[Second indorsement.]

The demand of this committee appears to me unreasonable and impracticable, but the Provost-Marshal-General will put on it such force as he can, and in the meantime go on which the draft. Filling the Army cannot be delayed by calls on the office of the Provost-Marshal that will require months to fill, and which can serve no other purpose than delay.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S BUREAU,

Washington, D. C., February 5, 1865.

ORISON BLUNT, Esq.,

Chairman Committee Board of Supervisors County of New York:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date, from which I quote as follows:

We regret also the delay occasioned by our misapprehension of the opportunity extended to us to examine the records of your office. We now learn for the first time that such opportunity is extended and shall gladly avail ourselves thereof. We desire now to be allowed to copy from the records the enrollment of the remaining Congressional districts of the loyal States, the terms of service, the quotas of July, 1864, the excess or deficiencies, if any, and the quotas assigned January 24, 1865.

In reply to the paragraphs quoted from your letter I would respectfully state as follows to the first:

By reference to my letter of this morning I find the following:

I have within the last two days extended to you the opportunity to examine the records of this office, &c.

I regret to infer from your communication just received that the committee has understood this remark as having a more extended meaning than was intended. It was not supposed that the committee would understand me as saying that they had been offered an opportunity to examine all the records of the different branches, or all of any one branch of this office, or that they were now invited to do so. An opportunity has been afforded to examine into the records necessary to a proper understanding of the subject under consideration to wit, the quota of New York County as assigned January 24, 1865.

I respectfully request that the committee will so understand my letter of this morning.

To the second. I have already made the committee as fully acquainted with the method of computing the quota as assigned on the 24th of January as it is in my power to do. The figures, statements, &c., asked for above will give the committee no additional means of forming a correct opinion as to the matter ofo.

The request made in the second paragraph quoted from your letter of this date has been laid before the Secretary of War and indorsed by him as follows:

The demand of this committee appears to me unreasonable and impracticable, but the Provost-Marshal-General will put on it such force as he can, and in the meantime go on with the draft. Filling the Army cannot be delayed by calls on the office of the Provost-Marshal that will require months to fill, and which can serve no other purpose than delay.