All moneys belonging to prisoners in the hands of Colonel Rose will be turned over to you with a detailed account of the amount due each person, and the amount will be given to the prisoners by you when they are turned over to the Confederate agent. You will be furnished with duplicate rolls of all prisoners to be exchanged, and when they are delivered to the agent of the Confederate States you will take his receipt on both rolls for all prisoners present, one of the rolls being left in his hands and the other you will forward to the Adjutant-General at Washington. All the prisoners of war at Camp Chase, Sandusky depot, Camp Douglas, Camp Butler and the military prison at Alton, Ill., in all about 12,000, will be forwarded to Vicksburg via Cairo where they will report to you, and you will deliver them to the agent of the Confederate States, being governed by the above instructions. As soon as you can dispense with the services of the several guards you will order them to their respective stations. Having performed this service you will report to me in person at Detroit, Mich. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. HOFFMAN, Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners. OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Capt. H. W. FREEDLEY, Third Infantry, U. S. Army, Indianapolis, Ind. CAPTAIN: You will superintend the forwarding from Camp Morton to Cairo, Ill., the prisoners of war ordered to Vicksburg for exchange according to the instructions furnished the commander of the camp. You will carefully compare the rolls which accompany each detachment with the men present and see that they are strictly correct, and you will certify on the back of the rolls to this effect. See that the accounts of moneys belonging to prisoners which are sent with each detachment are carefully and accurately made out. Administer the oath of allegiance to all prisoners of war who are willing to take it and release them. Have duplicate rolls of all who are thus released prepared, one copy to be sent to the Adjutant-General at Washington and one to the office of the commissary-general of prisoners. A party of guerrilla prisoners and a party of political prisoners are to be sent from Camp Morton to the depot at Sandusky; see that correct rolls of them go with them and that they are properly supplied with provisions. Have the account of the prisoners' fund made up immediately and forward a copy to me at Detroit; a detailed bill of purchase must accompany it. If the services of the clerks in the quartermaster's office, prisoners of war, are required to assist in making up his accounts you may permit them to remain on parole with the condition that they will proceed via Cairo to Vicksburg and then report to Captain Lazelle for exchange on or before the 15th proximo. Having performed this service you will report to me in person at Chicago, Ill. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. HOFFMAN, Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners. LIBRARY U.C. RIVERSIDE OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Capt. J. A. EKIN, Assistant Quartermaster, U. S. Army, Indianapolis, Ind. CAPTAIN: The prisoners of war at Camp Morton are to be immediately transferred to Vicksburg, Miss., for exchange and you will make arrangement for their transportation from this point to Cairo, Ill., by railroad, commencing to-morrow. A guard of one company will accompany each detachment of about 1,000 for which transportation will be included. The prisoners from Tennessee who have taken the oath of allegiance will be furnished with transportation to Nashville, Tenn. You are also required to furnish transportation for the guerrillas and political prisoners now in confinement at Camp Morton. The guerrillas will go in one party under a guard of one company and the political prisoners by themselves under a suitable guard. You will provide transportation for the return of the guard. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. HOFFMAN, Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners. WHEELING, VA., August 22, [1862.] Hon. F. H. PEIRPOINT, Governor of Virginia: I take pleasure in informing you that on application I have received authority to release prisoners here on your recommendation and inclose copy of order: Maj. JOSEPH DARR, Provost-Marshal-General: WASHINGTON, D. C., August 22, 1862. You are authorized to release prisoners on oath and bond as Governer Peirpoint desires. By order of Secretary of War: Very respectfully, your obedient servant, L. C. TURNER, JOS. DARR, JR., Major and Provost-Marshal-General. I have applied for same authority at Camp Chase, Ohio. MADISON, WIS., August 22, 1862. Col. WILLIAM HOFFMAN, U. S. Army, Detroit, Mich. COLONEL: Please receive herewith a list* of prisoners who have died or escaped during the time that the prisoners were confined at Camp Randall at this place. There were five or six of them left here to die at the time the last detachment left, with two or three attendants, making eight in all. The sick are convalescent, and four of them having expressed frequently their desire to take the oath of allegiance I (two or three days ago) took their written oath and liberated them. They say they will work here for their living aud for means to get home when they can do so without exposure to the press gang. The other four have no desire to leave the protection and subsistence afforded by * Omitted. the Government and are doing good and faithful service in the hospital Very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. S. SMITH, SANDUSKY CITY, OHIO, August 22, 1862. His Excellency EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. SIR: We have near Sandusky, on an island called Johnson's Island, a military prison where a certain number of Catholics are confined as prisoners of war. These poor misguided men would bear with resignation their well-deserved punishment if they only were allowed the consolation of a priest. As far as bodily comfort is concerned they are treated with a care which does honor to a noble people. Couldn't the same comfort be granted to their souls? It cannot be I am sure the intention of the Government which is now fighting for liberty to enslave the conscience of anybody. Prompted by these high considerations I humbly beg of Your Excellency to grant to the Catholic priests of Sandusky the permission of procuring to those poor men the consolations of their religion. The prison is under the command of Major Pierson. Hoping a favorable answer, I am, of Your Excellency the most humble and most obedient servant, L. MOLON, Catholic Priest of Sandusky and appointed Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, NEW YORK, August 23, 1862. Secretary of State, &c., Washington. DEAR SIR: From the kindness you have shown me in giving your permission to visit Mr. Soulé I feel it my duty to give you a candid statement of the result of that visit. In company with Judge Roselius and Doctor Cottman we called yesterday and found Mr. Soulé apparently well but far from being so in body or mind, complaining of rheumatism from the effects of the dampness of the fort; but this he remarked was more endurable than the privations he had to undergo in being subjected to all the indignities of a common felon, deprived of the privilege of writing to his family, of taking exercise in the open air of the fort-in fact being confined to a cell and not the liberty of leaving it even to the water-closets without an escort of the guard. Upon the political questions of the day he observed that he had clung to the Union until the State seceded according to the State rights doctrine of the party to which he belonged, but said nothing disrespectful of the Government, and said if desired he would leave the country and pledge himself not to do anything in opposition to the Government either directly or indirectly; that when the Federal forces took New Orleans his mouth was sealed and he neither did nor said anything against the Federal authority. He was not conscious of having done anything to merit the very severe punishment that was meted out to him and was willing and ready to meet his accusers and stand his trial. He wishes to be put on parole, and pledged himself LIBRARY U.C. RIVERSIDE to do nothing in opposition to the United States Government and would remain at Washington or any other place the Government thought proper to designate. Our interview here closed and we left. To-day the Secretary of War through the judge-advocate sent me permission to visit Mr. Soulé with his son, which I did, and after the very interesting and affecting interview between the father and son had passed I opened the subject of our present difficulties and drew him out upon the newspaper reports of General Dix going South, to which he gave his cordial adhesion, and said General Dix was an old friend and none could be sent South that would or could please him more. His remarks of Senator Johnson were equally laudatory, and said if the Federal forces had success upon the next engagement that the appointment of Dix and Johnson would gradually bring back the State. I cannot of course give you minutely all our conversation, but the main features were decidedly conservative and I feel that at this time the parole of Mr. Soulé (while it will show a conciliatory course on the part of the Government) will have the effect of bringing to our ranks a man who will be of immense service when required. I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, CUTHBERT BULLITT. Hon. E. M. STANTON. [Indorsement.] MY DEAR SIR: I suppose it my duty to report the within to you for your information. Mr. Bullitt mistakes when he says he owes his permission to visit Mr. Soulé to me. I knew nothing of his going. WILLIAM H. SEWARD GENERAL ORDERS, No. 116. } WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, I. Commissioned officers and enlisted men of the discharged threemonths' volunteer regiments who have been exchanged or released on parole by the enemy and not yet discharged the U. S. service are hereby mustered out and discharged from this date. II. Officers and men of the forces aforesaid who may hereafter be exchanged or released by the enemy will be considered as regularly mustered out and discharged the service of the United States from the date of their arrival in a loyal State. By order of the Secretary of War: E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Lieut. Col. MARTIN BURKE, Third U. S. Artillery, Fort Hamilton, N. Y. SIR: Your letter of the 13th instant reporting you had declined to send a telegram from Messrs. Soulé and Mazureau to Hon. Reverdy Johnson has been submitted to the Secretary of War. The Secretary directs me to inform you that he approves your action in the matter. State prisoners should under no circumstances be allowed to communicate with any person except on the express authority of the Secretary of War. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, August 23, 1862. Instructions for Hon. Reuben Hitchcock, special commissioner to investigate and to report on the cases of state prisoners held in custody at Camp Chase. 1. You will report yourself to Governor Tod and furnish him with a copy of the order appointing you and procure from him a list of the persons held in custody as prisoners at Camp Chase and request him to furnish you all the information he has respecting the cause of their arrest and detention and the authority under which the arrest was made. 2. You will then see and examine each prisoner personally and receive such statement or explanation as he may be disposed to give, and also take any proofs that may be accessible touching the guilt or innocence of the party and his disposition and intentions toward the Government whether loyal or hostile. 3. You will make a brief minute or report on each case, stating the name and residence of the party, the cause of his arrest, when it was made and by what authority and your opinion as to whether the peace and safety of the Government requires his detention or whether he may be discharged without danger to the public peace. 4. Your powers in respect to the investigation embrace the largest discretion. The Department has confidence in your judgment and discretion and unless under very special circumstances your report will be conclusive of its action. It is the desire of the Department to forbear the exercise of power as far as it can be done with safety to the Government. 5. You will confer freely with His Excellency Governor Tod and avail yourself of his counsel and assistance. You will submit your report to him and note in each case whether he agrees or differs with you in judgment and the point of difference if there be any. 6. You are authorized to employ such clerical assistance as may be necessary at a reasonable compensation, to be stipulated and reported to the Department. Your compensation will be $8 per day and the usual mileage. 7. Any other or further instructions that you may desire will be communicated, and on all matters touching your commission you will communicate with me. By order of the Secretary of War: HEADQUARTERS IN THE FIELD, August 23, 1862. General G. W. MORGAN, Cumberland Gap. GENERAL: I herewith send you the formal receipt* for the prisoners sent yesterday; also a communication from Maj. Gen. E. Kirby Smith, commanding Department of East Tennessee. I am, very respectfully, yours, &c., *Not found. J. P. McCOWN, LIBRARY U.C. RIVERSIDE |