Brig. Gen. HENRY A. WISE, 
Commanding District of the Albemarle:

GENERAL: in compliance with your special order, I have the honor to submit the following report upon the defenses of this island, quantity of provisions and ammunition on hand, strength of this command, &c.
The defenses of Croatan Sound consist of four batteries, mounting in the aggregate thirty guns, all 32-pounders, as follows: At Weir's point (Fort Huger), ten smooth-bore and two rifled guns; at Fort Blanchard, four smooth-bore guns; at Pork point (Fort Bartow), six smooth-bore and one rifled gun; at Red Stone point (Fort Forrest), seven smoothbore guns. There is another battery on the Tyrrel side of Croatan Sound, at Roberts' Fishery, already completed, but no guns have been mounted, General hill having ordered a discontinuation of the work. Its capacity is six barbette guns. The two 32-pounders now lying on the beach at Weir's point will, agreeably to your orders, be mounted as soon as possible. Upon Roanoke Sound there is a small battery of two smooth-bore 32-pounders at Midgett's Hommock. The battery at Pork point ought by all means to be strengthened by the addition of two pivot mounted guns.

Orders have been given for the construction of bomb-proof quarters for the detachment at Fort Blanchard, but up to this time lumber ordered for that purpose has not been received. Quarters should be constructed in the immediate vicinity of Fort Huger for the accommodation of at least one of the companies by which the guns at that battery are manned. There ought also to be built at Fort Forrest quarters not only for the company already there, but for another company necessary at that fort. Most of the guns require sights; nearly all of them have nothing but the dispart sights, which I believe is very unreliable, especially in the hands of inexperienced gunners. I submit that it is very necessary that the most improved sights be obtained at once, and, if needful, an expert artisan sent at once to adjust them.

Of light artillery there are three pieces at this post, one 24-pounder howitzer, one 18-pounder Mexican piece, and one 6-pounder; the latter brought to this place from Elizabeth City, N. C. These pieces are all mounted on carriages, with limbers, but no caissons. For operations upon this island I am not sure that caissons are necessary.
Ammunition on hand.--Three hundred and eighty-seven charges for 32-pounder guns, 1,300 rounds shot, 250 rifle shell, 300 match primers, 83 rounds fixed ammunition (24-pounder howitzers), 1 box percussion wafers, 150 port-fires, 98 rounds 6-pounder shot (1,000 rounds obtained from Elizabeth City, N. C.), 250 pounds powder, 315 stand grape (32), 2,000 friction primers, 500 percussion primers, 150 junk wads, 400 gromet wads, 98 canister (6-pounder), 28 spherical-case shot, 10 slow matches.
Ammunition for small arms.--Fifty-two thousand one hundred and fifty-seven ball cartridges for percussion (16,578 ball cartridges issued), 17,183 ball cartridges for flint and steel, 3,320 balls, 150 pounds lead, 5,500 (about) percussion caps.

Quantity of provisions on hand.--Thirteen thousand six hundred and eighty-two pounds bacon and pork, 3,420 pounds beef, 598 pounds lard, 3,692 pounds rice, 649 pounds coffee, 1,570 pounds candles, 12½ bushels salt, 1 barrel fish, 20 barrels and 2,158 pounds hard bread, 265 barrels flour, 10,554 pounds meal, 54½ bushels pease and beans, 3,082 pounds sugar, 460 gallons vinegar, 1,348 pounds soap, 58 gallons whisky, 5 bushels yapon [a kind of wild tea].

Aggregate number of entire command 1,822
Four cooks allowed to each company 92
To be subsisted 1,914

Effective force, officers included, absent and sick being deducted, 1,435.

A call has been made for 250 free negroes for service in the engineer department. These will have to be subsisted, as will also the gang of 8 men on the pile-driver.
Horses, mules, and oxen in charge of quartermaster's department.--Nine officers' horses, 6 yoke of oxen hired by quartermasters of Eighth and Thirty-first Regiments, 2 pair mules, property of the Government. The mules and oxen are used for general purposes of land transportation. 
Amount of forage on hand.--Seven hundred and twenty-five pounds fodder, 2½ bushels corn, 1¼ barrels oats.

Orders have been given for the construction of a magazine. No regular ordnance officer has been appointed. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. M. SHAW, 
Colonel, Commanding.

Secretary of War.
ROANOKE ISLAND, N. C., January 15, 1862.

SIR: in compliance with your orders, Lieutenant Loyall and myself have reported at this place for duty connected with the heavy batteries, and up to this time have inspected and frequently exercised them, with the exception of Fort Forrest, on the other side of the sound. This we have not visited, in consequence of the weather, which has not been favorable for the past few days. We find the batteries well constructed and arranged, except that at Pork point, which requires a flank to the southward, to prevent its being enfiladed. This has been recommended to Colonel Shaw, and orders have probably been given to have the work done. The equipment of the guns is incomplete, only one gun on the island being sighted, and the rifled guns (three in number) are mounted on navy barbette carriages, which are very unwieldy. The instruction is indifferent, but the officers and men evince such a good disposition to learn, that we hope, with the facilities offered us, to be able in a short time to report very favorably of their proficiency. I would here state that I found Major hill in command at Pork point Battery. He was an old Army officer, and is no doubt a better artillerist than I am; and, as I did not desire to supersede a superior and could not suppose that you wished it, I placed myself under his command, and offered my services to him to assist in instructing his men, and detailed Mr. Loyall for that particular duty. None of the guns have locks, nor are any of them drilled for either locks or sights; but this could be very easily done here if locks and sights should be furnished. I presume they know at the navy-yard exactly what guns are here, and could make sights for them without the measures of the guns being sent. We have no shells for any but the rifled guns, and there is no shot furnace fit for use. The engineer officer assures me that the furnace at Fort Huger (the only one constructed) is worthless, and that he tried it for five hours without any other effect than to burst it. He recommends one for each battery here, after the pattern of Mr. Singleton's, of the engineers' office at Norfolk. The amount of ammunition on hand is not more than twenty rounds for each gun.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN S. TAYLOR, 
Captain, C. S. Army.