been reduced to years of service, was added to the call, it was simply adding like quantities, adn the quotas are thus primarily given in years of service, which, divided by 3, gives the number of men required from each district. These quotas, like those under the call of July 18, may be filled by one, two, or three years" men, but in estimating hereafter the quotas under a subsequent call, should there be one, the excess which any district may have, on account of having filled this quota with three-years" men, over a dsitrict which furnishes but one-year's men, will be considered and applied in the same manner as the excess arising under the call of July 18 has been considered and applied in the assignment of the quota under the present call.

It will be observed that as the excess has been divided by 3, thus reducing it to the three-years" basis, but one man is required on the present quota to make up a deficiency of three years of service, and that the principle which His Excellency implies as having been adopted, to the effect that a new man is required for every year of deficiency, thus unfairly increasing the burden in districts which filled their quotas with one-years" men, has been avoided.

I beg leave to inclose the formula which provost-marshals of districts are directed to observe in distributing the quota of districts to the sub-districts, and which is in accordance with the principles above stated and by which the quotas of States and districts have been determined.*

It is proper to remark, in conclusion, that the quota of the State of Pennsylvania under the call of July 18 for 500,000 was 55,096, and that in filling that call over 40,000 were one-year's men.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

PROVIDENCE, February 4, 1865.

Honorable E. M. STANTON:

I have a battery of light artillery that desires to enlist as an organization. Please telegraph authority for them to do so and be attached to our First Regiment of Light Artillery.

JAMES Y. SMITH.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, D. C., February 4, 1865.

Governor SMITH,

Providence, R. I.:

We have already more light artillery than are needed, and under General Grant's instructions no more can be accepted. Infantry is the arm required for the service.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

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

Washington, D. C., February 5, 1865.

ORISON BLUNT, Esq.,

Chairman Committee of Board of Supervisors,

County of New York:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a communication of yourself and others of the Board of Supervisors of yesterday

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*See January 24, p.1073.

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