WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington City, August 18, 1861 - 10.42 a. m.

Governor ANDREW,

State House, Boston:

If you have more of the Vermont rifles than will be required to equip forces now being raised in Massachusetts, send the surplus to General Ripley at Washington. We don't want the old muskets or accouterments. Keep them for your home guards. It is desirable that all your own men should be promptly and fully equipped for service. If necessary to use the Vermont rifles, do it at once. Let us have regiments as rapidly as possible.

SIMON CAMERON.

TRENTON, N. J., August 18, 1861.

Honorable S. CAMERON:

Your telegrams are received and expressed to Governor Olden's residence. An infantry regiment and an artillery battery of six pieces will be forwarded to-morrow, and more if possible.

L. PERRINE,

Quartermaster-General.

GENERAL ORDERS, WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 61.
Washington, August 19, 1861.

Officers who have not been mustered into service have power to enroll men, but are not competent to muster them, under the provisions of General Orders, Numbers 58, current series, from the War Department. In this case the muster must be made by some officer, either volunteer or regular, already in the service, and the oath must be administered by a civil magistrate or an officer of the Regular Army; preferably the latter.

In mustering companies, the original muster-in rolls will be retained at the company rendezvous, upon which the names of the members will be enrolled as they present themselves. As they are mustered they will be sent to the commanding officers of camps of rendezvous, with descriptive lists, stating name, date of enrollment and muster, the officer by whom mustered, the company and regiment to which they belong, whether they have or have not taken the oath of allegiance prescribed for those entering the service, and such other information as may be necessary or useful in the case. Necessary subsistence will be procured upon returns signed by the mustering officer.

When one-half a company has been mustered into service the first lieutenant thereof can also be mustered in, and when the organization of the company is completed the captain and second lieutenant can be so mustered.

When the men of a company have been mustered by more than one officer, the fact must be stated on the muster-rolls, opposite their names, "by whom mustered," and these rolls must be signed by each of the mustering officers.

Field and staff officers of regiments can be mustered into service upon the completion of the organization of regiment or companies, as follows: Colonel, entire regiment; lieutenant- colonel, four companies; major, six companies; chaplain, surgeon, adjutant, quartermaster, assistant surgeon, entire regiment.