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HEADQUARTERS, Dobb's House, June 10, 1862.

Hon. GEORGE W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War, Richmond.

SIR: I have the honor to request that you will send me the letter from Major-General McClellan which I forwarded to you on yesterday relative to a general exchange of prisoners, &c.

I am, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

RICHMOND, June 10. 1862.

Hon. GEORGE W. RANDOLPH, Secretary of War:

I have the honor to submit briefly for your consideration the facts in reference to the treatment by the enemy of certain prisoners of war captured in the State of Missouri. My informant (whom I consider in every respect reliable and whose communication is herewith inclosed) advises me that Asst. Surgs. Thomas S. Foster and Newton Vowles, of the Second Division, Missouri State Guard (recently under my command), whilst returning to visit their families residing in the county of Marion, State of Missouri, were captured by the enemy, placed in irons and imprisoned in the penitentiary at Alton, in the State of Illinois. Doctor Foster* has been sentenced to death, which sentence has been approved by Major-General Halleck, commanding U. S. forces in that department, under the pretense that he was concerned in destroying the bridges and telegraphic lines of the enemy in Missouri.

When prisoners captured by the Confederate Army are allowed all the indulgences and courtesies of parole, even to the extent of frequenting our most fashionable hotels, subject only to restraints which might reasonably be mistaken for polite attentions, the barbarous treatment of the loyal citizens of Missouri captured by the enemy stands forth in bold reproof.

The inexcusable cruelty exercised by the enemy toward the two gentlemen named as well as to many other loyal citizens of Missouri induces me to bring the subject to your special attention in the hope that through your timely interposition you may be enabled to accomplish something for humanity by the institution of such retaliatory measures as may influence the enemy to mitigate those barbarities now so shamefully practiced through consideration for his soldiers whom the fortunes of war have placed within our power.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
THOS. A. HARRIS.

Hon. T. A. HARRIS:

[First indorsement.]

Will order lots to be drawn for two prisoners of equal rank as hostages, and notify General McClellan.

[Second indorsement.]

General Winder will immediately cause lots to be cast for two hos tages of equal rank to Assistant Surgeons Foster and Vowles and inform Secretary immediately, as he wishes to communicate to General McClellan.

*See Vol. I, this Series, p. 389 et seq., for Foster's trial and sentence.

[Inclosure.]

HDQRS. 3D BRIG., 1ST DIV., ARMY OF THE WEST,
Camp Corinth, Miss., May 20, 1862.

General THOMAS A. HARRIS.

DEAR GENERAL: I wrote you some days since and sent it to Mobile to be mailed. I did not in it communicate to you fully the progress of affairs here and cannot do so now as I write you in a hurry, as we have just returned from the field where we have been in line of battle for three days. The Yankees are evidently afraid to attack us; in other words, they show timidity.

Old Captain Robards, from Hannibal, reached our camp yesterday direct from his home. He came by water to Saint Louis, from there to Nashville, thence to Chattanooga and here. He says my brother, the old doctor, was sent to Alton in irons. He was chained very heavily, as they thought him very vicious, says the captain, Robards.

Doctor Foster is there (in Alton) in advance of my brother and condemned to be shot. The sentence has been approved by General Halleck. The charge was bridge burning and railroad tearing up. I wish you would take some action or have some action taken to mitigate this penalty of our old friend Foster.

The boys are bushwhacking in Northeast Missouri. There are no troops there now except the Gamble militia or home guards. He reports the boys are taking small parties of Feds every day in that region; they take no prisoners. No quarter is shown by either side. Gilchrist Porter is on the bench. They are making an effort to collect tax in that region, with what difficulty and success you may well judge. Men are determined to resist. General Rains, General McBride, Governor Jackson, Colonel Coffee, Colonel Clarkson, Colonel O'Kane have gone back to bushwhack. They are now in Arkansas preparing to go up. General Curtis in Arkansas with 10,000 men. Why is General Pike in command yet?

I write you in haste and will do so again soon and more fully. I should like to hear from you.

Address me in care of Brigadier-General Green.

Your friend,

D. W. VOWLES.

P. S.-Our pickets have been fighting with Federals for eight days. We came near bagging 6,000 a few days ago. We get water from the same spring.

I should like to get a permanent position if possible soon as I can. Barney King was killed in the battle [of] Shiloh. Old Moore, from Northeast Missouri, had his leg shot off by a cannon ball. The Federals confess a loss of 28,000. Our loss was 9,000.

Your friend,

D. W. VOWLES.

ORDERS,

No. 651.

HEADQUARTERS LOUISIANA MILITIA,
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Opelousas, June 10, 1862.

I. Capt. S. M. Todd will proceed with his detachment to Prescott's Springs, near Bayou Chicot, in the parish of Saint Landry, and will arrest a Mr. Harris, whose Christian name is unknown, but who is said

57 R R-SERIES II, VOL III

to be a commission merchant from New Orleans, and will forward him forthwith under guard to these headquarters to answer the charge of giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

II. Captain Todd will after arresting Mr. Harris proceed to Evergreen town and there make diligent search and inquiry for a large amount of specie said to belong to the banks of New Orleaus or to residents of New Orleans and secreted at the house of a Mr. Bassett in Evergreen or in some other place or in the neighborhood, to be shipped to New Orleans, and when said specie is found Captain Todd will take charge of said specie and consult with Mr. Alanson Pearce, of Evergreen, as to the best place of security to put said specie or will bring the same to Opelousas.

III. Captain Todd will arrest Mr. Bassett if the specie is found on his place or under his charge and care, or he will arrest the person or persons on whose place or in whose custody and charge the said specie may be and bring them to these headquarters to answer the charge of aiding and comforting the enemy.

IV. Captain Todd will consult with Mr. A. Pearce and obtain his aid and assistance to effect the search for this money and he will report his action in executing these orders to these headquarters.

By order of Thomas O. Moore, Governor and commander-in-chief: M. GRIVOT,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

His Excellency the PRESIDENT.

CHARLESTON, [S. C.,] June 11, 1862.

I

SIR: It is currently reported here (upon the authority of a circumstantial statement in the New York Herald) that the enemy have organized a regiment of negroes at Port Royal officered by white men, and that this regiment is now probably in the vicinity of the city. As these negroes are slaves in open insurrection they are liable by the laws of the State to be hung whenever taken. Some of our citizens seem to apprehend the possibility of their being treated as prisoners of war and are much excited at the mere thought of such a course. have assured them that I do not contemplate for a moment any such proceeding on the part of the Government. But to satisfy these gentlemen I have promised to write to you on the subject. It has been suggested whether it might not be expedient to warn the enemy that slaves taken in arms would be summarily dealt with, as well as all whites aiding and abetting them in open insurrection. It does not seem to me necessary to make any such proclamation in advance, but military commanders might be instructed how to proceed in the cases of such captured negroes. As our people have naturally much feeling on this subject I trust it may be my excuse for troubling you with this letter.

Very respectfully, yours,

WM. PORCHER MILES.

[First indorsement.]

Secretary of War for attention and reply.

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

[Second indorsement.]

Inform Mr. Miles that negroes will not be treated as prisoners of war subject to exchange, but will be confined until Congress passes an act with regard to them. G. W. RANDOLPH.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE, Opelousas, La., June 12, 1862.

President DAVIS. SIR: The New Orleans Delta, now published under Federal auspices, of the 7th instant announces that William B. Mumford has been condemned to be hung for tearing down the U. S. flag from the Mint on its first display on that building, and that the sentence was to be executed on that day in the streets of New Orleans near the Mint. If I am correctly informed the act was committed on the first landing of the Federal navy officers who hoisted their flag or had it hoisted by a detachment of marines a day or two after their arrival before the city and before its occupation by General Butler.

I do not doubt the sentence was executed. We have four prisoners in this town (two lieutenants and two privates) captured by Captain Fuller, of the militia, in his gallant expedition on the Opelousas Railroad in which he succeeded in burning the bridges of that road and capturing three trains, with their locomotives, cars, &c. One of these lieutenants, James W.] Connelly by name, has been conspicuous in burning the property of our citizens in Terre Bonne Parish, and has exhibited a fiendish alacrity in executing the atrocious orders of Butler and his subordinate officers. In retaliating for this brutal murder of Mumford which I take for granted will be done it occurs to me that no more propitiatory sacrifice to his memory can be made than the condemnation of Connelly to the same death. Among the first orders to be executed by the new general whom you will send to us will I hope be this necessary severity.

*

Very truly, &c.,

[THO. O. MOORE, Governor, &c.]

OFFICE OF COMMANDANT OF POST,
Charlottesville, June 12, 1862.

General RANDOLPH, Secretary of War.

GENERAL: Perhaps you will not consider it impertinent in me to call your attention to the fact that the officers lately captured by General Jackson in the Valley passed by this town and were detained nearly twenty-four hours. They walked about the town and found out that a large quantity of arms were here and they were already acquainted with the fact that a very large amount of army stores were at Mechum's River, twelve miles above this town. Therefore these fellows if exchanged shortly will at once make known to the Federal Army of the Valley how easy it would be for a few companies of cavalry to make a dart here or at Mechum's River and to burn all these arms and stores. Their officers were generally an undignified, low, ill bred, impudent set of fellows, and inferring from their conversation I believe think it brave and glo rious to disregard pledges or paroles to rebels.

It is almost a necessity General Randolph, that the sale of ardent spirits be prohibited here, for this town has become a very public place, and the cases of drunkenness and fights are of such frequent occurrence that ladies are afraid to go into the streets. The most injurious and poisoned whisky is sold to the thoughtless soldier and shortly he becomes a madman. The people in this town are constantly begging me to declare martial law so far as selling liquor is involved but I am powerless. General, I dislike to trouble you again on this subject but the matter is of great importance to the army now so near us. The desertions from the army are numerous and a small troop of cavalry here would be of great service in arresting them. There are several thousand stand of arms here.

With great respect, I am, your obedient servant,
JOHN TAYLOR,

Captain and Commandant of Post.

[Indorsement.]

Inform Captain Taylor that as commandant of the post it was his duty to see that the prisoners did not walk about the town; that if he had not the guard necessary to keep them in he should have applied to the officer commanding to assist, and if he declined to furnish it he should have telegraphed immediately to the Secretary; that the mischief is now done and cannot be remedied; that if he as post commander cannot now confine prisoners the declaration of martial law would not help him. It would throw upon him a vast amount of civil and political business now attended to by other people without increasing his power to do all that is required to be done; that if arrests cannot be made the writ of habeas corpus may be suspended but that martial law for so small a town will be an intolerable burden and would do no good.

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