War Department,
Washington, May 17, 1861.
His Excellency Thomas H. Hicks,
Governor of Maryland:
Dear Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communications of the 13th and 14th instant, informing this Department that,
In pursuance of the requisition of the President of the United States of the 15th day of April, I (you ) have issued orders to Brig. Gen. John R . Kenly , of the Third Brigade, Maryland Militia (Baltimore ), to take command of the four regiments of Maryland militia which I (you ) have ordered to be called out to be mustered into the service of the United States.
It becomes my duty to inform you in reply that the United States Government has now no occasion for the services of the four regiments of militia for three months service called for by the proclamation of the President of the 15th of April last, and does not desire said regiments to be mustered into service now. It is proper that I should add, for your information, that the President has commissioned the Hon. James Cooper, of Frederick, to accept the services of volunteers to serve for three years, or during the war, to make up the quota assigned to Maryland under his second proclamation, and that in pursuance of said commission he has already accepted a sufficient number of companies to fill that quota, and reported to this Department their readiness to be mustered into the service.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
SIMON CAMERON,
Secretary of War.