credit" of the enrolled persons, causing them to be mustered in before the occurrence of a draft, I am of opinion, then, are to be considered as other volunteer recruits which are obtained at the expense of the Untied States,and not as substitutes, in the ordinary sense of that term, which are furnished at the coast of the principals.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES SPEED,

Attorney-General.

STATE OF ILLINOIS, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Springfield, March 14, 1865.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

DEAR SIR: I have the pleasure to inform you that the returns in the office of Colonel James Oakes, assistant provost- marshal-general for their State, show that Illinois has already put into the service under the last call since the 1st day of January, 1865, 21,000 recruits. We are still doing very well in our efforts to fill the quota, and I believe succeeding more rapidly in furnishing the required number of men in this way than the National Government would by drafting. I hope, therefore, you will suspend the order for the draft in this State so long as we shall be able to do reasonably well by the present method. I desire to call your attention to one other fact and to request of you such directions to Brigadier-General Fry as will favor us in the respect desired. Several counties have filled their quotas under the present call, but not knowing the quotas to sub-district soon enough did not properly distribute the men to the sub-districts, so that the strictly adhere to the present regulations some of them will be required to furnish from twenty to forty men more at a heavy cost in bounties. It is claimed, and I think reasonably, that as the call was foremen, the men having been furnished as required, it is but justice to say to these counties, you are released from furnishing any more. It is true the counties thus accommodated will not be in excess for the next call, but they do not wish to be as long as a part of the subdistricts are behind, which after all are parts of the counties, and must pay pro rata tax for county bounties. This has occurred in Macon and Bureau Counties, perhaps others. Can General Fry be authorized to say to those counties and to all similarly situated, you are required to furnish no more men. Of this is not done Illinois under the present call, instated of 33,000, will put in many more hundreds, in not thousands; or if that is not so, some counties will be made to suffer for the more indolent ones, to say nothing worse, in arrears when it shall be declared the State has filled her quota.

I earnestly request your consideration of this matter.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

RICHARD J. OGLESBY,

Governor of Illinois.

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, March 14, 1865.

Governor R. E. FENTON,

Albany, N. Y.:

The Sixty-eighth Regiment National Guard will be accepted for one year's service as a regiment of volunteers under the laws and