desire to have the State of Michigan allowed an opportunity of increasing her active forces in the service of the United States, states:

Now what I want is to be allowed to furnish four more regiments just as soon as the Government please if they will furnish the arms, and if they cannot, then as soon as I can get them, which I imagine can be done in a reasonable time.

Should you believe the public interest promoted by the acceptance of the regiments to which the Governor refers, I am confident they would be inferior to no troops in the field, and it would be regarded with pleasure by him and the worthy and gallant people he represents.

Yours, truly,

H. WALBRIDGE.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, D. C., June 20, 1861-11.20 a.m.

Governor BLAIR,

Lansing, Mich.:

Send on your Fourth Regiment by Elmira and Harrisburg. They can be furnished with arms, &c., here or, if necessary, at Harrisburg.

SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War.

PORTSMOUTH, N. H., June 20, 1861.

Honorable SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War:

The Second Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers left Portsmouth for Washington at 8.30 this morning.

GILMAN MARSTON.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

June 20, 1861.

Colonel JOHN W. GEARY,

Philadelphia, Pa.:

Whenever your regiment, either at Philadelphia or any other place, is fully ready to be mustered an order will be issued to do it.

SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, June 21, 1861.

Honorable SIMON CAMERON:

DEAR SIR: In accordance with your request, made to me orally on the morning of the 6th of June, I have examined the apparatus and witnessed the balloon experiments of Mr. Lowe, and have come to the following conclusions:

First. The balloon prepared by Mr. by Mr. Lowe, inflated with ordinary street gas, will retain its charge for several days.

Second. In an inflated condition it can be towed by a few men along an ordinary road or over fields in ordinarily calm weather from the places where it is filled to another twenty or more miles distant.

Third. It can be let up into the air by means of a rope in a calm day to a height sufficient to observe the country for twenty miles around and more, according to the degree of clearness of the atmosphere. The ascent may also be made at night and the camp lights of the enemy observed.