Colonel Sickel's. This authority is special, it having been satisfactorily shown to this Department that a surplus of men for the One hundred and ninety-eighth have already been enlisted with the understanding that they would serve with that regiment. The battalion herein authorized will permit them to do so. Organization and musters must conform to existing regulations. No provision herein contained will be construed as in any way delaying or postponing the draft.

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

THOMAS M. VINCENT,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

(Copy to Major Gilbert and Colonel J. R. Fry, Willard's Hotel.)

[SEPTEMBER 20-22, 1864.-For correspondence between Stanton and Butler, in relation to the recruitment of a regiment from prisoners of war, see Series I, Vol. XLII, Part II, pp. 948, 973.]

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

Washington, September 22, 1864.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

I send this as an explanation to you and to do justice to the Secretary of War. I was induced, upon pressing application, to authorize the agents of one of the districts of Pennsylvania to recruit in one of the prison depots in Illinois, and the thing went so far before it came to the knowledge of the Secretary that, in my judgment, it could not be abandoned without greater evil than would follow its going through. I did not know a the time that you had protested against that class of thing being done, and I now say that while this particular job must be completed no other of the sort will be authorized without an understanding with you, if at all. The Secretary of War is wholly free of any part in this blunder.

Yours, truly,

A. LINCOLN.

CIRCULAR
WAR DEPT., ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 75.
Washington, September 22, 1864.

Circulars Nos. 61 and 73, current series, from this office, are hereby revoked and the following regulations substituted:

1. Hereafter when a commissioned officer of a three-years" volunteer organization receives a new commission, or an enlisted man is appointed to a commission, he may at this option be mustered into the U. S. service for three years or the unexpired therm of the organization of which he may at the time be a member; provided that no officer or enlisted man so receiving a commission shall be mustered in for a less period than three years if at the date he presents himself for muster under it ha has less than six months to serve.

2. All regimental officers of volunteers now in the service of the United States who have been in the said service three years and all who shall hereafter have served three years, may, if they so desire, be mustered out and honorably discharged the service on satisfactory proof being furnished the commissary of musters of their command