James B. Fry, Report

Accession Number

KYR-0001-003-0026

Document Genre

Report

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Thomas E. Bramlette: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Military Correspondence, 1863-1867

Item Location

BR5-45 to BR5-48

Place of Creation

Washington, District of Columbia

Date of Creation

31 December 1863

Dates Mentioned

1863-12-31

1863-06-30

1863-06

--06-30

1862-07-02

1863-09-03

--09-30

1861

1862

1860

James B. Fry, Report, 31 December 1863, Office of the Governor, Thomas E. Bramlette: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Military Correspondence, 1863-1867, BR5-45 to BR5-48, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-003-0026, (accessed February 5, 2025).

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War Department,
Provost Marshal General's Office,
Washington, D. C. Dec. 31. 1863

Respectfully returned with report as required. The Adjutant General of the Army says,

"The statement in the letter of His Excelency they Governor that 'a remarkable discrepancy' exists as shown by the records of the War Department & those of the State, cannot be supported by the records of this office. The statement results from the State Authority omitting to observe that the Exhibit sent the Governor by the Adjutant General of the Army only embraces credits of men furnished by the State to include June 30. 1863.

"By that statement the State is credited as follows;
(over)

	Three year Troops		Three year Standard
	34.207		34.207
9 months troops,	793	= 1 to 4	198
12 " "	5.129	= 1 to 3	1.709
	40.120	Total	63.114

Per Statement from the Adjutant General of Kentucky rendered in June last, the State claimed as follows;

			3 year standard
3 year troops	35.055		35.055
9 months "	875	=1 to 4	.219
12 " "	5.594	= 1 to 3	1.864
	41.524	=	37.138

Thus leaving a difference between the records of the War Department & of the State to include June 1863 -- of 1.024 men.

This number is made up of recruits sent to regiments in field, but as this office has not official evidence of their having been mustered the U. S. services it remains
for the State (she claims them) to furnish that evidence. When furnished the credit will be promptly given.

"The Department has not notified the Governor of the number of men mustered in & credited to the State since June 30^th and therefore the State authorities are premature in saying a discrepancy exists between the State & U. S. records since that date.

"Since the receipt of the letter of His Excellency, to which this is a reply in part, the records of this office have been examined & the following number of troops reported since June 30^th can be credited; --

	One year	7.258	under 20.000 Act.
	3 year	200
Total	1 & 3 years	7.458

"Of the number 7.258, the Department has not yet the official evidence of muster in
but it has been called for, & when received it is believed the number will be increased to 8.445 as claimed by the State.

"As to the 3.107 emergency troops who served for a brief time, the rule of the Department will not allow a credit to be given.

"No state has been credited with troops of that class. Of this the Governor was advised by letter on the 29^th inst.

"The state therefore claims, to date,

exclusive of emergency men	51.945	-- 3 yr. 9 & 12 mo^s
The U.S. [...] credit now	47.578	-- 3yr. 9 & 12 mo^s
Leaving a difference	4.367

"This difference will be reduced to a smaller figure if the State can supply official evidence of the muster in of 1.024 men claimed as furnished prior to June 30^th, & still further reduced when the official reports, daily expected from the Mustering officers shall have been received at this

< 5 >
Office. The records of the State & the United States will then nearly agree.

"The following are the quotas assigned to the State from this Office:

Under calls of 1861 & prior to that of July 2. 1862 -- " -- 27.237

Under call of July 2. 1862 for 300.000 Volunteers -- " -- 14.905

Under call of August 4. 1862
G. O. 94. A. G. O. 1862 for 300 000 Militia -- 14.905

(signed) Tho^s M. Vincent
Ass^t Adj^t Gen^l
"P. S.

It is due the Adjutant General's Office to add that careful attention has been given to the subject of credits for the respective states. With the view of having the records of the state & the War Department agree, the respective Governors were asked by Circular of September 3. 1863 to furnish this office quarterly with a
statement of troops furnished by their respective states. For the quarter ending September 30^th, no reply from Kentucky to the Circular has been received, & therefore it was not until the receipt of the Governor's letter of the 21^st inst. that the number claimed by the State since June 30^thwas known."

A point made by the Governor of Kentucky is that the quotas assigned to that state in 1861 & 1862 on the basis of population, (Census of 1860) were too large from the fact that many of their men had left the state & joined the rebelliion. I think this point is well taken & it accounts in part for the fact that some of the border states are deficient on former calls. I think it would be only just to consider the quotas assigned to Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland & West Virginia on the basis of population as reduced by the difference between the quota thus assigned & that now ascertained by the enrolment.

James B. Fry
Prov. Mars. General.

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War Department,
Provost Marshal General's Office,
Washington, D. C. Dec. 31. 1863

Respectfully returned with report as required. The Adjutant General of the Army says,

"By that statement the State is credited as follows;
(over)

	Three year Troops		Three year Standard
	34.207		34.207
9 months troops,	793	= 1 to 4	198
12 " "	5.129	= 1 to 3	1.709
	40.120	Total	36.114

Per Statement from the Adjutant General of Kentucky rendered in June last, the State claimed as follows;

			3 year standard
3 year troops	35.055		35.055
9 months "	875	= 1 to 4	.219
12 " "	5.594	= 1 to 3	1.864
	41.524	=	37.138

Thus leaving a difference between the records of the War Department & of the State to include June 1863 -- of 1.024 men.

	One year	7.258	under 20.000 Act.
	3 year	200
Total	1 & 3 years	7.458

"As to the 3.107 emergency troops who served for a brief time, the rule of the Department will not allow a credit to be given.

"No state has been credited with troops of that class. Of this the Governor was advised by letter on the 29^th inst.

"The state therefore claims, to date,

exclusive of emergency men	51.945	-- 3 yr. 9 & 12 mo^s
The U.S. [...]claims credit now	47.578	-- 3yr. 9 & 12 mo^s
Leaving a difference	4.367

< 5 >
Office. The records of the State & the United States will then nearly agree.

"The following are the quotas assigned to the State from this Office:

Under calls of 1861 & prior to that of July 2. 1862 -- " -- 27.237

Under call of July 2. 1862 for 300.000 Volunteers -- " -- 14.905

Under call of August 4. 1862
G. O. 94. A. G. O. 1862 for 300 000 Militia -- 14.905

(signed) Thos M. Vincent
Ass^t Adj^t Gen^l

"P. S.
It is due the Adjutant General's Office to add that careful attention has been given to the subject of credits for the respective states. With the view of having the records of the state & the War Department agree, the respective Governors were asked by Circular of September 3. 1863 to furnish this office quarterly with a
statement of troops furnished by their respective states. For the quarter ending September 30^th, no reply from Kentucky to the Circular has been received, & therefore it was not until the receipt of the Governor's letter of the 21^st inst. that the number claimed by the State since June 30^th was known."

James B. Fry
Prov. Mars. General.

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