In computing the quotas under the December call the correct principle adopted by the Secretary of War in ordering the quotas under the preceding calls was followed. In accordance with the opinion of the Solicitor of the Department the same basis-three years-was retained, and all men entering the service were counted as units in filling the December call. The excess or deficiency in amount of service furnished, resulting from the longer or shorter periods for which the men filling the call were enlisted, was reserved for consideration at the next call.

In order to ascertain the amount of service furnished prior to the December call I followed the rule heretofore observed of multiplying the number of men previously raised by the number of years for which they were enlisted, regarding the term of enlistment as the period of service.

It was impossible to follow the individual fortune or history of each soldier to determined whether or not he had actually served the whole period of his enlistment, or to make any estimate which would work so fairly as the rule adopted. But six months had as yet elapsed since the troops under the July call had been raised, and the precise length of time any of these would actually serve could not be determined in advance. It was known, however, that as a rule soldiers serve out their term of enlistment unless they are killed in action, die, or are discharged for disability, in all of which cases their term of enlistment expires as well as their term of service. Deserters do not go out of service, but are required to make good the time lost by desertion. Therefore I adhered to the rule which I had always observed, and which had been adopted by the Adjutant-General prior to the organization of this Bureau, and treated the "term of enlistment" and the "term of service" as identical, so far as related to the question of credit for troops raised.a

Having multiplied the number of men raised by the number of years for which they enlisted or were drafted, the product was the number of years of service furnished.

Thus, where a given sub-district had put in service ten three- years" men, fifteen two-years" men, and twenty one-year men it had furnished in all just eighty years of service, viz:

10 * 3 = 30

15 * 2 = 30

20 * 1 = 20

--

Total... 80

Having ascertained the amount of service furnished under former calls, the difference between that amount and the amount required under former calls was the deficiency or excess.

Thus, if the number required from a sub-district under former calls was 100, and the amount furnished was 80, that sub-district would be deficient twenty years of service, which, in order to do justice to other sub-district, it would be required to make up.

On the other hand, if the amount furnished by the sub-district was 120, it would then have an excess of twenty years" service, to be applied to its credit.

The amount of excess and deficiency was readily obtained, but it consisted of years, while the quotas to be apportioned were to consist of men for one, two, and three years" service, to be accepted for

a See Appendix, Doc. 27, Art. 2.