WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington City, February 16, 1863.

Honorable HANNIBAL HAMLIN,

Vice-President of the United States:

SIR: In reply to the resolution of the Senate of the 16th ultimo, calling for information as to whether "the limitation ion the third section of the act to authorize the State of Missouri to raise 10,000 troops for local defense, approved February 13, 1862, has been exceeded, and if so, by whose authority such excess has been allowed," I have the honor to transmit herewith a letter from the Adjutant-General of the 14th instant, inclosing a report upon this subject of date the 6th instant, from the acting adjutant-general of Missouri.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

[Inclosure.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, February 14, 1863.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: In answer to a call of the Senate, of date the 16th ultimo (copy herewith), in relation to troops for local defense ion the State of Missouri, and which was referred to this office for report, I have the honor to submit a communication from the adjutant-general of Missouri, of date the 6th instant, which supplies the information asked for.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Sub-inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS STATE OF MISSOURI, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Saint Louis, February 6, 1863.

Colonel THOMAS M. VINCENT,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I am direct by His Excellency the Governor, in answer to your communication of the 26th ultimo relative to the excess of troops raised by Missouri for local defense, to reply as follows:

Previous to the act of Congress limiting the number of troops to 10,000, Governor Gamble had made an arrangement with the President whereby he was authorized to raise (not being limited to any specific number) a military force to be armed, equipped, clothed, subsisted, transported, and paid by the United States during such time as they should be actually engaged as an embodied military force in service. (See Senate Executive Document Numbers 6, Thirty-seventh Congress, second secession, and General Orders, Numbers 96, War Department, series 1861.)

In accordance with this agreement the organization of this force was commenced in November, 1861 (see copy of General Order, Numbers 1, headquarters State Militia, November 25, 1861, herewith inclosed, marked A*), and authority given to parties to recruit for companies

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* For Gamble's General Orders, Numbers 1, and Halleck's General Orders, Numbers 1 (here omitted), see Series I, Vol. VIII, pp. 378, 389.

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