When musters have been made by commissaries of musters, or their assistants, for the unexpired portion of a term, and there is doubt as to the position of an officer, the case involved should be forwarded, through the proper commissary of musters, to the Adjutant-General of the Army for decision of the War Department.

Regulations similar to the foregoing apply to organizations mustered into service for a period less than three years, the general rule being that a commissioned officer shall in all cases be mustered in for the period for which his regiment or company was originally so mustered.

If officers of veteran organizations do not desire to secure the advantages of their former commissions and rank, as contemplated by section 2, or paragraph 1, Circular Numbers 36, current series, from this office, they can decline to be remustered as therein directed, and only serve out the unexpired term of the muster under which they may be acting at the time.

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., August 2, 1864.

N. B. BAKER,

Adjutant-General of Iowa, Davenport, Iowa:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of July 27, 1864, in which you say:

What I want to know, and distinctly, is this: We have an excess of about 11,000 men, and all three-years" men. I demand that until other States fill their quotas every Iowa three-years" man count as three men.

You right to make demands upon the War Department is denied, and your communications as adjutant-general of Iowa are entitled to consideration only when made in the same of the Governor of the States, as your commander-in-chief. There is nothing in your letter of the 27th ultimo to show that it was written by the Governor's direction or with his approval, but notwithstanding this fact it is proper for me to inform you that, even if this "demand" had been made in a proper and pertinent manner, it could not have been complied with. The course of action in relation to crediting the three-years's men was briefly but explicitly defined in my telegram to Major Duncan. A full statement of the grounds for the course adopted will be forwarded very soon to His Excellency Governor Stone. I do not know what you mean by your remark that I have adopted the Illinois schedule by counties. Why not adopt ours? There has been no privilege granted to Illinois from this office that will not, under the same state of facts, be granted to Iowa or any other State.

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

JAMES B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., August 2, 1864.

Governor THOMAS E. BRAMLETTE,

Frankfort, Ky.:

Your telegram of yesterday saying you can raise two or three regiments of infantry for one year's service before the time fixed for