A. N. Waterman to Richard Yates

Hd Qrts 100th Illinois Vols Louden Tenn Feby 16th 1864

Hon Richard Yates,

Dear Sir

The Governor of the state of Ohio having made application, parties are being sent home to recruit for the regiments raised under the July call of 1862. Cannot such an arrangement be made for the Illinois regiments? All the Illinois regiments raised under that call need need filling up. Mine has now an aggregate of less than 500 men and having been Entirely raised in one County (Will) the people of that county feeling an interest in it which they do not in any other, I am confident that recruits could be obtained for it when they could not for any other. I have made repeated attempts to have a recruiting party for this regiment detailed but the reply always is that War Department has not

ordered any such details from the New regiments and so I Expect that none will be made unless upon your application.

Is there no way of compelling the payment of the full 40 cts per day for subsisting, as promised in Order 77? Upon one pretext and another the payment of some of the bills incurred for subsisting the recruits of this regiment has been put off to this day, while others have been compelled to submit to the cutting down of their accounts one fourth.

Most of these bills were contracted for the subsistence of the men after the regiment had been ordered to assemble at Joliet and and when, as no preparation had been made for their subsistence by the Government, had not Messers Caswell, Austin, Prince and others subsisted the men, they would have been obliged to return to their homes and the towns from whence they came and the order of the Adjutant General could not have been complied with. Every County Officer, and every hotel Keeper

in Will County will certify that at that time it was utterly impossible to get men subsisted for a less sum.

Yet these parties are today without their pay or save Mr Prince have been compelled to receive 30 instead of 40 cts. The Act of so cutting down the bills is nothing more or less than an act of repudiation. Provost Marshal Longworth was obliged to pledge his private Credit in order to get men subsisted at Joliet for since their experience in /62 the people there are not ready to trust in the faith of the Government.

The matter is a small but so flagrant is the injustice of the transaction that if there is no other way to reach it Congress should.

With Great respect Your Obedient servant A. N. Waterman Lt. Col 100th Ills Vols

Waterman A N Lieut Col 100th Regt

Louden Tenn Feby 1664

Wishes the Governor to make application to War Dept for permission to send home recruiting parties for the Regt raised under the July Call 1862. The aggregate of his regt is less than 500 and were entirely raised in Will County.

Wishes to know if any way of compelling the payment of the full 40 cts per day for subsisting recruits. Says the people have lost confidence in the Govt they only paying 30 cts when the contract was 40.

Executive Office Feby 27 64