Ohio and other States, I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the Provost-Marshal-General, which contains all the information in this Department upon the subject.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

[Inclosure.]

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., January 21, 1865.

Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War, Washington City, D. C.:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a resolution by the House of Representatives, dated January 20, 1865, "calling upon the Secretary of War to state on what terms and with what understanding men were accepted from Ohio and other States in 1864, and received into the Army for 100 days, and whether there exists any reason why credit should not be given to States and districts in proportion to the term of service."

The troops referred to were offered by the Governors of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. A copy of the terms and conditions proposed by them and accepted by the President is herewith inclosed.* Section 5 of these terms and conditions is in the following words, to wit:

No bounty to be paid the troops, nor the service to be charged or credited on any draft.

As this was an express compact between the President and the Governors, it is regarded as a reason why the troops should not be credited. There are additional reasons. It has frequently been found necessary during the war to call out men for short terms of service to meet emergencies, and troops thus called out have served for various periods ranging from one or two weeks to three or four months. The confusion attending the muster in and discharge of men thus called hastily into service has generally prevented the careful preparation of the rolls and returns necessary to allot credits, and credits for such troops, if determined and allotted "in proportion to the term of service," would be of inappreciable value to the States when compared with the amount of time and labor their calculation would impose upon the War Department. As it was necessary to establish a limit to the periods of service which should be estimated in giving credits, it was early in the war adopted as a rule of the department in making up quotas not to take account of anything less than six months" service, ant should be abandoned, and an effort made to award credits for all men who have served since the war began for shorter periods than six months, the business of raising soldiers to meet the present wants of the Army would be seriously embarrassed.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

JAMES B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

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*See Circular Numbers 55, July 21, 1864, p. 532.

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