INDIANAPOLIS, January 11, 1864.

Hon. E. M. STANTON:

The Indiana regiments are coming home rapidly, and I am putting them to recruiting and directing them to date their enlistments on the 5th of January. If the Department will not allow this, please say so. If it will, you need not answer.

O. P. MORTON.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, January 11, 1864.

Governor MORTON,

Indianapolis:

I telegraphed you Saturday that the bill authorizing bounties after 5th of January had not passed the Senate. Unless authorized by law the Department will not pay bounties. It is may duty to obey the law, and I do not mean to violate or sanction its violation.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

STATE OF INDIANA, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Indianapolis, January 11, 1864.

Colonel J. B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I learn from the Illinois papers (from one of which I cut the inclosed paragraph*) that the adjutant-general of Illinois has been making an investigation into the number of men who have gone from Illinois and enlisted in other States, and that a credit of nearly 5,000 men is claimed for the State, who, it is alleged, enlisted in Missouri regiments. I have no fault to find with this, and call your attention to the subject only to say that if credits of this kind can be allowed, I shall appoint a commission to investigate the claims which this State has for a credit of the same character. In the early part of the war, when the number of regiments to be raised in each State was limited and more were offered than could be accepted, large numbers of men went from Indiana and enlisted in Kentucky and other States, while not less than thirteen organized companies went from this State and entered regiments organized in others. The whole number of men who, either in companies or individually, went from this State and entered regiments of other States is estimated by the adjutant-general at over 6,000. As to the companies which left the State in an organized form, I believe that credit should be given, although they were not embraced in the adjustment heretofore made between the State and the War Department. As to the number of men who went individually and enlisted in the regiments of other States, I do not wish to go to the trouble and expense of investigating if credit for them is not to be given. I believe Indiana can make out quite as good a case as any other Western State. The reason such a claim has not been preferred heretofore was the understanding we have had that it would not be entertained,and that men would be credited to the State to which the regiment belonged in which they were enlisted. I shall be glad to hear from you on this subject at your earliest convenience.

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*Omitted.

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