The said 18,884 volunteers from pennsylvania are all the nine- months" volunteers that were accepted.

Third. Bounty has been paid to five regiments of Vermont nine- months" militia, numbering 3,394 men, but without authority from this Department. The payments of the bounty to this class of troops resulted from the U. S. mustering officers and paymasters erroneously thinking that the troops were nine-months" volunteers.

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

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

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

Washington, D. C., April 5, 1864.

Honorable J. W. GRIMES,

U. S. Senate:

SIR: I attach hereto a report of remarks made yesterday in the Senate by Honorable Henry Wilson, chairman of Military Committee, U. S. Senate, regarding the recruiting service, in regard to which i take the liberty of stating to you as follows:

Mr. Wilson asserts that "the Government does not know how to enlist men," and that "of we authorize the States to raise men they could raise 100,000 quicker than the Government can raise 5,000." This assertion is not sustained by recorded facts. Since March, 1863, the recruitment of men has been conducted mainly by the General Government. The results, with which you are acquainted, show a decided success in this business, notwithstanding the fact that volunteering under the old system, controlled by the State authorities, was dead at the time the General Government took hold of it. There has been one special exception made in the plane now in operation of recruiting by the General Government. That exception is the State of Massachusetts, which Mr. Wilson represents as a Senator. In that State entire control has been left with the Governor. I regret to say that the results, as compared with those in most other States where the General Government has mainly conducted the business, are very unfavorable. As the zeal, ability, and loyalty of the Governor of Massachusetts are acknowledged, and the circumstances attending recruiting in that State of not differ essentially from those in the neighboring States, is it not reasonable to assume that the system there is not so good as that pursued elsewhere?

When called upon by Senator Wilson I have, from time to time, shown him tables of the progress and results of the recruiting service, and he has expressed himself satisfied with them, and has remarked that we have raised enough men.

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

JAS. B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, D. C., April 5, 1864.

Governor BUCKINGHAM,

Norwich, Conn.:

Accept for yourself and the patriotic people of your State my hearty congratulations for the great victory you have achieved in behalf of our country.