with due diligence on their part be corrected, either in delaying the examination and muster in, or in receiving and mustering in incompetent and unfit persons.

Second. You will ascertain whether an adequate number of examining surgeons, mustering, and disbursing officers are at the respective posts which you may visit or in the districts, and whether their duties are performed negligently or with due diligence, having regard to the present urgent need for efficient action by every officer connected with this duty. Complaints have been made that mustering and examining officers devote but few hours per day to the performance of their duty, to the great hindrance and obstruction of recruiting. To this point you will please direct careful attention, ascertaining how many hours the officers are engaged in their duties, and whether they are in the habit of leaving their work undone instead of closing it up each day.

Third. You will please examine whether proper precautions are used after men are mustered into service to prevent their desertion, and whether they are with sufficient promptness and diligence forwarded to their proper place of rendezvous, and report any neglect or misconduct that may come to your knowledge in this respect.

Fourth. You will please confer with the executive authorities of the respective States, informing them of the nature of your mission and of the duties which you are required to perform, asking for their co-operation, and for any information which they may have in respect to neglect or inefficiency by recruiting which they may have in respect to neglect or inefficiency by recruiting or drafting officers [in] the performance of their duties, to the end that the evil may be promptly corrected by this Department.

Fifth. You will impress upon the State authorities, and upon all loyal and patriotic citizens with whom you may have intercourse, the urgent necessity of filling up our armies without delay.

These points, it is believed, will, in general terms, comprehend the whole scope of service required of you, but you will embrace in your investigation and report any other matters which may come to your knowledge, or which in your judgment may be material for the correction of abuses, the removal of complaints, and the efficiency of the service. Transportation, your necessary expenses, and the usual compensation paid by the Department to special commissioners, to wit, $8 per day, will be allowed for your services during the time you may be employed upon these duties.

You will communicate by telegraph with this Department whenever you may deem it necessary to do so.

Your obedient servant,

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

STATE OF NEW YORK, NORTHERN DIVISION, OFFICE OF ACTG. ASST. PROV. March General, AND SUPT. VOLUNTEER RECRUITING,

Albany, August 19, 1864.

Brigadier General JAMES B. FRY,

Prov. March General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

MY DEAR GENERAL: I had a conversation with the Governor last evening upon official business, in the course of which, in answering his question whether the draft was to be executed on the 5th of Sep-