with the interests of the service, to limit the cruise of vessels-of-war to two years.

5th. The sloop-of-war Marion is at Portsmouth, N. H., and has been particularly mentioned in a previous part of this communication.

6th. After the department learned of the interception, at Mobile, of its telegraphic despatch to the Crusader at Pensacola, a written communication reiterating the orders was sent by a special messenger. Nothing further was done, the department having no control over the telegraph.

7th. A telegraph despatch, of which the following is a copy, is the only official information in the possession of the department concerning the surrender of the navy yard at Pensacola, viz:

"Dated, Pensacola, January 12, 1861; received, Washington, January 13, 1861, 8 o'clock p. m.

"Commissioners appointed by the governor of Florida, with a regiment of armed men at the gate, demanded the surrender of this navy yard, having previously taken possession of the magazines. I surrendered the place, and struck my flag at half-past one o'clock p. m. this day. The storeship Supply sailed for Vera Cruz the moment the yard flag was lowered.

"JAMES ARMSTRONG,

Captain United States Navy, Warrington, Fla.,
"Late Commandant Navy Yard.

"Hon. ISAAC TOUCEY,

Secretary of the Navy."

The following officers of the navy were attached to the yard at the date of its surrender :

Captain James Armstrong, commandant of the yard.

Commander E. Farrand.

Lieutenant F. B. Renshaw.

Lieutenant John Kell.

Paymaster L. Warrington.

Passed Assistant Surgeon William S. Bishop.

Chaplain Charles W. Thomas.

Master John Pearson.

Chief Engineer E. Lawton.

Third Assistant Engineer William Musgrave.

Boatswain Robert Dixon.

Carpenter Lewis Holmes.
Sailmaker Robert Hunter.
Gunner James M. Cooper.

The department has no official information of any of them having been held as prisoners of war. It did not consider them as such, and on the 17th of January they were instructed to regard themselves as detached from the yard from the date of its surrender, and as waiting orders. None of them have been ordered home, as it is not the practice to do so when officers are detached from duty in the United States. The department has neither approved nor disapproved of the con

duct of the officers, not proposing to do so without full information touching their conduct in the surrender of the yard.

8th. The department has not immediately at command suitable and sufficient means for putting into Fort Sumter reinforcements. In the course of three weeks a fleet of four or five steamers of light draught could be made ready, some of which there is reason to believe would be able to reach Fort Sumter, while the others would probably be sacrificed.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. W. A. HOWARD,

I. TOUCEY. Chairman Special Committee, &c., House of Representatives.

NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 4, 1861. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th ultimo, requesting answers to the following inquiries, viz: 1st. Are there any officers and seamen unemployed at the present time; if so, how many?

2d. Are there enough of each to man all the unemployed vessels, should occasion require?

3d. Does, in your opinion, the disturbed condition of the country make it expedient for Congress to place at the disposal of the department additional money for repairs or other purposes; and how much? In reply to the first inquiry, I have to state that the officers unemployed are:

There are one hundred and sixty-one recruits on board the receiving ships, available for immediate service.

In reply to the second inquiry: there are enough captains, commanders, surgeons, chaplains; of the other grades there are not, nor is there a sufficient number of seamen.

In reply to the third inquiry, I will say that the estimates of the department for repairs, &c., required during the current fiscal year exceeded the appropriation actually made by a million of dollars. Nearly half of the fiscal year still remains. The ordinary necessities of the service required the appropriation which I recommended, and it could have been expended with great advantage to the government. The present disturbed condition of the country does not certainly dimish the expediency or necessity of such appropriation. A further appropriation of a half million dollars would only put the department in this respect in the usual state of efficiency. At the same time it is proper that that I should say to the committee that I think the present home squadron, consisting of eleven armed vessels, is adequate to any service that will be required of it.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,

Hon. Wм. A. HOWARD,

I. TOUCEY.

Chairman Special Committee, &c., House of Representatives.

No. 1.

THURSDAY, January 24, 1861.

ELDRIDGE LAWTON sworn and examined.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Question. Are you connected with the United States navy in any capacity?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. In what capacity?

Answer. Chief engineer, sir.

Question. What is the general class of duties pertaining to engineer? Do you go on board steam vessels as engineer, or are you connected with navy yards?

Answer. Most yards have an engineer attached to them-a chief engineer to superintend the constructing of machinery-such machinery as may be built at those yards; and they are more frequently ordered on board steamships to superintend the machinery of the vessel.

Question. Have you been recently connected with the navy yard at Pensacola ?

Answer. I was ordered to report myself to Commodore Armstrong as superintendent of the machinery of the United States steamer Fulton, repairing at that yard.

Question. At what time were you ordered there?

Answer. I arrived there the middle of November last.

Question. And remained there until you recently left?

Answer. I remained there until the 13th of the present month. Question. State whether, during the time you were there, any demand was made upon the officer in charge of the yard to surrender the yard?

Answer. None that I know of. I know of no such demand being made; that is, until the demand made the day it was given up. Question. Was there a demand made on any day?

Answer. Previous to that, do you mean?

Question. No; any time while you were there. State whether, within your knowledge, at any time during the whole period you were there at the yard, any demand was made by any person or persons for the surrender of the yard.

Answer. From my own knowledge, as being witness to it myself, or from hearsay? I was standing outside of the commodore's office at the time the officers of the Alabama troops were holding their interview with the commodore, and of course I did not hear what was taking place inside.

Question. Confining yourself to your own actual knowledge, your answer would be in the negative, would it?

Answer. I do not know what demand was made; I do not know of any demand being made, so far as my own knowledge is concerned, although I know what I understood at the time from what I thought was good authority.