unknown in Europe, an examination was not possible, and the Darmstadt "Military Journal" naturally accepted the communication in good faith.

But since we happen to possess a somewhat closer acquaintance with the subject, we cannot forbear, while we reprint the letter at length, adding some explanatory notes, hoping to do a favor to that considerable portion of our readers who have been mystified by the correspondence.

The letter is as follows:

"NEW YORK, December 6, 1863.

"The Parrott cannon is not the discovery of Mr. Robert Parrott, of New Hampshire, but of Mr. Edward Lindner, of Berlin.* Lindner urged Parrott, some years ago, to make the attempt to strengthen cast-iron cannon by an iron ring forged to the breech. Parrott said very decidedly that this would be an impossibility, for such a ring would never be solid to the cast iron; and he declined to make the attempt. A year after this interview, Parrott took out his patent, which set forth especially, that he strengthened the breech of his cannon by an iron ring, exactly as Lindner had suggested to him.§ This fact was related to me by Lindner himself, and I have no reason to doubt, indeed I steadfastly believe that Parrott played him a trick. Lindner's last invention, however, far surpasses the Parrott, and every other gun. This cannon is breech loading, is cast altogether 'in the block,' then drilled and rifled, and is in every respect of remarkable construction.** Lindner made a 12-pounder of this description at his own expense, which I myself proved about a year ago at Manchester, N. H. The trial was favorable beyond all expectation; and a marked distinction of this cannon is the prevention of the recoil, which makes it peculiarly fitted for sea-service. This gun was exhibited at West

* We must confess that the correspondent does not long leave us in doubt as to his drift. Even were this statement true, Mr. Lindner would have no right to lay claim to the Parrott invention, for the peculiarity of that invention lies in something very different from the strengthening of the breech through an iron ring. Besides this gun-ring is not an original idea of Lindner's, for it has been used many times, in many places, first in Belgium, then in England, Spain, Russia, and, if we do not mistake, by way of experiment on some Austrian naval guns.

If Lindner really did make this proposal, Parrott was certainly not bound on that account to accede to it, since he believed in the propriety of the construction of his own cannon and the ammunition belonging to it, and he was not disposed to allow his work to be improved (?) by others probably totally ignorant of his invention,

who were

§ We have already remarked, how little the gun-ring proves, and how far Mr. Lindner is from a right of priority in its invention.

| Perhaps there would have been yet more to hear from Parrott's rival, if we had heard less in praise of his system, but the correspondent should have the more considered the "audiatur et

altera pars."

¶ We wish Mr. Lindner, for his own sake, a favorable result to this attempt, and that his gan may not be brought to trial and then prove a miserable fiasco (as may have happened not long ago!) but we wish, at this moment, that the Prussian artillery were furnished with the corresponding number of Parrott one hundred or two hundred pounders (which have been already proved) during the attack on the fortifications at Düppel, and we could then prove that much depends not only on the practice of arms, but also on the system. It should not be difficult to decide, whether the fault at Missunde, where seventy-four cannon of different calibre (but none over twenty-four pounds) were used, is due to the practice or to the system (and perhaps to the size of the calibres).

**This is more than unlikely, since Mr. Lindner ascribed the peculiarity and the consequent excellence of the Parrott gun only to the iron ring already mentioned, and appears to have no opinion of the arrangement of the rifling and the shot, or at least ignores it entirely.

We know how easy it is, to calculate the effect produced by the tests so as to obtain results at unce dazzling and deceptive. Is it only private individuals who so mislead their customers, or do official corporations deceive their commissioners and themselves by showy productions and illu

sions?

# This seeming advantage may be bought very dear by the early destruction of the gun-car

Point, tried by an authorized commission, and submitted to many tests. The commission pronounced itself entirely in favor of this new invention, which is not an improvement on those already in existence, but the embodiment of an original idea.† That the Lindner gun was not accepted by the United States Government, may be ascribed to the fact that Parrott and Dahlgren combined to keep up the market value of their own productions‡. Lindner's offer, to compete with Dahlgren and Parrott, was civilly declined, § and he was allowed to retire with his cannon,] although it is the best, the most original, the most complete, and the most serviceable production of the new knowledge of artillery."

If the Lindner cannon is really "the best, the most original, the most complete, and the most serviceable production of the new knowledge of artillery" (we see the New York (?) correspondent knows how to lay the colors on thickly), then Mr. Lindner would only have to congratulate himself, and we are convinced that the representatives of the science of artillery would everywhere give the greatest pains to the examination of so superior an invention, and would grant it the fullest recognition.

We have only to remark, in addition, that in the course of the present war the Americans have had sufficient occasion to know and value the worth of superior arms, and especially to discriminate the good from the bad, and it is not to be believed that they would throw away good and useful weapons to replace them by useless and expensive ones.

PIEDMONT.

[From our own Correspondent.]

TURIN, March 4.

THE Army Register for the year 1864 gives the following statistics with relation to the corps of officers in the Piedmontese Army:

officers of all grades, besides the corresponding Sanitary Corps, the medical branch the chaplains, the military intendancy, and a host of military employés.

riage. In Schleswig, where the firing was on soft ground, and the recoil was consequently prevented, many evil consequences ensued.

*After these many tests, it is still possible that the fitness of the gun was but partially proved and judged. After all, as far as we know, we cannot believe that Mr. Lindner has hit the right nail on the head, and that the conditions that attach to the breech-loading system where small arms are concerned, can be more easily fulfilled in a cannon, where great rapidity of firing is required.

This originality can only be shown in the arrangement of the breech, and whether this arrangement have a practical value, can only be ascertained by continuous trial. The arrangement of the lock of the Lindner gun is besides no particularly favorable sign for the originality of the gun.

The practical Americans are certainly much too wise not to find out the most serviceable.

§ Probably they despised the easy victory that might and must have been theirs in a contest with Mr. Lindner.

Under the present circumstances, while so much money is spent in America on munitions of war, this dismissal might be considered significant.

PERSONAL ITEMS.

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRANT arrived in New York November 19th, and remained until the 21st, when he returned to the front.

Brigadier-Generals Rufus Ingalls and Henry J. Hunt have been brevetted as major-generals of volunteers. Major Biddle, aide to General Meade, has received the brevet of colonel.

Major-General W. S. Hancock has been relieved from the command of the Second Corps, at his own request, and has been assigned to the command of the new veteran "First Corps," now being organized, with head-quarters in Washington. Major-General A. A. Humphreys assumed command of the Second Corps November 26th.

Major-General D. N. Couch has been transferred from the Department of the Susquehanna, and ordered to report to Major-General Thomas at Nashville.

Major-General George Cadwalader succeeds General Couch in command of the Department of the Susquehanna.

Major-General Q. A. Gillmore has been ordered to report to Major-General Canby, to perform an inspection tour of the defences and fortifications in the West. Major-General N. J. T. Dana has been appointed to the command of the District of West Tennessee and Vicksburg, with head-quarters at Vicksburg.

Major-General C. C. Washburne has been assigned to the command of the Post and District of Vicksburg, with its present limits.

Major-General F. Steele has been relieved from the command of the Seventh Army Corps and the Department of Arkansas, and ordered to report to General Canby. Major-General J. J. Reynolds succeeds him in command.

Major-General Alexander McDowell McCook has been ordered to report to MajorGeneral Sheridan, and left Dayton, Ohio, November 29, to do so.

Major-General John Newton is in command at Key West.

Major-General P. H. Sheridan has been elected an associate member of the United States Sanitary Commission.

Major-General Emory has been assigned to the permanent command of the Nineteenth Corps.

Major-General T. F. Meagher has reported for duty to Major-General Steedman at Chattanooga.

Major-General W. S. Rosecrans was relieved from the command of the Department of Missouri December 6th, and Major-General G. M. Dodge has been appointed to the command in his stead.

Major-General William B. Franklin is ordered as president of a retiring board at Wilmington, Del.

Major-General W. F. Smith is temporarily ordered to New Orleans.
Brigadier-General Egan has been made major-general for services before Peters-

burg.

Brevet Major-General S. G. Burbridge has been relieved from the command in Kentucky, and Maj.-Gen. George Stoneman has been appointed in his stead.

Brevet Major-General M. C. Meigs has been assigned to duty according to his brevet, to date from July 5, 1864.

General F. C. Barlow sailed for Europe Nov. 9, hoping to restore his shattered health. The Secretary of War gave him his leave in a most complimentary order. Brigadier-General John A. Rawlings, chief of General Grant's staff, was in New York November 13th, staying at the residence of Colonel Hillyer.

Brigadier-General Truman Seymour, has returned to the Sixth Corps.

Brigadier-General Morgan L. Smith has been assigned to command at Vicksburg. Brigadier-General Ashboth has been compelled by his wounds, received in West Florida, to go to New Orleans for medical attendance. Brigadier-General Bailey succeeds him in command.

Brigadier-General John P. Hatch has been relieved from the command of the District of Florida and ordered to take command of the Northern District, relieving Brigadier-General E. E. Potter, who takes command of the Hilton Head District. Brigadier-General E. P. Scammon has been relieved from the command of the Hilton Head District, and ordered to take command of the District of Florida. Brigadier-General H. N. Wessels has been appointed commissary-general of prisoners east of the Mississippi, and Brevet Brig.-Gen. Hoffman, west of that river. Brigadier-General W. F. Barry, who is prevented by severe illness from accompanying General Sherman in his present campaign, is temporarily with his family at Buffalo, New York.

Brigadier General George J. Stannard has been promoted to be brevet majorgeneral of volunteers, for gallant services at Fort Harrison (Chapin's Farm), where he lost his right arm.

Brigadier-General Nelson A. Miles has been appointed a major-general by brevet. He is the youngest general officer in the service.

Brigadier-General Robert B. Porter has been brevetted major-general for distinguished and gallant conduct in the several actions since crossing the Rapidan, to rank from August 1st, 1864.

Colonel Guy V. Henry, 40th Massachusetts, has been brevetted Brigadier-General for gallantry in the engagements before Richmond and Petersburg.

Colonel S. M. Bowman, who was relieved from the command of the District of Delaware, and ordered to report to Major-General Wallace, at Baltimore, has, at the request of the Executive, been returned to the former command.

Captain W. V. Hutchins has been appointed chief quartermaster of the Tenth Corps, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

The President has accepted the resignations of Major-General John A. McClernand and Brigadier-Generals E. A. Payne and Neal Dow, to date from Nov. 30.

The Tenth and Eighteenth Corps have been discontinued. The white troops of both corps have been reformed into the Twenty-fourth Corps, Major-General E. O. C. Ord commanding. And all the black troops of the Ninth, Tenth, and Eighteenth Corps have been organized into a Corps d'Afrique, designated the Twenty-fifth Corps, under Major-General G. Weitzel.

Rear-Admiral S. F. Dupont was in New York November 16, and visited the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Rear-Admiral S. P. Lee assumed command of the Mississippi Squadron Nov. 1. Acting Rear-Admiral C. H. Bell was relieved from the command of the Pacific Squadron October 25, and arrived in New York Nov. 4, in U. S. S. Rhode Island. Captain John A. Winslow, of the Kearsarge, landed in Boston November 8.

OFFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Army Directory.

The following is published for reference (future changes will be noticed as they occur):

SECRETARY OF WAR.

Hon. Edwin M. Stanton-Office, second floor War Department.

ASSISTANT SECRETARIES OF WAR.

Hon. P. H. Watson and Hon. C. A. Dana-Offices, third floor War Department.

GENERAL-IN-CHIEF.

Office in charge of Captain G. K. Leet, Assistant Adjutant-General, No. 29, Winder's Buildings, second floor.

CHIEF OF STAFF.

Major-General H. W. Halleck-Office, corner F and Seventeenth streets.

ADJUTANT-GENERAL.

Brigadier-General L. Thomas-Office, War Department.

BUREAU OF MILITARY JUSTICE.

Brigadier-General Joseph Holt, Judge-Advocate General-Office, Winder's Building, corner F and Seventeenth streets.

JUDGES-ADVOCATE.

Major L. C. Turner, Judge-Advocate, Department of Washington, &c.-Office, 539 Seventeenth street.

Theophilus Gaines, Major and Judge-Advocate, Twenty-Second Army CorpsOffice, 534 Fourteenth streets.

SOLICITOR OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT.

Hon. William Whiting-Office, Rooms Nos. 29 and 31, War Department.

INSPECTOR-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT.

Office, 537 Seventeenth street.

BUREAU OF THE SIGNAL CORPS.

Lieutenant-Colonel W. J. L. Nicodemus, Acting Chief Signal Officer-Office, 167 F

street.

PROVOST-MARSHAL GENERAL.

Brigadier-General James B. Fry-Office, War Department.

QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT.

Brevet Major-General M. C. Meigs, Quartermaster-General-Office, Art Union Building, corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Seventeenth street.

Brigadier-General D. H. Rucker, Dépôt Quartermaster-Office, corner G and Eighteenth streets.

Captain J. M. Moore, Chief Assistant Quartermaster-Office, corner Twenty-First and F streets.

Colonel

Chief Quartermaster Department of Washington-Office, 534,

536, 538, and 540 Fourteenth street, near New York Avenue.

Captain H. L. Thayer, Assistant Quartermaster Volunteers, Post Quartermaster -Office, 232 G street.

Captain D. G. Thomas, Military Storekeeper-Office, 304 HI, near Seventeenth street.

SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT.

Brigadier-General A. B. Eaton, Commissary-General-Office, on La Fayette Square, corner H street and Jackson Place.

Lieutenant-Colonel G. Bell, Dépôt Commissary-Office, 223 G street.