PROCLAMATION OF FEB. THE FOURTH. 135 sas Post, Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hills, Big Black, Siege of Vicksburg, Helena, Port Hudson, Jackson, Little Rock, Pine Bluffs, Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga, Lookout Valley, Tuscumbia, Mission Ridge, Ringgold and Knoxville, in the West-the battles of the Peninsular campaign, Antietam, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Siege of Charleston, on the Eastern coast, and other engagements in the Department of the Gulf and in innumerable skirmishes have these same returned veterans of Illinois participated and borne conspicuous parts. All honor to them that have so proudly borne themselves; all honor to them that they still swear fresh allegiance to their country, and with unconquered spirit resolve never to sheath their swords except over the grave of treason, and the vindicated authority of the Government, and our glorious Union restored. "The quota of the State under the new call will soon be announced, and each county definitely informed of the number required, and I have no fears that a single county will fail to fill its quota. Recruiting will go on. At the roll call of the State for their quota on the first day of March, Illinois will answer ‘Here,' and should the Government, as in my judgment it ought, call out full 500,000 more men, and, with demonstrated and overwhelming power crush out the last vestige of the rebellion, in such an event Illinois would again respond with her full quota of as brave, patriotic and loyal men as those who have reflected such resplendent luster upon her arms. "I express my gratitude for the aid and counsel the old and wise men and loyal women have given me in organizing troops, and caring for the sick and wounded of our State through the trying months we have passed, and I now appeal to the young men of Illinois to join our veteran heroes, who, on weary march and battle plain, call you to their side. You have the renown of forefathers to sustain you, and the consecrated memories of the noble dead, to write upon the annals of the Republic, to be saved by its citizens in arms. Between you and them there is a covenant, and you are pledged by every sentiment of loyalty and honor to God and country, to sustain them in the hour of conflict. 'Tis yours to accomplish the mission of the century, to inspire new faith in the capacity of man for seifgovernment, to preserve the dignity of labor, and to transmit to pos terity the free government of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. If you desire your names associated with the glories of this war, enlist now, for the signs are that the end is near at hand. "The South is fast becoming convinced that the cool determined bravery of one Northern man is equal to the fiery, impetuous valor and bravado of one Southern man; and that while, day by day, the resources of the South in men, money and munitions of war and supplies are nearing the point of final exhaustion, the arm of the loyal States is daily being strengthened, the credit of the Government is unimpaired, the preparations for prosecuting the war on the land and on the sea are constantly increasing, and scarcely any limit can be assigned to the number of men which the Government may call to its aid. The doom of the rebellion is inevitable. It can, to say the least, only be a question of time. "Then fill up the ranks-reinforce the column still advancing-and by strength of strong arms in the field, and patriotic sentiments at home, fill every village and hamlet, claimed by traitors, with the old flag and anthems of VICTORY, FREEDOM, and NATIONAL UNION. "I submit herewith the Report of Adjutant-General Allen C. Fuller, who, in the organization of our regiments, has labored faithfully, and brought great energy, efficiency and ability in the discharge of all the varied and complicated duties of the Adjutant-General's office. To him, and assistants in office, and to my own staff, am I much indebted for the success which has crowned my labors in raising, organizing and responding to all the demands of the large number of troops which Illinois has sent to the field. "RICHARD YATES, Governor." ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S REPORT. "ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, "HIS EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR YATES: "I have the honor to submit herewith copies of communications from the War Department, showing the quotas of this State for three years' volunteers, under all calls of the Federal Government, to be as follows: "Quota under call of August 1862, of 126,148 nine months' men, equiv "The calls of 1861 and 1862 were based upon population. The calls of 1863 were based upon first-class enrollment. "When the last call was made, in October last, the State had been credited one hundred and twenty-five thousand three hundred and twenty-one (125,321), being a surplus of eight thousand one hundred and fifty-one (8,151) over previous calls, and leaving the balance of our quota, under that call, of nineteen thousand seven hundred and seventy-nine (19,779), but subject to a further reduction to the extent of all volunteers furnished, but not therefore credited. "To ascertain what this further reduction should be, by showing the number who had entered the service and had not been included in the above general credit of one hundred and twenty-five thousand three hundred and twenty-one (125,321), became a duty of grave importance to the people of the State, and, on account of defective and irregular returns from mustering officers, one of considerable difficulty. "In my report of January 1, 1863, the number of three years' volunteers furnished by the State prior to that time, and of which returns were then on file, was stated at one hundred and thirty thousand five hundred and thirty-nine (130,539). In addition to this it was believed that several thousand had joined our old regiments in the field, from which no satisfactory returns have been received, and it was known that between the first of January and the first of October several hundred had been mustered in the State. "A thorough revision of rolls, which had been commenced in June last, has been completed; additional returns from regiments in the field have been sent for and received; a re-examination of the rolls and returns of volunteers furnished by the State has been made by the War Department, and the result is an additional credit for volunteers, furnished by this State prior to the last call of ten thousand nine hundred and forty-seven (10,947) secured, making a total credit IN OUR OWN REGIMENTS of one hundred and thirty-six thousand two hundred and sixty-eight (136,268). "In July last, I made an arrangement with Gen. John B. Gray, Adjutant-General of Missouri, to ascertain the number of citizens of Illinois who had enlisted in Missouri regiments, and the number of citizens of Missouri who had enlisted in Illinois regiments, with the agreement, that when the same should be ascertained, that, with the approval of the War Department, each State should be credited with its own volunteers. "On the 10th day of August last, a partial settlement was made, which showed a balance in favor of this State of three thousand one hundred and twenty-nine (3,129). This was placed to the credit of this State by the War Department on the 27th of last November. During the month of December, the rolls of Illinoisans in Missouri regiments, through the courtesy of the Adjutant-General of Missouri, were copied by employees of this Department. The result of that examination shows that six thousand and thirty-two (6,032) citizens of this State have enlisted in Missouri regiments, and sixteen hundred and fifty-nine (1,659) citizens of Missouri have enlisted in Illinois regiments; giving the State of Illinois an additional credit from this source of twelve hundred and forty-four (1,244), making a total on this account of four thousand three hundred and seventythree (4,373), and which has been credited to this State. "From the foregoing it will be seen that our quota, under all calls, is one hundred and forty-five thousand one hundred (145,100). "Amount of credits for enlistments in our regiments, 136,268; balance in Missouri regiments prior to last call, 4,373-140,641; leaving a balance under the last call of 4,459, instead of nineteen thousand seven hundred and seventy-nine (19,779). “There yet remains an unadjusted claim of the State of three thousand two hundred and sixty-four (3,264) for volunteers furnished prior to the first of last October. The officers of the War Department have cordially co-operated with me in arriving at a satisfactory adjustment of differences, and I am under special obligations to Major Thomas M. Vincent, Assistant Adjutant-General at Wash ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S REPORT. 139 ington, for his prompt assistance in endeavoring to do full justice to the State. I have, therefore, no doubt but the above three thousand two hundred and sixty-four (3,264) will soon be placed to our credit. Without, however, including this last number, and exclusive of reenlistments of old regiments, most of whom have re-enlisted as veterans, I am happy to inform you that from muster rolls returned to this office since the last call, it is certain, beyond all doubt, that on the first day of last month our quota was more than filled by enlistments made prior to that date. "As you were absent the first time the call was made, and for some time thereafter, I felt very greatly embarrassed concerning the policy which should be adopted under that call. My records showed over fourteen thousand more than the War Department had placed to our credit. An adjustment with Missouri had not been completed, and no reliable estimate could be made with counties until the general balance against the State could be substantially determined. According to my books forty-seven counties had furnished their quotas, and fifty-five were behind. A part of the latter, however, would be relieved from the deficit against them if they could have the credit for such of their citizens as had enlisted in the regiments in other States; but whether such credits could be secured was uncertain. To protect such, however, as far as possible against draft, an equivalent of volunteers from other States in our regiments was reserved until a settlement could be made with such States. "Under this state of things, to have published my estimates, doubtless would have misled some and might have deceived all. If confidence had been placed in them, officers recruiting in counties which had raised their quotas might have been compelled to close their offices, and in some few counties largely behind, it was feared that a knowledge of the extent of their deficit, unaccompanied by an assurance that a less number might, by saving the State from a draft, protect them, would discourage authorities from making vigorous local efforts to aid enlistments. "General Order No. 43, was issued October 24th, announcing the quota of this State under the call; and yet only about five hundred were mustered during the months of October and November, and recruiting had but slightly improved prior to December 20th. To raise 19,779 by common consent was deemed impossible, and men |