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His Excellency directed me, on the 2d inst., to telegraph to Major-General Butler, at Fortress Monroe, as follows :–
On the same day, I had the honor to receive from General Butler an answer, as follows:—
I have not received any further word from General Butler; and, on the 6th of January, I telegraphed him at Washington as follows:—
Do you want two companies of heavy artillery in addition to Colonel Frankle's regiment?
if so, I can furnish them.
Please telegraph your application to the War Department, and also telegraph your answer to me.
William Schouler, Adjutant-General.
On the same day, I had the honor to receive from General Butler an answer, as follows:—
Telegram received.
Should like two more companies of heavy artillery very well.
Get them ready.
I go to Washington to-morrow, and will try and get them accepted.
Will telegraph you from Washington.
B. F. Butler, Major-General.
I have not received any further word from General Butler; and, on the 6th of January, I telegraphed him at Washington as follows:—
Have you received authority to raise two companies of heavy artillery?To which General Butler answered the same day:—
Authority received. Go ahead.And accordingly we did go ahead. Of the men recruited, seventy-two had enlisted in Springfield, and were counted as part of its quota, and it was expected to raise a full company in that city; ExLieu-tenant-Governor Trask and others having represented that it could be done. Thus matters stood until Saturday, when His Excellency received a letter, dated 6th inst., from Colonel Fry, U. S. A., Provost-Marshal-General, from which I make the following extract—
You are hereby authorized by the Secretary of War to raise two companies for service at Fortress Monroe, Va., with the condition that the men enlisted for them shall not receive bounties.The condition named we could not understand, and accordingly I telegraphed on the 9th (Saturday) to Colonel Fry as follows:—
If Congress extends the time of paying bounties, will not the men enlisting in the two companies of heavy artillery for service at Fortress Monroe be entitled to receive them? In a word, will they not receive the same bounty as others?To which the following answer was received the same day:—
