existence; the tried and experienced officers now in it can next year be recommissioned; the recruits now put in will by that time become good soldiers, and next year, notwithstanding the times of men now in expire, the same regiments will continue on. The system of raising new and disbanding old regiments is exceedingly injurious to military interests, and is calculated to keep us forever at disadvantage with an enemy who pursues the opposite and wiser policy. Nothing can now be better for the public interests than for the State and General Government to work harmoniously together in devoting this the most favorable recruiting season to raising men to swell the old regiments now doing full regimental duty with but a quarter or a third of the requisite numbers.

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

JAS. B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

P. S.-Since writing the above your communication of the 12th instant to the Secretary of War upon this subject has been referred to me. The matters as therein contained I believe to be fully answered in this letter.

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, D. C., October 18, 1863.

His Excellency ABNER COBURN,

Governor of Maine, Augusta, Me.:

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that Maine's quota of the 300,000 volunteers called for by the President's proclamation of the 17th instant* is as follows: First District, 1,736; Second District, 1,244; Third District, 1,667; Fourth District, 1,388; Fifth District, 1,546; total, 7,581.

This quota is the proportion of the 300,000 men which Maine should furnish, according to the number of men of the first class enrolled in that State, and without any regard to the quota assigned her for the present draft, or the number of men obtained under that draft, and without regard to any deficiency she may have had under the calls for volunteers previous to the assignment of quotas for the present draft.

The quota of Maine for the present draft was as follows: To First District, 2,458; to Second District, 1,762; to Third District, 2,360; to Fourth District, 1,955; to Fifth District, 2,190; total, 10,725. Up to the 17th instant the number obtained on these quotas was as follows: First District, 650; Second District, 1,117; Third District, 1,170; Fourth District, 898; Fifth District, 1,136; total obtained, 4,971, leaving on present draft as made up on the 17th instant a deficiency of 5,754. On all calls previous to the present draft the deficiency of Maine was 6,649; total deficiency, 12,403. The total quota, therefore, of Maine for the next draft, in case another is rendered necessary by a failure to raise volunteers, as it appears from the records up to the 17th instant, would be 7,851, the quota of 300,000 herein assigned, and the deficiencies up to the date specified, that is, 12,403; total quota, 19,984.

But this total deficiency (12,403) will of course be reduced by all held to service under the present draft, after the 17th instant, and by all volunteers not heretofore credited, as well as by all the State may

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*Announced in General Orders, No. 340, October 19, p.892.

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