upon the muster-rolls of their companies or detachments the periods of such confinements, and whether the soldiers so confined were discharged without trial, and if tried, whether they were acquitted or convicted."

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., January 13, 1864.

General JOHN L. HODSDON,

Adjutant-General of Maine, Augusta, Me.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 11th instant saying that it is impossible to make the muster-in rolls exhibit the locality on whose quota each soldier is credited, and giving as one reason for the same that "towns having recruiting agents at work filling their quotas often find and excess enlisted beyond their quota, which they transfer to other towns, and transfers of this character will necessarily be in progress for weeks."

This system of bartering or transferring credits of men from one town or county to another is not calculated to inure to the benefit of the Government and is not approved by this Department. Every town should raise its own quota of men; the Government is abundantly able to accept the excess of the liberal towns as a surplus to be placed to their credit without such surplus being transferred to a credit of a delinquent town.

It is not probable that the draft on delinquent towns would be deferred in order that they might purchase,or otherwise acquire, credit for men already in service, instead of raising other men to fill their own quotas.

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

JAS. B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, January 12, 1864.

Governor ANDREW,

Boston:

The bill authorizing bounties to be paid in accordance with the regulations of the War Department until March 1 passed yesterday.

EDWIN M. STANTON.

CONCORD, N. H., January 13, 1864.

Hon. E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: The order of the General Government, through General Hinks, and by him promulgated to the various towns in our State, in reference to refunding the amount advanced by the towns to cash the bounties to recruits, is creating intense excitement, and the order must be modified or the State will be lost to the Administration. the order requires that the provost-marshal or the recruiting agent of the town shall make oath tha the amount claimed assigned was paid in hand to the recruit. Now, in a majority, probably, of instances in the Second and Third Districts this cannot be done. It can be shown,