WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, D. C., July 26, 1862.

His Excellency O. P. MORTON,

Governor of Indiana:

If you had not misapprehend the spirit of my dispatches you would have seen no reason for being surprised. Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee are calling for more cannon than can be issued; but you make a special claim for cannon for Indiana upon the ground that she presented some batteries to the United States last year. If there be a reason arising from that transaction for sending cannon at once to Indiana, instead of waiting for General Halleck to apportion such guns as can be spared from the army in the field among the several States according to their respective exigencies, this Department desired to know the facts and called for them that the guns might be at once sent. The Governors of most of the States are calling for Springfield muskets for their troops, and expressing, as you have done, an apprehension that this Department will not apportion to the troops of their respective States the full proportion to which they are entitled of the best arms. To these suggestions of a disposition to favor one State at the expense of another the Department can only say to you, as it has done to other Governors, that this Department has only a given number of guns to distribute share. Does this authorize your inference that the requisitions made in behalf of the State of Indianaded in the light of favors, to be strictly scrutinized, and granted, if at all, with hesitation? This Department recognizes the right of Indiana and of all other loyal States to call upon the Government to supply the best arms and munitions of war that can be obtained, and would be gratified if a full supply of the very best kinds could be sent at once to all of them.

P. H. WATSON,

Assistant Secretary of War.

INDIANAPOLIS, IND., July 26, 1862.

Honorable P. H. WATSON:

The dispatch in regard to artillery was drawn by my secretary and I do not know the precise words. We claim nothing for the cannon we let the Government have. They counties in Kentucky on the Ohio River are, many of them, very strongly secession and are daily getting worse, and very much of our shore is constantly patrolled to prevent attack by parties crossing the river. If we are to have cannon we hope to get them at once. Our security only in our preparation. In the distribution of Springfield arms the distribution heretofore, since the beginning of the war, should be taken into account.

O. P. MORTON,

Governor.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, D. C., July 26,1 862.

Honorable SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD, Governor of Iowa:

SIR: By order of the President of the United States you are authorized and directed to make a draft of militia of the State of Iowa of fill