circumstances tending to give a more perfect understanding of the state of the Department of New England.

Upon receiving the authority of the Commander-in-Chief to raise six regiments, of the date of September 12, I repaired to New England to enter upon my duties. Upon calling upon the Executive of the State of Maine for his co-operation I received the most cordial and hearty support. He immediately put in commission officers of my recommendation, and by his zealous good-will a regiment is now mustered into the service under its accomplished colonel, George F. Shepley, and is reported to me ready to march, and will be embarked on board the ship Constitution on Thursday for an expedition of which I shall hereafter speak more fully. A battery of light artillery is also nearly recruited in Maine, which will be organized and ready to commence its drill with its pieces in ten days. This regiment is fully armed, uniformed, and equipped under my orders.

Upon application to the Executive of the State of Connecticut I met with like patriotic and zealous aid. Governor Buckingham immediately agreeing with me in the proper selection of regimental officers, gave every aid to the recruitment of a regiment, which is now in process of recruitment and have some 500 men in camp, and is both recruiting and organizing with rapidity and economy. Colonel Deming, late speaker of the house of representatives of this State, displays great energy and ability in his recruitment. His regiment will be ready to march in fifteen days. I have the arms, equipments, and uniforms complete for this regiment.

Governor Buckingham wishes me also to take in charge and place in a camp of instruction an Irish regiment, the Ninth Connecticut, which he then had organized, but which, owing to the somewhat exuberantly turbulent character of its recruits, could not be readily reduced to discipline at the hour of its recruitment, and was not in a condition to be properly sent away except under a fostering care. I consented to take this regiment and removed it to Camp Chase, at Lowell, where it is doing very well, and with nine companies, of 700 men, embark upon the Constitution to- morrow. I have left one company at Camp Chase to bring up the recruits, which will soon fill up the regiment to the maximum. I believe that this course will be for the good of the service, and I doubt not in a short time to have this one of the best of regiments, but it needed to be taken away from home influences, which tend to insubordination.

I called upon the Governor of New Hampshire for his aid in the recruitment of a regiment from that State; was cordially received by him, and the most perfect accordance as to the personnel of the officers to be appointed and commissioned by him existed, and he desired me to wait before I commenced recruiting until four regiments and a battery then recruiting in New Hampshire should be filled up, which he then hoped would be in a few days, alleging as a reason that if a regiment was to be recruited by the officers selected by me it would be impossible to fill up those already begun. Thinking this reasonable I have not begun recruiting in New Hampshire as yet. The State has heretofore given a bounty of $ 17 per man, but there is no law for its payment and it has been discontinued. These regiments, of which there are three, will not for some time be filled up to the maximum standard. I have no doubt that if the recruitment of the regiment is begun under the auspices of the United States in New Hampshire it might be filled up in twenty days, and unless otherwise advised I propose to begin the recruiting and verify the expectation.