that in my judgment greater facilities should be afforded in this sparsely settled country for recruiting men. It is not to be supposed that men are going to travel 200 or 300 miles at their own expense to find a provost-marshal, as they would have to do in many cases to enable them to join the Army. Our people are patriotic, but it is asking a great deal of them to leave their families and travel long distances at their own expenses to offer their services to Government. Under the circumstances I had heretofore appointed recruiting officers whom I deemed worthy of commissions in the Army, who, without expense to the State or General Government or hope of reward, except perhaps a position in the line which they desired, would go out into the country and enlist men. But I am informed by the Provost-Marshal-General by letter of date December 19, 1864, "that all authority given to Governors of States to appoint recruiting agents was revoked," &c. And "that the only persons authorized to enlist recruits are officers detailed on recruiting service by special orders from the War Department, including provost-marshals and second lieutenants appointed by Governors of States," &c. I am also informed that it is against the policy of the War Department to make details for recruiting. The only means therefore left, as you will perceive, of recruiting men was the second lieutenants, which I have heretofore been authorized to appoint from the service and have conditionally mustered out to enable them to assist in raising companies, and the provost-marshals; the latter only six in number in the whole State. But, from misapprehension of the situation of our country of from some other cause, the Adjutant-General has been fit to take from us the use of these second lieutenants (who, though from tardiness in their being mustered out have been of very little aid in recruiting in the past, we had hoped to make useful in this respect in the future) by making it necessary that I should certify" that a command for the party whose discharge is ask for is ready."

This leaves only six provost-marshals, who must necessarily be mostly confined to their offices, to do the recruiting over the whole State unless I shall appoint second lieutenants from civil life, which I shall feel it my duty to do in the future unless the authority to do so shall also be revoked. I do not mention these matters for the purpose of finding fault, but supposing your attention had not been called to them or that there was some misapprehension in the premises, not doubting it is the intention of the War Department to do what is for the best interest of the country. Feeling as I do a great interest in filling the quota of this State, knowing that our people are ready and willing to respond to all just calls of the General Government, desiring that all proper facilities may be afforded them, and appreciating the exigencies of the service, I felt it my duty to call your special attention to this subject, and would respectfully ask that in case it is thought desirable to reduce the number of recruiting officers to one second lieutenant for each company, we may have the benefit of such lieutenants to recruit the company and not be told that we must rely upon them to recruit the company by one officer, and by another that they cannot be discharged if we happen to appoint one from the service until the company is raised, or that some other measures may be adopted to give us a larger number of recruiting officers.

A few weeks since directions were received from the Provost- Marshal-General to proceed to correct the enrollment in this States, believing there were many thousand names upon the rolls that ought

66 R R-SERIES III, VOL IV