Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-02-18

December ~, 1861, is published for the infor.
nation Of all concerned:
WASHINGTON, February 16, 1865
HIS Ezcellency abraham Lincoln, President of the
United States, Washington, ID. c.:
SIR: The board convened by the following
order:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON CITY, February 6, 1865 {
whereas complaints are made in some loo ali.
Ties, respecting the assignments of quotas and
credits allowed for the pending call OF troons
to I'LL up the armies, now, In order to deter
mine all controversies in respect thereto, and
to avoid any delay in filling up the armies, it
is ordered: That the Attorney General Brig
General Richard Deiafield, and Colonel W
Foster, be, and they are hereby, constituted a
board, TO examine into the proper quotas and
credits of the respective States and districts,
under the call OF December 10, 1861, with direc.
lions that, II any errors be found therein, to
make such corrections the law and facts
may require, and report their determination to
the Provost Marshal General. The determine.
ton Of said board to be final and conclusive
and the draft to be made In conformity there
with.
the Provost Marshal General is ordered
to make the draft In the respective districts as
speedily as the same can be done, after the 18th
OF TINS month. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
have respectfully to report as follows:
The call for 100000 men made by tie Presi-
dent on the 9th of December, 1864, req uires that
that number shall be raised.
But the law requires that the number of
men previously furnished by different To-
be considered so as to equaIiZe the draft.
The number OF men liable to military duty is
to be determined by the enrolment list
The number of men which had been fur.
nlshed by the various localities, and their Pc
RODS OF service were ascertained, and previous
accounts having been adjusted, the excuses,
where they existed, were carried forward I'M
der the last draft.
The amount Of service furnished is deter
mined by ultiply ing the number of men raised
by the number of years for which they en-
listed.
Having thus ascertained the number OF men
enrolled on the 3lst Of December, 1861: the mum.
callties from which they come, and the periods
OF their service, 1t is proposed to distribute the
Gallo 100000 men among the several districts.
and parts Of d istricts, according to the nambsr
enrolled in each, and the number of men fur.
nished, and the periods OF service previously
rendered by each.
The rule by which this is ACCOMPLISHED is az
follows:
Take the whole number of years of service
furnished by the districts of the United States
from the commencement of the rebellion to the
3lst OF December, 1861. From that sum deduct
the whole number OF men furnished from all
the districts OF the United States UP to that
Date. The remainder will be the excess OF
years OF service furnished by all the districts
Multiply the call of December 49, 1864, by
three, to have the number Of years of service
upon that call, and to this add the excess, as
ascertamed above. Then, as the number of
men enrolled from the whole United States, up
to the 3lst of December, 1861, is to the period OF
service. as above ascertained, SO is the number
of men enrolled in given district, to the mum.
Der OF years OF service it is required to furnish,
including lis pro rata share OF the excess.
From this sum deduct the actual excess the
district furnished; the remainder is the number
OF years OF service which the district is required
to furnish under the call of Decem bar 10, 1864,
" hich, divided by three, gives the number of
men required from the district.
AS this call is for $4,000 men, the number
cannot be reduced by men going in for pc.
Rod longer than one year. Inequalities pro-
duced by men going in under this call for
longer periods than one year, must be equal
lied on future calls.
1t will be perceived that though the aggre-
gate OF the excess furnished is added 70 the
whole call, the excess Of each district is after
wards subtracted from its quota. Thus the
numb OF men called for is neither increased
acr diminished, but equality produced, con-
sidering the number Of men, and the periods Of
their service. Localities which have hereto.
fore furnished grea ter amount OF service
have, In proportion TO their enrolment less
amount to furnish nde r this, and e c0arerso.
Men having heretofore enlisted for one, two,
and three years, ii WAS necessary to take one
OF those periods as the basis of the calculation.
AS three years embraced both the other periods,
it makes the calculation more simple to adopt
that. The same result would be arrived at by
adopting either one or two years as the basis,
but the process OF calculation would be more
complicated
Such we find to be the rule adopted by the
Provost Marshal General. The rule is in con.
formity with the requirements of the laws of
Congress, and Is Just and equitable.
We have carefully examined and proved the
work done under this rule by the Provost Mar
shall General, and fird that it has been done
with fairness.
We file in the Provost Marshal Generals Of
flee our calculations OF the quota of each and
every district endorsed by us correct.
JAMES SPEED,
Attorney General OF the United States
RICHARD DgLAFIsLD,
Brig. Gen. and Chief Eng, u. s. A.
g. w FOSTER,
Colonel. and Asst. Adjutant General
Approved, February IL, 1865.
A. LINCOLN
10y order OF the Secretary OF War:
f. ID. TOWNSEND,
Assistant Adiutant General.