5

&c., did not reach me until late yesterday afternoon, and L
hasten to furnish you with the information desired.

After the passage of the Act referred to, you and myself had
a consultation and we determined to purchase the arms, &c.,
of the General Government, because we concluded by so doing
we could obtain better arms and at more reasonable prices
than if we should purchase of individuals or companies. Ac-
cordingly I addressed a letter to Col. A. K. Craig of the Ord-
nance Department. He replied under date of April 14th, 1860,:
that he had no authority to sell arms; that a bill was then
pending before Congress to give such authority, and that
when the same should become a law he would afford us every
facility. I herewith enclose you Col. Craig's letter marked
H. C. K. The bill much to our regret did not pass and we
were compelled to look elsewhere.

Accordingly we invited proposals for furnishing arms and
accoutrements from the most prominent manufacturers in the
United States. The proposals were received with samples of
the articles to be furnished. Not trusting to our own knowl-
edge we invited the assistance of Lieut. William T. Magru-
der a distinguished officer of the U. S. Army and other promi-
nent and competent military men. The samples were open-
ed in the Executive Department and fully and thoroughly
examined. We thereupon awarded the contract for furnishing
the muskets and revolvers to Eli Whitney of New Haven
Connecticut and the sabres to Ames Manufacturing Company,
Chicopee, Massachusetts.

There has been expended $64,415.05 of the appropriation,
leaving in the State Treasury a balance of $5,584.85, and the
proper vouchers for these expenditures are now on file in the
Executive Chamber.

We had no agent for the purchase of arms—H. C. Hicks,

Esq., was employed to procure samples &c., but the contracts

were made by you and myself.

The Infantry arms purchased by us were two thousand Ri-

fled Muskets of the Minnie patern, and one thousand Cavalry

Sabres and Revolvers with the necessary accoutrements, &c.

After we had contracted for the purchase of the arms, &c.,

upon consultation, we concluded that it would be better and

attended with less expense to the State to have them deposi-

ted in the city of Baltimore, and distributed from that place.
We were led to this conclusion in the first place on account
of the superior advantages and facilities afforded by steam-
boats and rail-roads for transporting them to their various
places of destination, and thus with as little delay as possible
granting the pressing demands of the Military companies for
arms from the various counties in the State ; and in the se-