lll)llrlOHS lo them Lhose I found at Calveslon were in a stale of ruin. The public stores al that place have been badly managed so says report, but there has been no official reporl made to me to that effect bul the officer now in charge does his duly & will no doubt do honor to the office. He was appointed in my absence but I highly approved of the appointment. J left two officers acting in my department, one lo take strict charge or all stores then afloat on the Bay, the other with orders lo see that the troops 011 the island under the command of Col. Morgan were promptly & pro- perly supplied & on my return l found them both absent. They have neither of them made a report lo me, but I presume they found the dutie::1 of the office loo laborious & have concluded to retire if so, it would have been their duly to inform me of the fact, in order that another might be ordered to the post. I have been much troubled to find suitable men in this country for this depart- ment the duties of the office being so laborious that most men prefer an easier birth. I shall hereafter endeavor to delale from the line such officers as are suitable for the duty. Should the enemy be marching against us again would it nol be advisable to have all the cannon, only such as are wanted for field service sent immediately to Galveston for the defense of that Post. ll is very important that all the heavy pieces should be there, if we suffer that post to be lost, our commerce with the United Stales will be cut off & we cannot maintain our war. I would recommend that the most urgent measures be taken to get all the surplus artillery to Galveston as soon as possible and if it is a fact that the enemy are remarching on us Lo have a supply of provisions sent by the way of Natchitoches to San Agustine or Nacogdoches for the purpose of enabling troops to march into the country. This is an jtem of high importance and ought not to be neglected, there has been much complaint from Volunteers passing that way. My Ast Qr Mr at San Augustine Cap. R. 8. Irvine has been vigilenl on the discharge of his duties & is an efficient officer but without the means or supplies he cannot pass troops, he has made due returns of his proceedings, also a requisition for the next quarter which I shall lay before your honor & which I shall em- brace in my Genl Requisition for the deparlmenl. I shall leave here tomorrow for the seat of Govt I shall forward by the St 131 Yellow Stone a quanlily of ammunilion also
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