E. D. R. S. Canby to Adjutant General, December 8, 1861

Santa Fé, N. Mex., December 8, 1861. ADJUTANT-GENERAL, `

Headquarters Army, Washington, D. O.:

XU CTE aae SES EGER”

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your instruc- — tions of November 9, and to report as follows:

stract A;* the number of volunteers that have already been received by the abstract B;* the number and position of all the troops in the department by the field return C.* ; Second. The regular troops are in excellent condition. They are well instructed and disciplined, zealous and loyal, and, except the want of officers and recruits to fill the companies, there are no defects of condition. The volunteer troops are improving slowly in discipline and

instruction. They are not efficient, and, in my judgment, cannot be –

made so in any reasonable period. They are deficient in self-reliance and military spirit, and their ignorance of the English language and want of capacity for instruction are serious obstacles to a rapid improvement. For Indian or partisan warfare, and in conjunetion with regular troops or volunteers of American origin, they, will make valuable auxiliaries, and their services in these respects are already of considerable importance. ; — Third. The regular troops have the most improved arms—the infantry the Springfield rifled musket, .58 caliber, and the cavalry the Harper’s Ferry rifle, Colt’s pistol (Navy), Sharp’s and Maynard’s carbines, and a few of Colt’s revolving rifles for experiment. The exact number

of arms in the hands of the troops cannot be stated until the ordnance –

returns are received, but it is slightly in excess of the number of the troops. The volunteers have arms of older models—the rifled musket, -69 caliber; Harper’s Ferry rifle, calibers .54 and 58; the cavalry musketoon, the carbine pistol, and a few companies the smooth-bore musket, .69 caliber. These arms are all in serviceable condition, but the troops are imperfectly equipped, as there is a great deficiency of all

classes of accouterments. The clothing of the regular troops is good,

and there is a sufficient, quantity for all their probable wants until the right period of receiving supplies. Clothing for two of the volunteer regiments has been received and distributed. It is reported to be in- Char. XI] CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.— UNION.

ferior in quality. For the two other regiments it is supposed to be in

trains that are now near Fort Union.

The supplies in the quartermaster’s department are in good condition and, if those that are now on the road are received, will be sufficient to meet the wants of the service until new supplies can be sent out in the spring. It will be necessary, however, to receive a portion of these supplies earlier than usual, and estimates for them will be . prepared and forwarded in season. There have been unavoidable

deficiencies in the means of transportation and in camp and garrison

equipage, but the first of them has been removed by the purchase of animals that have just reached the Territory, and the others will be

-by the arrival of trains that are expected daily. The supplies in the subsistence department are in good condition, and sufficient to last the force now in the department, and contemplated by the instructions of the Secretary of War, until June 30, 1862. Should any deficiencies be anticipated, they will be provided for by seasonable estimates. The inclosed statement (E)* shows the quantity in rations on hand at the posts and depots in the department on the 15th of last month. Contracts have been made for corresponding quantities of the articles that are produced in this country. The supplies of ordnance stores are very deficient. The annual supply for this department was stopped at Fort Leavenworth. This fact was not known here until August 24, and on : the 22d ultimo, in reply to a renewed application, information was received that it was impossible to send at present the ordnance stores called for. The deficiency of ammunition is being supplied, as far as practicable, from the materials that can be procured in this country. The inclosed statement (F)* will exhibit the number of arms and the quantity of ammunition in depot.

The Confederate force in the Mesilla Valley is about 800 men of their regular troops and from 200 to 400 men organized from the floating population of the Mesilla. These troops are well armed and cavalry well mounted, but they are indifferently clothed and subsisted. They have fifteen pieces of artillery, of which two are said to be heavy—probably 18-pounders—four mountain howitzers, and the rem ainder field pieces, 6-pounder guns, and 12-pounder howitzers. They have fallen back from their advanced position at Robledo, and are now at or near Mesilla. The resources of the country for supplying an army are limited almost exclusively to articles of forage and subsistence. Of the first, the supply in ordinary seasons may be equal to the support of 5,000 animals, in addition to those of the country.

The horses and mules of the Territory are generally too light for cavalry or draught, and those purchased here for the use of the Army are generally brought from the East. Of subsistence, the articles that can be procured here are beef, flour, beans, and an inferior quality of salt. The cost of the first will be greater than if the cattle are purchased in the Western States and driven out. The quantity of flour that can be procured will not exceed three or three and a half millions of pounds in ordinary seasons. All the beans and salt that may be needed can be Very great embarrassments have frequently been experienced in this department from the want of coin to meet the necessities of disbursing officers, and to obviate this difficulty I have heretofore suggested that arrangements be made to send it out at frequent intervals and in small amounts by the express companies, instead of, as heretofore, but once

*Not found, in each year, and in larger amounts. In this last ease it falls into the hands of the Mexican capitalists and is exported.

In addition to what has been stated in relation to the volunteers, it is proper to say that it will be very difficult, if not impracticable, to raise the entire force authorized for this department, and I do not think it desirable that it should be done. If it is practicable, send one or two regiments of volunteers from the Hast to replace the regular troops when they are withdrawn. The New Mexican volunteers, without the support of regular troops or of volunteers drawn from some other seetion of the country, cannot be relied on to resist an invasion of the country, if one is attempted.

Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,