impossible for me to furnish any for that purpose. The 100-days' men (infantry) are under orders for Baltimore, and no more volunteers are presenting themselves. I do not ask the War Department to send a man, if they will authorize me to raise troops for provost duty (100-days' men), and this is stated only from my knowledge of the general apathy in this State and the disinclination of men to volunteer, unless the bounty is sufficiently large to overcome their present aversion. You may not be aware that some of my men were fired upon recently in Pike County, and that the opposition leaders have stated in council that no draft shall take place in the anthracite region, and that the professedly loyal people of another county say that no draft shall be enforced there until deserters of the last one are arrested. I wish, therefore, to impress upon the War Department that in order to have the draft executed vigorously and without bloodshed there must be more military force in this department.

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

D. N. COUCH,

Major-General, Commanding Department.

WASHINGTON, July 27, 1864-1. 30 p. m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

Your telegram received, and is satisfactory. The President will wait your convenience for consultation on the subject of your dispatch brought by General Rawlins. General Halleck has been ordered to issue, subject to your direction, such military orders as may be necessary at the present juncture in accordance with the suggestion made in your telegram of yesterday. I would respectfully beg your own attention so far as possible to Point Lookout, for I am apprehensive of an effort to release the prisoners there.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington City, July 27, 1864.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Chief of Staff of the Army:

GENERAL: Lieutenant-General Grant having signified that, owing to the difficulties and delay of communication between his headquarters and Washington, it is necessary that in the present emergency military orders must be issued directly from Washington,* the President directs me to instruct you that all the military operations for the defense of the Middle Department, the Department of the Susquehanna, the Department of Washington, and the Department of West Virginia, and all the forces in those departments, are placed under your general command, and that you will be expected to take all military measures necessary for defense against any attack of the enemy and for his capture and destruction. You will issue from time to time such orders to the commanders of the respective departments and to the military authorities therein as may be proper.

Your obedient servant,

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

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*See Grant to Halleck, July 26, 1864, 12. 30 p. m., p. 445.

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