Journal

ORDNANCE AND ORDNANCE STORES.

IRON.

10 Six pounders.

| Pounders.
Pounders.
Pounders.
Pounders.

| Pounders.
{ Pounders,
Pounders.
Inch howitzers.

| Inch howitzers.

15 Sponges and Rammers.
10 Ladles and Worms.

10| Bricoles and Drag Ropes.
12 Trail Handspikes.

3 Lead Aprons.

Ammunition Boxes.

ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, Rutland, 1st day of October, 4. D. 1841,

F. W. HOPKINS, Adj. General of the Militia of the

State of Vermont.

QUARTER MASTER GENERAL'S REPORT.

QUARTER-MASTER GENERAL'S OFFICE,

MONTPELIER, Oct. 22, 1841.

Sir: In compliance with the duty enjoined on the Quarter-Master Genéral by an act passed Nov. 1, 1837, I herewith submit to you, a return of the ordnance, apparatus, arms, and other military property of the state in my possession; also of the ordnance, apparatus, arms and other military property distributed to each brigade in the militia. I have likewise prepared from the regimental returns, (so far as returns from them have been received,) an abstract of the receipts and disbursements on each, which is also submitted.

The military property in my possession is all in good order, and is deposited in the United States Arsenal at Vergennes.

I find, on an examination and comparison of the several regimental returns for the past and present years, that regiments numbered 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 23, 25, and 27, are correct, or at least have no material er rors, while those of the remaining ones are, more or less, defective; several of them so much so, that I think it unsafe to place any reliance on their accuracy. Some of the most important of these defects I have noted and appended to my abstract of returns herewith presented, an examination of which will enable you to discover that much of the public property and funds remain unaccounted for, and that some has been, and considerable may have been, appropriated to objects not warranted by the law. In order to secure for the future a more strict accountability on the part of those military officers entrusted with the public property and the funds of the State, (an object desired by none more than by the officers themselves,) I am persuaded further legislation is necessary, and I would respectfully suggest for your consideration, whether it would not be expedient to provide,

1st. That each adjutant of the several regiments, shall, annually, on the 1st day of make a return to the Quarter-Master General of all the public military property that was in possession of his regiment on the first day of the preceding month of The correctness of the return to be verified by the field officers. 2d. That each regimental Quarter-Master shall, annually, on the 1st day of make a return to the Quarter-Master General of all the funds received and disbursed by his regiment the preceding year, particularly specifying in said return, how the funds accrued, whether from the State, or from fines or otherwise, also the amount of executions uncollected. That he shall state how much was paid for drills, (the mode of procuring the means from the State to pay for them to be as now provided.) For the expenses of court-martial, he shall be required to state the number of days spent by each officer and witness-the number of miles travel, and the amount paid each. Also the amount paid for musical instruments, specifying the articles bought, and the cost of each article.

3d. That the Quarter-Master General shall provide a book in which all the foregoing returns shall be recorded, and shall also be empowered to

enforce, if need be, on the returning officers, a performance of their several duties.

These are the material provisions that have occurred to me as being necessary to secure a strict accountability for the money and property of the State. In case these or similar measures shall be adopted, some of the present laws should of course be repealed.

Since the passage of the law for reorganizing the militia, I have delivered to the colonels of twenty regiments. 1391 muskets, and to the colonels of twenty regiments 1479 rifles.

The late period when the returns came to my hands, I offer as an apology for not making you this communication at an earlier date.

I am, sir, with the greatest respect,

Your most obedient servant,
DAVIS RICH,

Quarter-Master General of the Militia of Vermont.

To his Excellency, C. PAINE,

Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

ABSTRACT of annual returns of the public property in the several

brigades of the militia of Vermont, for the

year

1840.