
in addition to those before supplied, of which
the greater portion were for posts on the Pa
cfic ocean.
Under the head of ordnance, ordnance stores,
and supplies, the work done has consisted of
the furnishing of supplies for the troops in ser
vice, and the alteration of flint-lock muskets to
percussion; the number of which thus altered
is one hundred and seventy-three thousand
eight hundred and ninety eight. The expend-
lures from the appropriation under this head
amount to $237 ,773 &C. One thousand of CoLT's
revolvers have been purchased, with the special
appropriation for that object, and as many more
ordered as the balance of the appropriation will
pay for. Arms and ammunition, amounting in
value to $2,S54 II, have been issued to emi-.
grants to California, Oregon, and New Mexico,
by authority of the resolution of Congress APP
proved March I'd, l849.
The expenditures at the national armories
have been, at Harper,s Ferry, $l95,35S 60 ];
at Springfield, $lS2,23l 10. The manufac-
lures at the former include $500 percussion
muskets, and 2,676 percussion rifles, with ap
pendages for the same. At the latter there
have been made 1855 percussion muskets,
and 1000 cavalry musketoons, with numerous
appendages The cost of the finished musket
at the Springfield armory was SO 05; at Har-
per's Ferry armory, $ll l6.
The regular acquisitions for the several
States and Territories, under the law for arm
ing and equipping the militia, have all been
complied with. The quota of each State and
Territory is annually apportioned from the re-
turns made by them to the Adjutant General
The expenditures under this head, during the
year, amount to $lol ,209 Is.
There has been no change during the year
in the permanent arsenals and ordnance depots.
depots have been established at San
Antonio, in Texas, and Santa Fe, in New
Mexico. Permanent arsenals are required in
the abovenamed State and Territory, the pro
per sites for which are at or near Austin and
Santa Fe. A site has been selected for an ar
senal in Oregon; but, although it is desirable
to have an arsenal in that Territory, and also in
California, the enormous expense Of labor and
in those places renders it not advisa-
bic to establish them at present.
All arms and other ordnance supplies not in
use are distributed among the various arsenals
for safe keeping. The officers in whose charge
they are placed are held responsible for, and
make returns of, them quarterly to this office.
Annual inventories are also furnished, exhibit
ing each article that has been received at any
of the arsenals during the year, and how OBJ
tained.' The inventories for the year ending
June 80, 1850, show the aggregate value of
the public property at all the arsenals to be
SlS ,060,S70 SO.
The average number of enlisted men during
the year has been 493, distributed in detach-
ments of suitable numbers at the different
arsenas. They are uniformed, equipped, and
instructed in military exercises, and perform du-
ties like the regular garrisons of other posts
When not on duty as soldiers, they are en-
ployed in their shops at such work as their
mechanical skill fits them to do. Besides the
enlisted men, hired mechanics are employed at
most of the arsenals for fabrcatons requiring
greater mechanical skill than is possessed by
the enlisted men.
The expenditures from the appropriation for
" arsenals" during the past year amount to
1856 so. The work done under this head
includes repairs and preservation of public
buildings, fences, &C., the erection of new and
additions to old buildings, and all improvements
of permanent character.
MIR. Carey's Letter.
IL Il Al =. Il a