WAR DEPARTMENT,

September 21, 1861.

Governor DENNISON, Columbus, Ohio:

Send four regiments to General McClellan's department.

SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War.

SAINT JOHNSBURY, September 21, 1861.

Honorable SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War:

The Fourth Regiment Vermont Volunteers left Brattleborough to- day en route for Washington. The Fifth will immediately follow. Have commenced recruiting the Sixth.

ERASTUS FAIRBANKS,

Governor.

GENERAL ORDERS, WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 82.
Washington, September 23, 1861.

I. Hereafter brigade and regimental commissaries, or other persons having charge of rations, will not be allowed to dispose of any portion of them otherwise than in the manner pointed out in this order.

Whenever companies, by an economical use of their rations, have gained a surplus it must be left in the hands of the commissary from whom they drew their rations, and the commissary with who this surplus is left shall make out a bill of purchase eon form number 18, Subsistence Department (notes), and certify that he has not paid for the same. These bills of purchase, at cost price of the articles, will be paid by any commissary having funds for that purpose. The bills will, in all cases, be presented by commanders of companies.

The commissary who holds the surplus will take up the stores left with him in the same manner as of any other purchase made, and account for them on his next return of provisions.

The purchase bills will be made out in triplicate, one to be kept by the officer taking up this surplus (to accompany his return of provisions), and two to be presented to the officer who palsy the bills.

The funds accumulated by the sale of savings of rations will be strictly accounted for by the company commanders, in accordance with the Revised Army Regulations, paragraph 205, edition of 1861.

* * * *

By order:

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.

CIRCULAR.] WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, September 23, 1861.

SIR: The Department respectfully requests that no troops hereafter furnished by your State for the service of the Government be uniformed in gray, that being the color generally worn by the enemy. The blue uniform adopted for the Army of the United States is recommended as readily distinguishable from that of the enemy.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully,

THOMAS A. SCOTT,

Acting Secretary of War.

(Addressed to the several Governors and others.)