of instructions from this office, dated January 5, 1864, is hereby prohibited. Such payment will only be made to the recruit after he has been accepted at the depot.

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

BOSTON, May 20, 1864

Brigadier-General FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General:

Will you not allow the towns in which drafts are made to fill up their quotas with volunteers? If so, you will get men. If not, commutation, will be paid in nearly all cases. The reason is that volunteers receive the State bounties of $325, and drafted men and substitutes do not. I only ask that volunteers shall be accepted from the day of draft until the day fixed for drafted men to report. Cannot their request be granted? Please answer by telegraph.

JOHN A. ANDREW,

Governor of Massachusetts.

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

Washington, D. C., May 20, 1864

Governor ANDREW,

Boston, Mass.;

I have conferred with Solicitor of the War Department and he does not think the law will justify a departure from his opinion, as set forth in Circular Numbers 17 from this office, and that I am not authorized to discharge drafted men from the military service and receive volunteers in lieu of them. The volunteers you raise after the draft can be counted on next call and will serve as good as purpose as if drafted men were discharged for them.

JAMES B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

ACTG. ASST. PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA,

Wheeling, May 20, 1864.

Brigadier General JAMES B. FRY.,

Washington City:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of telegram of 19th instant,* directing a conference with State authorities, to endeavor to get the different districts and sub-districts to commence raising men at once, with a view to meet any new call that may be made. Governor Boreman proposes to issue an appeal to the people on the subject, and every effort will be made from this office to assist the State authorities.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH DARR, JR.,

Lieutenant Colonel and Acting Assistant Provost-Marshal- General.

[MAY 21, 1864. - For Lincoln to Governors Morton, Yates, Stone, and Lewis, in relation to getting forward the 100-days" troops to sustain General Sherman, see Series I, Vol. XXXVIII, Part IV, p. 274.]

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*Omitted.

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