HEADQUARTERS MISSOURI STATE MILITIA,
Saint Louis, September 22, 1862.

Major-General HALLECK:

GENERAL: I see that questions are about to arise here with some of the U. S. officers which you can settle without difficulty before they assume an unpleasant aspect.

You know the character of the force which I raised as State militia under my arrangement with the President. Beside that force I have proceeded to enroll the entire militia of the State.

As yet you are the major-general of the State militia. General Schofield was commissioned brigadier-general of the State militia, and the command was by your order assigned to him. At that time there was no other militia organization than the troops organized under the arrangement with the President.

Brigadier-General Davidson is now in command of the Saint Louis District. He is an officer of volunteers, but not of the State militia. He claims the right to command the enrolled militia and to order them into service, they not now being in actual service.

Questions arise in respect both to the force organized under my arrangement with the President and the mass of the militia enrolled.

I assert that the force I raised under my arrangement with the President is a State force and not a U. S. force. The document filed in the War Department signed by the President will determine this. That document provides that the force to be raised shall be ordered to co-operate with the troops in the service of the United States, and determines what officer shall command the combined force. The President in making the agreement stipulated that the commanding general of the department should be commissioned by the Governor major-general of the State militia.

These provisions as well as the whole tenor of the paper show the understanding of the parties to be that the force was to be a State force, and it was only to prevent a possible difficulty that the unity in the command was provided for by making the same officer the general of both descriptions of forces.

I call your attention to this question now, not because any difficulty has arisen, but to prevent its occurrence.

The next question is, What authority has a general of volunteers over the enrolled militia never called into the service of the United States?

I say, none whatever. This you can decide in a moment. I put the question to you in order to prevent any difficulty arising between General Davidson and any of the officers commissioned in the militia. I do not think General Davidson acts upon any other influence then a mistaken judgment.

Be good enough to express your judgment in such form that the officers will understand it as equivalent to an order.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. R. GAMBLE.

NEW YORK, September 22, 1862.

Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of the movement of troops and the condition of regiments in the vicinity of New York:

No regiments have left for Washington since my last. The Sixth Battalion of Artillery, 430 men, leaves this afternoon for Washington.