WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, September 14, 1863.

Governor TOD,

Columbus, Ohio:

The instructions for veteran volunteers will be forwarded by mail to-morrow. The draft was ordered without my knowledge by Colonel Fry. The evil is so obvious that I should have guarded against it had I known before the orders issued, and I shall try to correct it.

EDWIN M. STANTON.

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, September 15, 1863.

GOVERNOR OF OHIO,

Columbus, Ohio:

You are authorized to raise as many regiments of volunteers, infantry and cavalry, as you think you can complete in organization in a reasonable time. The proportion of cavalry should not be large. All veterans going into these regiments will get a bounty, &c., of $402, as in General Orders, No. 191, for veteran volunteers. All other recruits will get a bounty, &c., of $302, distributed in a manner similar to that for veteran volunteers. Letter by mail. The day for draft in Ohio is not yet fixed, and all the men you raise in time will be credited. You entire quota is only some 8,000 or 9,000.

JAS. B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, September 15, 1863.

Governor SALOMON,

Madison, Wis.:

The rule for constructing quotas is the same for all the States. I have heretofore endeavored to explain it to you as fully as I could. I assure you that no injustice shall be done to any State, nor partiality shown, which it is possible on my part to provide against or correct.

JAMES B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., September 16, 1863.

Hon. HENRY WILSON,

Natick, Mass.:

SIR: Your letter of September 14 is just received.* You ask, "Is it intended to draft more men?" and express a hope that such intention is not entertained. I am not prepared to say whether there will ba another draft or not, but my opinion is that the abuses arising under this new and experimental measure are not great enough to

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*Not found, but letters-received book of the Provost-Marshal- General's Office contains the following brief: "Hopes no more drafts will be ordered unless it is a necessity, and then that new surgeons will be appointed; says "the whole thing is a mere farce, a shame, and a disgrace." In Maine it seem more forcibly so than in Massachusetts. The general feeling is that men are not wanted, but are let off by instructions. Three-fourths of our armies would be disbanded under their system and rules."

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