To facilitate the appointment of the officers, it is respectfully suggested that it would be well to forward to the War Department as early as practicable the names of such persons as you wish to have examined for appointment.

An officer will be detailed to muster the battalion into service as soon as its organization is completed and the facts reported to the War Department.

It must be distinctly undersold that this battalion is not to be a light artillery battalion, and that the artillery company you were authorized to raise by Department letter of the 18th June, 1863, must for a part of this battalion.

The necessary supplies will be issued by the respective departments upon requisitions approved by you.

I have the honor, &c.,

C. W. FORSTER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

STATE OF MAINE, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Augusta, August 15, 1863.

Colonel JAMES B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General:

MY DEAR SIR: I wrote you some days since in relation to the position of our towns in relation to certain ones claiming for various reasons that they had furnished more than their quota. I think there would have been no complaint were it not for your letter of the 19th ultimo, intimating that you would correct any surplus that towns may have furnished over their quota-since which there have been many towns claiming, for the nodular belief with a large proportion of the towns is that they have done more than their part; but the fact is, Governor Washburn last year leveled up the towns in this State, the last quota of nine- months" men, and got them quite considerable even, and they have remained somewhat so since, as our recruits have not been large since then.

It would ease me somewhat if you will say that you have examined the statements made by me in relation to the different towns in your State claiming to have furnished a surplus over their quota, and am satisfied at this late day of the draft you could not as a whole improve the present apportionment much if you attempted it, therefore decline varying the present draft, believing it is not called for at the present time, but at the next subsequent draft, if any should be called for, it will be examined and corrected as far as it can be. Something like the above for me to let the papers publish would, I think, quiet matters here and be better than making any alterations at this time.

The drafts in this State are progressing very quietly, and I do not apprehend any further difficulty.

We shall not get so many conscripts as I was in hopes when I wrote you before, which makes me the more anxious that the distribution of them to the different commands should be in a way that would be for the best interest of the service.

I am getting stared three regiments of veteran volunteers, which I am in hopes to fill entirely from discharged soldiers, which will be to come out of our next draft, if ever made. I am paying each one $100 State bounty. In the meantime I have the honor to remain,

Very respectfully, your friend and servant,

A. COBURN,

Governor of Maine.