department. The State has reason to be proud of the gentlemen who now occupy these positions.

Of all the departments of the service, there is none that requires more vigilance care and kindness, than the one having charge of the sick and wounded soldiers. Thank God, we can claim, for this department of the army of Ohio, a most faithful performance of duty. With the efficient aid of the good women of Ohio, and the generous and benevolent surgeons and humane nurses found all over the State, Surgeon Generals Weber and Smith, have been able, most successfully, to min. ister to the sanitary wants and necessities of our gallant army.

The reports of Surgeon Generals Weber and Smith, herewith submitted, contain a full statement of the operations of this department; and while they show that there has been great suffering in our army, they also exhibit the gratifying fact that every thing that could be done, to alleviate the distresses of our soldiers, has been done. The noble women of our State have toiled day and night in this good work; the kind and pure men of the State have also done their duty. The soldiers' prayer, for God's richest blessings upon the heads of all who have thus ministered to their wants, will be answered.

Large and generous as your appropriation was, for this noble work, you will see, from the accounts herewith presented, that it was no more than sufficient. When you learn, however, that your liberality has saved the lives of thousands of the gallant sons of Ohio, and that every dollar of the money has been judiciously expended, you will not, I am sure, regret your generosity. This account, with notes of explanation from Judge Hoffman, Private Secretary, is here with presented; from which it will appear, that there has been paid for the removal of the sick and wounded, by steamboats, $41,009 56; to the several railroad companies, for transportation of soldiers and their nurses, and volunteer surgeons and nurses, up to the first day of November, A. D., 1862, the sum of $66,352 20— of which there has been collected and paid back the sum of $24,992 72, and yet due and unsettled to the roads, $10,934 50-leaving, as paid for transportation from the contingent fund, the sum of $30,524 98. Of this sum we have a claim for part against the soldiers transported; how much will be realized from this cla'm, it is impossible now to estimate with any degree of accuracy. For telegraphing for the several military departments, $11,814 29; for State assistant surgeons, 87,822 25; for pay agents, services and expenses, $2,954 31; for pay and expenses of volunteer surgeons and nurses, sanitary agents and stores, the sum of $7,683 85; and for medical board of examiners; military printing, advertising and postage; "Soldiers' Home" at Cincinnati; expenses of laboratory and arsenal; clerk hire, pay of messengers and traveling expenses, &c., $25,262 23-making, together, the total sum of $127,071 47, up to the 19th day of December, A. D. 1862.

These several sums will be charged up against the Federal Government, and they will, it is presumed, be allowed.

It is difficult at this date to fix, with any degree of accuracy, upon a sum suffi. cient for the Military contingent fund for the ensuing year. A conference with

the Military and Finance committees of your respective bodies, towards the close of the session, is invited for that purpose. In the meantime, however, I ask an early appropriation of an amount sufficient to meet current wants.

The allowance of an extra Surgeon to each Regiment, by an act of Congress, has enabled me to dismiss from the State service, the assistant surgeons whose appointment you authorized at your last session.

The operation of the system of pay agents was not as successful as was anticipated. The total amount paid into the State Treasury, through this agency, is $820,945 21, at a cost to the State of $2,954 31. There is now but one pay agent in the service. A necessity, however, may arise for the employment of additional agents; hence, I recommend that the law, authorizing the appointment of these agents, be suffered to remain as it is.

Copies of the several proclamations and orders, relating to the military service, issued since your adjournment, are herewith submitted in a communication from Col. Young, my Aid-de-camp, to which your attention is respectfully invited.

The necessity of a thorough organization of the militia of the State, must now be apparent to all, and your attention is earnestly invited to the subject. A plan, embracing my views and opinions on this important subject, will be presented for the consideration of the Military committee of the House, in a few days. I have given the matter much consideration, and hope that my labors may prove of ser. vice to the committee.

In this connection, allow me to call your attention to the propriety of fostering, by State aid, a School for instruction in military science. Although we can point, with pride and pleasure, to hundreds of our accomplished officers now in the service, who had never enjoyed the benefit of military education before buckling on their swords, still, this does not prove that such schools are not necessary. These gallant officers will all tell us, that their first duty was to study the art of war, and that without this study they could not have discharged their arduous and intricate duties with credit to the State or themselves. Assuming that you will agree with me upon this subject, I beg leave to call your attention to the Act of Congress, passed on the 2d day of April last, entitled, "An act donating public lands to the several States and Territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts."

By the provisions of this act, 630,000 acres of land is granted to the State, for "the endowment, support and maintenance of at least one college, where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the Legislatures of the States may respectively prescribe."

The act further provides that all the avails arising from the grant shall be invested in safe stocks, yielding not less than five per cent.; and that the money shall constitute a perpetual fund for the maintenance of the college.

I respectfully urge upon you the acceptance of the provisions of this law, upon the terms and conditions prescribed in the act.

Agriculture, mechanic arts and military tactics can be taught in harmony; and in a time of war, like the present, it is difficult to determine which of the three branches of study is the most important.

The acceptance of the grant will involve an expenditure of money sufficient to establish the college. It is impossible to fix, with certainty, upon the sum necessary for that purpose; it is believed, however, that $60,000 will be ample.

Deeming this matter to be one of vital importance to the State, I invited a conference with the State Board of Agriculture, and am happy to be able to announce that the project meets their hearty concurrence. I commend the whole subject to your deliberate consideration.

The large number of sick and disabled soldiers found about the principal railroad depots of the State, seeking their homes, unattended by friends, made it an act of humanity to establish agencies at these points for their care and assistance; and such agencies were established at Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Crestline and Bellair. The expense of these agencies, together with the cost of subsistence furnished the thousands thus relieved, amounts to $1,937.58.

To promote the prompt settlement of the accounts of soldiers discharged at this point, and at the same time to protect them from frauds likely to be practised by unscrupulous agents, I directed the Quartermaster General, in July last, to estab lish a bureau in his office for this especial purpose. A copy of my order to Quartermaster General Wright, and also of my letter to James E. Lewis, E q., designating him as the clerk to take charge of the business, are herewith presented.

The report of Mr. Lewis to General Wright, and attached to his report, will demonstrate the wisdom of this measure. It will be seen that Mr. Lewis, at December 15, 1862, has settled the accounts of soldiers to the number of 656, whose aggregate pay amounted to $53,171.67; that accounts to the number of 689 have been adjusted and are now ready for payment as soon as the paymaster shall be in funds, amounting to about $62,000; and that 685 claims are in process. of adjustment, to an amount of nearly $78,000. These claims, of $193,000, have been attended to at a cost to the State of $1,250, without any cost to the soldier.

The great success attending the labors of Mr. Lewis induced me quite recently to establish similar agencies at Cincinnati and Louisville. The agency at Cincinnati I have placed in charge of A. B. Lyman, Esq, of Trumbull county; that at Louisville in charge of Royal Taylor, Esq., of Cuyahoga county. Both of these gentlemen are well known to be men of high character for integrity and superior qualifications for the duties of these positions. The expense of these agencies will be defrayed from the military contingent fund for the time being, and I doubt not will meet your approval.

The several measures for the relief and protection of our soldiers, herein referred to, embrace all in our power, so far as they are personally concerned; but we have yet the further duty to perform of caring for their families in their absence. We are proud to know that every neighborhood of our State is blessed with

generous

and benevolent souls, who are happy in extending the hand of kindness and charity to their distressed neighbors, and who will seek out those who have been left by the gallant volunteers in our army, and cheerfully minister to their wants; but the few unwilling to do their full duty in this matter should be compelled by law to perform it. I therefore recommend the levy of a special tax for this purpose. The act of February 13, 1862, should be continued. As, however, the number of soldiers in the field has largely increased since the passage of this act, it is necessary that the levy be increased. A rate of one mill on the dollar, which would raise the sum of $800,000, added to the voluntary efforts of the generous, it is believed would be ample to make the mothers, wives and little ones (whose natural protectors are absent battling for the support and maintenance of the Government which protects all that is dear to us), comfortable; and a knowledge of this fact will cheer and stimulate the soldier to further duty. It need not be feared that such legislation will cause the benevolent and generous to relax their individual efforts in this direction. The truly generous are never weary of well doing, and enough will still be found for them to do.

Before dismissing the subjects relating to the military operations of the past year, it may be proper that I remind you, that the Executives of the loyal States are co-workers with, and in a great measure agents of, the authorities of the Federal Government, in the raising and organizing of the Federal forces. In view of this, I doubt not you will be glad to know, that in the discharge of the various exciting and delicate duties thrown upon me by these authorities, I have been able to maintain entire harmony and friendly relations with them. Sincerely believing that the President and those who surround him have acted solely with a view of restoring peace and harmony to our distracted Government, and to all its citizens, whether North or South, I have promptly rendered them all the aid in my power, cheerfully and diligently. Without feeling and manifesting such a spirit, the power of our great State, in crushing the rebellion, would have been wasted and frittered away. This spirit and determination led me, most cheerfully, to acquiesce in the several orders of the President denying certain privileges heretofore enjoyed by the people, and still highly prized by all. I allude particularly to the temporary modified suspension of the writ of Habeas Corpus, and the order for the arrest of citizens guilty of interfering with enlistments and with the order for the execution of the draft; and their temporary confinement before hearing or trial. Necessity, stern necessity, will alone tolerate such orders. This necessity, in the absence of State legislation, it is known to all who read, did to some extent exist in our State; and the individual who will complain of the execution of these orders, under the circumstances attending them, would complain of the neighbor who should break open his mansion, when on fire, to save his child from perishing in the flames. For the honor of our State, it should be made known, that but eleven such arrests have been made within our borders, so far as known to me. Of these, three persons were removed from the State, four were confined for a short time at Camp Mansfield, and the remaining four at Camp Chase. All those confined within the State, have been set at liberty. All the arrests, so far as I

am advised, were made by virtue of orders from the War Department, and but two upon my recommendation.

From the knowledge I have, as to the causes of arrest, I believe the action of the Department was based upon sufficient grounds. That this exercise of military power was necessary to enable the several State authorities to raise their quota of troops, I have no doubt whatever; and so believing, I most cheerfully approved it. It is the duty of all good citizens to submit to any and all sacrifices necessary to maintain our Government; and the man who will complain of the acts referred to, when his neighbor on either side of him has given up forever his darling son, should be frowned upon by all good men. God grant that neither, again, may ever be called upon to make the sacrifice!

As this, however, may not happily prove to be the case, and as we may yet be called upon to raise additional troops, it is recommended that provision be made by law, to prevent all interference, by evil-disposed persons, with the persons intrusted with that duty. The Act of April 26, 1861, entitled "An Act to punish treason and other crimes," should be so amended as to embrace this offense. The duly constituted authorities of our State would then be able to take care of all offenders within the State, and thereby relieve the President of the United States and all acting under his authority from this, to them, unpleasant but necessary duty.

Referring to the measures you had under consideration at the time of your adjournment, postponed, I presume, for the want of time duly to mature the same, I beg to call your special attention to House Bill No. 146, "To authorize volunteers from this State, in actual service at the time of a general election, to vote wherever they may be," and Senate bill No. 153, To create the office of Assistant Adjutant-General, and Assistant Quartermaster-General.”

The first of these measures is based upon justice to a class of our most meritorious citizens. The right of participating in the election of the officers of our Government, is perhaps more highly prized by the citizen than any other political right or privilege secured to him by our Constitution. I therefore respectfully urge you to secure by law, as far as practicable, to every citizen of the State who may be in the military service of the country, this inestimable privilege.

A prompt discharge of the business in the offices of the Adjutant-General, and Quartermaster-General, in which every portion of our State is now deeply interested, demands early and favorable action upon the second measure referred to.

In calling your attention to the civil departments of the State government, I regret to be compelled to announce, that for the want of time, I have been able to devote but little personal attention to them. The care and attention to the army from Ohio, has fully occupied my time. I must therefore simply refer you to the reports of the officers in charge of the different departments of the government, herewith submitted. It affords me pleasure to bear testimony to their fidelity to duty. Their reports will prove their industry and economy.

It will be seen that the several Benevolent Institutions of the State are in a most prosperous condition. I have carefully considered the recommendations of