It seems to me, since Congress has legalized, adopted, and directed the prosecution of the war and the enlistment of more men and provided the means, that it is better to modify our methods of proceeding in the way I suggest. Our materials and outfits of all sorts are economical, carefully selected, well made, and good, and we can furnish five regiments as rapidly as it can be done by any government anywhere. I wish to add that the great lack is in proper colonels. We have exhausted them nearly, and if the Government would give our volunteer regiments the benefit of Army officers to command them for a time, according to section 8 of chapter 21 of the recent extra-session laws, it would powerfully aid us all and improve the public service.

I have the honor to remain, your obedient servant,

JOHN A. ANDREW,

Governor of Massachusetts.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Boston, Mass., August 22, 1861.

Major-General MCCLELLAN, U. S. Army:

GENERAL: I have the duty to inform you that, having sent eleven volunteer regiments for three years, we have arranged to forward before the end of this week five more regiments, not all of them up to the maximum army size. We have hitherto required the full maximum of 101 men to each company. Some of these five regiments will exceed the minimum and approximate the maximum, and others will not quite equal the minimum size, but we obey the recent order and send them as they are, intending on our part to recruit men hereafter in order to fill the companies to the proper standard.

I beg specially to call your attention to the fact that we send our Seventeenth Regiment without a colonel. It is made up from the county of Essex, which has furnished more soldiers in proportion than any other within my knowledge. It is entitled to be well commanded, but I have no militia officer who is available, and as yet, in my opinion, just what the regiment is entitled to as a commander. I have in vain besought the Secretary of War, General Scott, and the Adjutant-General to let me have an Army officer - naming Captain T. J. C. Amory, of the U. S. Army, Seventh Infantry, a native of Boston, now here in the general recruiting service, who might be replaced by some other person of less general capacity and experience.

I have sent the regiment without a colonel and under a lieutenant-colonel. If a furlough had been granted to Captain Amory I should have commissioned him, and he would have been able to instruct the other officers, put the regiment into army trim, and when recalled to his company, if recalled, he may be able to leave behind a lieutenant-colonel educated to take the command.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

JOHN A. ANDREW,

Governor of Massachusetts.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
August 24, 1861.

Respectfully referred to the Honorable Secretary of War, with the recommendation that the request of Governor Andrew be at once granted. I do not think it possible to employ our Army officers to