COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, EXECUTIVE DEPT.,

Boston, May 19, 1862.

Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have this moment received a telegram in these words, viz:

The Secretary of War desires to know how soon your can raise and organize three of four more infantry regiments and have them ready to be forwarded here to be armed and equipped. Please answer immediately and state the number you can raise.

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.

A call so sudden and unforewarned finds me without materials for an intelligent reply. Our young men are all preoccupied by other views. Still, if a real call for three regiments is made I believe we can raise them in forty days. The arms and equipments would need to be furnished here. Our people have never marched without them. They go into camp while forming into regiments and are drilled and practiced with arms and march as soldiers. To attempt the other course would dampen enthusiasm and make the men feel that they are going into the South to help fight rebels, who will kill and destroy them by all the means known to savages as well as civilized man, will deceive them by fraudulent flags of truce and lying pretenses (as they did the Massachusetts boys at Williamsburg), will use their negro slaves against them, both as laborers and as fighting men, while they themselves must never "fire at the magazine," I think they will feel that the draft is heavy on their patriotism. But if the President will sustain General Hunter, recognize all men, even black men, as legally capable of that loyalty the blacks are waiting to manifest, and let them fight, with God and human nature on their side, the roads will swarm, if need be, with multitudes whom New England would pour out to obey your call.

Always ready to do my utmost, I remain, most faithfully,

Your obedient servant,

JOHN A. ANDREW.

DETROIT, May 19, 1862.

Adjt. General L. THOMAS:

Governor Blair and adjutant-general are with Michigan regiments at Pittsburg Landing. Your dispatch has been forwarded. They were to be absent all this week.

F. MORLEY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

TRENTON, May 19, 1862.

Adjt. General L. THOMAS:

I think we can organize three regiments of infantry and send them to Washington in ninety days. Shall we do it?

CHAS. S. OLDEN.

ALBANY, N. Y., May 19, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

Your dispatch of this date is received. I think six or more new regiments of infantry can be enrolled in sixty days. I do not doubt