the Defense Committee to-morrow p. m., and therefore cannot go to Albany until morning. The transport business appears to be properly managed.

W. B. FRANKLIN.

GALENA, ILL., May 24, 1861.

Colonel L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: Having served for fifteen years in the Regular Army, including four years at West Point, and feeling in the duty of every one who has been educated at the Government expense to offer their services for the support of that Government, I have the honor, very respectfully, to tender my services until the close of the war in such capacity as may be offered. I would say that, in view of my present age and length of service, I feel myself competent to command a regiment if the President, in his judgment, should see fit to intrust one to me. Since the first call of the President I have been serving on the staff of the Governor of this State, rendering such aid as I could in the organization of our State militia, and am still engaged in that capacity. A letter addressed to me at Springfield, Ill., will reach me.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

U. S. GRANT.

GENERAL ORDERS,
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 25.
Washington, May 25, 1861.

I. The plan of organization for the volunteer forces designated in General Orders, Numbers 15, of May 4, 1861, is so modified as to allow one surgeon and one assistant surgeon to each regiment, to be appointed by the Governors of the respective States after having passed an examination by a competent medical board appointed by the Governors of the States; the appointments to be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War.

General Orders, Numbers 22, of May 18, 1861, is revoked, and the first two paragraphs of article 4. "Memorandum," General Orders, Numbers 15, are amended to read as follows:

4. MEMORANDUM.

The officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates, organized as above set forth, will in all respects be placed on the footing, as to pay an allowances, of similar corps of the Regular Army: Provided, That their allowances for clothing shall be $3.50 per month, and that each company officer, non-commissioned officer, private, musician, and artificer of cavalry shall furnish his own horse and horse equipments, and shall receive 40 cents per day for their use and risk, except that, in case the horse shall become disabled or shall die, that allowance shall cease until the disability be removed or another horse be supplied. Every cavalry volunteer who shall not keep himself supplied with a serviceable horse shall serve on foot.

Every volunteer non-commissioned officer, private, musician, and artificer, who enters the service of the United States under this plan, shall be paid at the rate of 50 cents in lieu of subsistence, and if a cavalry volunteer, 25 cents additional in lieu of forage, for every twenty miles of travel from his place of enrollment to the place of muster-the distance to be measured by the shortest usually traveled route; and,