Ordnance reports, such as the Third Tennessee Cavalry’s, kept track of supplies’ amounts, conditions, and efficiencies. The listed numbers helped determine carbine demand. 

 

Examine the report’s farthest right column. That condition column revealed what arms needed servicing and, over several reports, the carbines' strength and functionality. If there was a strong trend of unserviceable carbines, that carbine model needed replaced, because it was too fragile.